Larox and Lappeenranta University of Technology work together to enhance filtration technology

“Without wanting to boast, we offer the best expertise in separation technology
in Finland,” states Professor Antti Häkkinen from the Department of Chemical
Technology at Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT). “The cooperation
between Larox and LUT is extremely close, even in international terms. Our
policy of working together with companies is embodied in the motto of the LUT
Centre for Separation Technology (CST): AbsoLUTely Creative, Solutions,
Together.” 

Larox signed on as a corporate partner of CST in 1999. Larox Chairman Timo
Vartiainen had been appointed Chairman of CST the year before, and he continues
to serve in this position. 

“The cooperation between Larox and the LUT Centre for Separation Technology 
has contributed significantly to the success of both parties,” says Timo
Vartiainen. “We at Larox have been able to utilize the university's basic 
research and scientific expertise, while supporting the inclusion of separation
technology as one of the strategic areas of expertise at the university. Over
the years our cooperation has continued to deepen and evolve. Larox currently
has several long-term development projects in progress that will generate a
real competitive advantage for the company in the coming years.” 

In-depth expertise 

Antti Häkkinen has held the Larox-sponsored Professorship in Solid-liquid
Separation Technology since the beginning of 2008. He is responsible for the
details of the cooperation on behalf of the university and for overseeing the
resulting research projects. 

“Our cooperation has ensured that solid-liquid separation technology is one of
the most important subjects taught and studied at the Department of Chemical
Technology. The financial support of Larox has allowed us to recruit new
research personnel and to develop our readiness, for example in terms of
equipment, which would not have been possible with the basic funding of the
university,” Häkkinen admits. 

The partnership between Larox and LUT has allowed the research team to hire
specialists and acquire deep expertise. “For the university it is important
that our corporate cooperation generates theses. Researchers have the
opportunity to utilize Larox projects for their graduate work, and we expect
the first such doctoral thesis to be completed in 2010. Basing research on real
and challenging industrial problems is very positive, and it clearly motivates
the researchers themselves. Our long cooperation with Larox has also increased
awareness among our researchers about Larox filters and customer needs. Larox
is a global leader in its field and thus a highly valued partner for us. We
would be very proud if Larox was able to solve real problems and improve its
processes thanks  to research carried out by our university,” Häkkinen adds. 

Solutions to real problems

Senior Research Manager Bjarne Ekberg is responsible for the cooperation with
LUT on behalf of Larox. “Our partnership is based on applied research carried
out by the university. Typical tasks include solving problems, testing new
products and developing new measuring techniques. The aim is to apply research
results directly to Larox's business and to find solutions that will provide
the greatest benefit to our customers,” Ekberg says. 

According to Ekberg, the list of research projects that have successfully led
to commercial applications is long. “For example, together we have developed a
pilot model of a filter that features ceramic media that was designed
especially for iron ore, industrial minerals and chemical industry filtration
applications. In particular, the R&D work involved testing at the university.
In addition to such long-term projects, we also continuously test the
performance of different types of filter discs and disc structures, as well as
the trapping mechanisms and cleaning methods of various filtration materials,
such as fabrics.” 

Many projects are confidential, however, and the most successful ones lead to
patent applications. “We have an agreement with LUT that defines the forms of
cooperation, the proprietary rights of research results, reporting methods and
costs,” Ekberg explains. “Successful cooperation entails a clear understanding
of the aim of the projects by all parties, as well as tight communication.” 

One successful research project that Bjarne Ekberg is keen to mention involved
graduate work carried out by Sanna Hirvisaari. 

“The aim of this master's thesis was to improve filtration process by studying
parameters' effect on vacuum belt filtration of a metal precipitate. The main
object was to find an appropriate filter cloth and control parameters in order
to wash chloride out from the filter cake. At the same time it was important to
maintain good clarity of the filtrate and to increase the filtration capacity,”
Sanna Hirvisaari writes in her final report. 

The study resulted in several interesting findings related to cloth structure,
capacity, the amount of gypsum and cloth speed. According to the tests, the
structure of the filter cloth does not have any significant effect on the wash
result of the filter cake, and the tested woven fabrics, which are used in
Larox Pannevis belt filters, are as good filter cloths as needled felts. It
also became clear that it is impossible to wash all chloride out from filter
cake because part of the chloride is chemically bonded in the cake. The best
for the operation of the belt filter is to ensure that the slurry concentration
remains equal. It was also found out that the durability of the filter cloth
can be extended by using filter cloth with good abrasion resistance. 

Combined know-how

Leena Tanttu, Senior Engineer, Process Services, has participated in several
Larox-LUT projects. “The greatest benefit is obtained by combining our
practical experience with the university's theoretical and research-based
expertise. It's a great combination that offers a lot to both parties, not to
mention Larox's customers for whom this cooperation is undertaken,” she
emphasizes. 

One of the projects in which Leena Tanttu was involved was entitled LabTop. 
“My role was that of testing expert. LapTop is a test planning program that we
developed to design test filtration series and model the test results. The
software provides us with more data on the effects of the variables being
studied on the end result with a minimum test amount. The end result is a
faster and higher quality test filtration whose results the customer can rely
on one hundred percent. Successful test filtrations ensure that a production
filter that has been tailored individually for the customer works as expected.” 

Hot topics: biofuels and water

Antti Häkkinen believes that cooperation between companies and universities
will increase in the future. “Our research work in separation technology will
expand to new areas in response to the challenges facing industry. Hot topics
in the coming years will include problems related to the separation of
biomaterials and solutions aimed at enhancing the efficiency of water and
energy consumption. It is important to study individual separation processes
and equipment, as well as the chains formed by multiple process phases. This
will allow entire processes to be optimized and made more efficient.” 

Bjarne Ekberg agrees. “The use of biofuels will grow rapidly, and filtration is
needed to process biomass. Water treatment is another important area. There is
a shortage of water in the world, so the importance of recycling water will
increase. Here too, filtration plays a central role.” 

LUT CST Facts

The Department of Chemical Technology at Lappeenranta  University of Technology
(LUT) in Larox's hometown specializes in separation technology. The LUT Centre
for Separation Technology (CST) employs 9 professors, 3 lecturers, 4 research
lecturers, 40 researchers, 13 assistants and 86 postgraduate students. 

CST research fields:

• Advanced oxidation technology
• Chemometrics
• Crystallisation
• Development and design of separation processes
• Intelligent systems for separation technology
• Ion exchange, adsorption and chromatographic separation
• Liquid-liquid extraction
• Membrane technology
• Solid-liquid separation

International research is carried out with research institutes and universities
around the world, including in Russia, Germany and the Netherlands.