Basket Centrifuge
A basket centrifuge is a type of filtration centrifuge widely used in laboratories and industries for separating solid–liquid mixtures. It consists of a perforated cylindrical basket (drum) that rotates at high speeds. The mixture is loaded into the basket, and under centrifugal force, the liquid phase is forced out through the perforations in the basket wall while the solid particles remain inside. This process allows efficient solid–liquid separation, particularly in cases where the solid phase needs to be collected.
Description:- The basket centrifuge operates on the principle of centrifuge force. The slurry or suspension is fed into the rotating basket lined with a filter medium. As the basket spins, the liquid is expelled radially outward through the filter cloth and perforations, while the solids are retained inside as a filter cake. Once separation is complete, the solid cake can be manually or automatically discharged depending on the centrifuge design.
Basket centrifuges can be of two main types:
- Top-discharge basket centrifuge – solids are removed manually from the top after separation.
- Bottom-discharge basket centrifuge – solids are discharged automatically through a bottom-opening mechanism.
Key Applications:
- Pharmaceutical and chemical industries for separating crystals or precipitates
- Food industry for products like starch and sugar
- Wastewater treatment and sludge dewatering
- Fine chemicals and dyes manufacturing
Properties of basket centrifuges:
- High separation efficiency – provides effective solid–liquid separation using centrifugal force.
- Simple design – robust and easy-to-operate construction, typically consisting of a perforated basket with filter cloth.
- Versatile operation – suitable for crystalline, fibrous, and granular solids.
- Filter cake recovery – solids remain inside the basket and can be collected easily.
- Continuous or batch operation – available in manual, semi-automatic, or fully automatic discharge models.
- Top or bottom discharge – depending on the design, solids can be discharged manually from the top or automatically from the bottom.
- Variable basket sizes – designed in different capacities to suit lab-scale or industrial-scale applications.
- Sturdy construction – built with corrosion-resistant materials such as stainless steel for chemical and pharmaceutical use.
- High rotational speed – ensures faster separation and drying of solids.
- Customizable filtration media – filter cloths or meshes can be selected based on particle size requirements.
- Ease of cleaning and maintenance – many models are designed for easy access and quick change of filter media.
- Safety features – interlocks, vibration dampers, and protective covers for safe operation.
