COMPARISION OF FOUR FABRICS FOR FILTERING TURBID WATER IN A TWO STAGE CROSS-FLOW FILTER
Goldie Davis1*, Edwin Ekwue2 and Vincent Cooper3
1,2,3Faculty of Engineering, The University of the West Indies, Trinidad
1Email: goldie.davis@my.uwi.edu *
2Email: Edwin.Ekwue@sta.uwi.edu
3Email: vincent.cooper@sta.uwi.edu
Abstract:
Surface water treatment plants in Trinidad are incapable of filtering highly turbid water. Water treatment operations are shut down whenever turbidity levels rise during or after rainfall. The aim of this research is to determine the physical properties of linen, burlap, crepe-backed satin and cotton fabrics and to compare their efficiencies as filter media for reducing turbidity in water. Scanning electron microscopy was used to generate images of each fabric. Fabric weave type was determined. Inter-yarn pore sizes, inter-fiber pore sizes, warp and weft spacings, warp and weft diameters and thicknesses were measured using ImageJ. Based on the properties examined, and execution of cross-flow filtration and perpendicular filtration tests, linen was the chosen fabric filter medium. Surface profilometry resulted in linen having the roughest surface of 685.5µm and the largest maximum profile height of 3632.4µm. Linen’s inter-yarn and inter-fiber pore sizes were 41.98µm and 22.37µm respectively. This fabric had warp and weft spacings of 400µm and 700µm respectively and was 400.39µm thick. Measurements also revealed warp and weft diameters of 13.26µm and 14.96µm respectively. Linen had a high tensile strength of 402N. Linen, had a hopsack plain weave and was tightly woven; it was 95.16% porous with a sediment retention capacity of 71%. Linen is a fabric material that could prove to be a very good filter medium. Also, Acono River water turbidity levels measured ranged from 2.47NTU to 23.93NTU. Soil types contained in the turbid water were gravels, sand and silt varying from 25mm to 0.075mm in size.
Keywords: Fabric, Filter, Linen, Turbidity, Water Treatment.
https://doi.org/10.47412/NEGV5542
