Lenzing Technik GmbH OptiFil® Filter (Sugar and
Automotive Industries)
The patented Lenzing OptiFil® filter is a fully-automatic, continuous system that works according to the principle of surface, depth or cake filtration. A metal fiber fabric or fleece is used as the filter media. This media captures particles of different sizes, either inside or on its surface. After the pre-determined degree of contamination has been reached, the filter media is cleaned by backwashing a small volume of filtered solid contaminants. The backwash of the contaminants is executed by the reject device within the filter. Filtration is possible down to 3 microns (μm) with fleece, 5μm with metal fabric. Microfiltration (< 1μm particle capture is possible via cake formation.
Key features of the Lenzing OptiFil® filter include:
- Fully automatic system
- Minimal losses (patented regeneration system)
- Small footprint
- Simple and easy to install (one automatic valve per filter)
- Fine filtration: down to 3μm (with fleece), 5μm (with woven fabric), 1μm (with filter cake)
- Relative high solid load exposure is possible
- Partial backwash during filtration (continuous system)
- High chemical resistance (Type 316 stainless steel is standard, exotic metal grades are available upon request)
- High temperatures (120°C is standard, on request to 200°C)
Northland Chemical represents Lenzing Technik GmbH in the North American sugar industry. In order to produce white crystalline sugar out of sugar beets or sugar cane, various process steps are required. Along with extraction, purification, evaporation and crystallization, filtration represents one of the key processes in sugar manufacturing.
Filtration is required for sugar streams like thin juice, thick juice and molasses to produce high quality sugar economically. Furthermore, filtration is an essential process step in the area of water filtration, such as for the purification of condensate, wash water or cooling water.
Lenzing Technik GmbH has been successful in the field of filtration for more than 40 years. It delivers remarkable benefits to the sugar industry with its unique filtration technologies.