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What is a Gravimetric Separator?

This is the first Separator (S1). It applies the gravimetric effect to separate the extract in fractions. This separator is heated at set-point temperature.

When the mixture of CO2 and chemical compounds extracted are directed in this separation, the solvent’s temperature and pressure goes down thanks to a particular valve, which is called “Lamination Valve“. With this operation, the supercritical CO2 becomes a gas and it loses its solvent properties and so it releases the solutes that, for the gravity’s effect, fall down, in the bottom of the separator, ready to be collected.

In this separator the operator will collect all the heavier compounds, but to remove the lower compounds, water included, other operations of separation have to be conducted, with other separators.

How gravimetric separator works

A gravimetric separator is an industrial unit used to separate components based on their specific weight, size and thickness

Principle of Separation
In a gravimetric separator, gravity serves as the primary force for separation. It is practical when dealing with either a suspension (a mixture of solid particles in a gas or liquid) or a dry granular mixture.
The key idea is that the components of the mixture have different specific weights. The separator operates within a fluidizing and classification chamber where a fluid flow is employed.
Material is introduced into the fluidizing chamber from the top and gently settles in the lower section.
An fluid flow, injected into the distribution chamber, fluidizes the particles and classifies them based on the principle of gravity.
Particles suitable for production are brought into the upper section of the chamber and conveyed to the cyclone unit, while rejected material is conveyed outwards.

Specific Weight-Based Splitting
The pressurized flow enables the material to split according to its specific weight.
Heavier particles tend to travel to the higher level on the deck.
Lighter particles, on the other hand, move to the lower level.

Applications

Gravimetric separators find applications in various industries:

  • Agriculture: They are used to remove impurities, insect damage, and immature kernels from grains like wheat, barley, oilseed rape, peas, and cocoa beans
  • Food Processing: These separators standardize coffee beans, peanuts, corn, rice, and other food grains.             
  • Mineral Processing: They can separate ores from supporting rocks based on differences in specific weight.
  • Clarification/Thickening: Gravimetric separation is also used for separating fluid from solid particles.

Advantages of gravimetric separators

  1. Versatility: gravimetric separators are custom-designed based on the specific features of the processed material. This adaptability ensures efficient performance across different applications.
  2. Preservation of Particle Shape: the geometric shape of particles is maintained during the separation process. This is crucial for maintaining the quality of the separated materials.
  3. Efficient Cleaning: gravimetric separators exhibit extraordinary cleaning efficiency. They effectively remove unwanted particles and pollutants from the material stream.
  4. Low Maintenance: these separators require minimal maintenance. There is no wear in the machinery placed after the gravimetric separator, thanks to the removal of abrasive particles from the flow.
  5. No Wear: The device operates without significant wear.
  6. Easy Regulation: Users can adjust its settings easily
  7. Energy Efficiency: gravimetric separators operate with low energy consumption, making them a sustainable choice for particle classification.

In summary, gravimetric separators are cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and versatile tools that rely on gravity to efficiently separate components with varying specific weights. 
In the case of gravimetric separators applied to supercritical fluid technology, it is possible to maintain the supercritical condition rather than gaseous, to increase the separation selectivity. Our separators can operate up to a pressure of 250 bar, only on request, or in standard models up to 170 bar. All our gravimetric separators are temperature controlled.

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