The
term "sludge" covers a wide range of applications.
Primarily,
there are industrial sludges, which are derived from industrial
processes and washings.
These
include sludges from mining industries, chemical-physical processes,
dairies, alum production, battery manufacturing, paper mills,
hydroxide treatments, paint facilities, municipal sewage,
slaughterhouses, oil mills, chemical and biological treatment plants,
tanneries, distilleries, tomato processing plants, animal farming
waste (such as from cattle and pigs), tank residues, by-products from
industrial processing, and sludges conditioned with agglomerating
agents, lime, and many other types of sludge. Despite their
diversity, most sludges are treated using similar approaches.
Special
cases include the presence of hazardous materials within the sludge
and/or acids, an oily phase, or a particularly abrasive solid phase,
which may require different treatment steps due to their inherent
nature.
In
general, sludges are a liquid phase, often in large quantities, with
a suspended solid phase that needs to be removed.
Therefore,
the use of horizontal decanters, even in large sizes, is well-known.
There
are numerous competitors producing decanters, especially for
municipal wastewater treatment facilities.