Technical Bulletin No. 0211: New Developments in Design and Operation of Primary Clarification and Sludge Dewatering Facilities at Five West Coast Mills

Following a theme laid down at the recent South Central Regional Meeting (see Technical Bulletin No. 209), the National Council included three technical papers on new approaches to primary clarifier and sludge dewatering design and operation in the program of its West Coast Regional Meeting. The widespread nature of the problems dealt with in each of these presentations has led to distribution of these reports as a technical bulletin, so as to make these results available to the entire membership. The five mills covered are all integrated sulfite or kraft pulp and paper mills producing diversified bleached grades, including tissue and publication grades, known to produce sludges high in fines. Sludges currently handled are all of the primary type. While mechanical sludge dewatering is a feature of each of the five mill systems, only one at present employs cake pressing, followed by combustion in a hog-fuel fired steam boiler.