Use of Silica Sand As Filter Media for Water Filtration

Why use silica sand as filter media for water filtration and how does it work?

Silica sand has for a long time been used to clean as well as purify the water. 4 grades of silica sand are majorly used for water filtration all over the world. The earliest record of silica sand is been traced back to the year 1804 when a man by the name of John Gibb, was able to design as well as install an experimental filter. This unique way of filtration got to be refined during the years that followed and it culminated with the installation of the global first public water supply by James Simpson for Chelsea Waterworks company in the year 1829. Water treatment practice, later on, became mainstream after physician, John Snow, made the connection between the quality of the water as well as incidences of Cholera in the year 1845/1855. we have various products which will suit you.

Today, provision of the good quality potable water is taken for granted in much of the developed world. So, how exactly does it work? Natural silica sand has a sub-angular to rounded shape, which does make the ideal filtration media able to capture the suspended solids in the water. As a result of the high silica content, and is durable and hard-wearing, which allows it to be graded precisely so as to facilitate efficient filtering.

To begin these grades do include 16/30, 8/16, 6/14, and 14/25, 20/40,18/8, 2/4,3/6, 6/13, 13/19, and14/25. When it comes to the silica grade, it can easily be determined either using the size range or by the use of the Effective size (D10) as well as UC.

Silica sand gets laid on top of the supporting layer of the gravel within the filter vessel. Incoming water enters the filter and migrates through silica sand, hence successfully removing any solid or even debris from the water. As a result of its uniqueness in terms of its properties, silica sand is usually used for water filtration in a wide variety of applications that do include swimming as well as leisure, paper processing, power generation, chemical processing, and portable as well as wastewater treatment.

In the market, there are various types that are available. The pressure filters are operated with a feed pressure of two to five bars and are usually used in leisure applications. Feedwater does enter and passes through the bed of silica sand. The majority of particulate solids are usually captured high up in the filter bed, this kind of filter is able to capture even the tiny particles. The buildup of the particulate solids does cause an increase in pressure loss across the bed for a certain given flow rate. When this pressure loss or the flow rate is not the acceptable bed is back washed to be able to remove accumulated particles.

Rapid gravity filters

The rapid gravity filters are used for water purification, mostly used at the drinking water treatment works. They do require smaller land areas in relation to the slow sand filters and use the silica sand as well as other granular media so as to remove the particles as well as impurities.