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Beer Filtration
Sheet (Pad) Filters
Sheet filters (Figure 15.4) are used in coarse, clarifying, fine, and sterile filtrations. Sheet filters are better at handling heavier solid loads than are cartridge filters. Filter sheets are applied in plate and frame filters or in module filters in closed systems. Filter modules have a great advantage in that they have low operating requirements. The sheets are made from cellulose fibers compressed into a thin mat. The mat is often impregnated with diatomaceous earth and other ingredients (e.g., PVPP) in varying proportions to achieve various degrees of adsorptivity and retentivity. Most sheet filters are made with a positive electrostatic charge (referred to as the "zeta potential") to aid in filtration, as most beer contaminants have a negative charge.
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