EVALUATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF CERAMIC FOAM AND BONDED PARTICLE CARTRIDGE FILTRATION SYSTEMS

A joint programme was set up between Foseco and V.A.W. aluminium A.G. in order to establish data on the relative positions of fine foam ceramic filters and more specifically, to investigate the performance characteristics of bonded particle tube cartridge filter systems. The object of this work was to generate fundamental data on the filtration efficiency of a number of in-line treatment units used singly and in combination. In order to do this, one of the original casting pits at V.A.W.'s Rheinwerk plant in Neuss was converted to a pilot plant facility and an experimental line system comprising of an in-line degasser, preheated ceramic foam filter box and Metaullics MCF-14 tube cartridge filter was set up. The impact of these treatments on metal quality was determined by LiMCA II, PoDFA and LAIS for carefully controlled plant conditions.