A REEXAMINATION OF THE BATCH-THICKENING CURVE

The concept of using batch-thickening data to design continuous thickeners has been used for many years; and while some theoretical development has been directed toward explaining the batch-thickening curve, there is still disagreement as to what is actually taking place during batch thickening. This study suggests that thickening slurries form a dilute zone created by the compression of deep solids and that at a critical concentration, visible channels are formed for the transmission of excess water through the thickening bed. The interface height curves during such batch-thickening experiments illustrate this process.