TECHNICAL REPORT DICALITE D E P A R T M E N T • GREAT L A K E S C A R B O N C O R P O R A T I O N • 6 1 2 S O . F L O W E R ST., L O S A N G E L E S 1T, C A L I F O R N I A
Unique Additive Filtration Discards Filtrate Dicalite's "Man on the Spot" M. B. Harris
Marty Harris, Dicalite engineer, reviews filtration procedure with A. H. Buck, plant manager, and R. C. Mosher, president of Barnett Laboratories. T h e food additive carotene is widely used in margarine, shortening, bakery goods and pharmaceuticals where a natural yellow color a n d a high potency of vitamin A is desirable. A unique processing step, which might be called filtration in reverse, is employed by a leading producer of carotene —Barnett Laboratories, of Long Beach, California. Here, the liquid filtrate goes into cattle feed — a n d t h e v a l u a b l e c a r o t e n e is extracted from the filtered-out solids. Barnett grows their o w n carrots . . . a special variety yielding at least twice as much carotene as the ordinary table variety, a n d taking twice as long to grow. After the carrots are crushed, the carotene is washed
out and the liquid goes to filtration. A Dorr-Oliver rotary vacuum p r e coat filter is used, starting with an inch-and-a-half precoat of Dicalite Special Speedflow Filteraid. T h e knife is set for a minimum cut to remove the deposited carotene material with the least possible amount of filteraid. This material is flash dried and air conveyed to the final steps of solvent extraction and crystallization. Dicalite, while helping Barnett work out their filtration problems, was also able to assist them in designing t h e flash drying a i r conveyor system. Careful consideration of the total process is typical of Dicalite service. We'd b e glad to work with you.
When Marty Harris first consulted with Barnett, they were not satisfied with their filter operation. His first step was to take samples of the carotene liquid to the Dicalite products laboratory for study. Then a series of tests was made on a miniature rotary precoat filter. Harris worked closely with a Barnett representative and the Dicalite research men on this project. His recommendations to Barnett resulted in marked i m p r o v e m e n t in filtering efficiency. Today, after continued study and improvements worked out with Barnett, the firm is getting more than double the production per hour from the same filter. Harris graduated from the University of Idaho with a Ch.E. degree, and worked for some time with American Potash & Chemical Corporation. For the first 2 years after joining Dicalite in 1945 he worked in the laboratory on research and customer service, before going into the field as District Manager, first in San Francisco and then in Philadelphia. He now serves Dicalite customers throughout the Southwest. Marty is entitled to add P E . after his name, for he holds a California State license as a Professional Chemical Engineer. He has contributed articles on filtration to publications in the petroleum, sugar and swimming pool fields, and is a member of the American Chemical Society, AlChE, Master Brewers Association of America, the American Institute of Sugar Beet Technologists and the Papermakers and Associates of Southern California.
TECHNICAL LITERATURE
on Dicalite Filteraids is available on request. Bulletin B-14 discusses the principles and operating practices of filteraid filtration, and its applications in m a n y industries. Write for your copy to:
The solid crude carotene coming off the knife is the object of Barnett's filtration. © 1961 G R E A T L A K E S C A R B O N C O R P O R A T I O N
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LOS ANGELES. CALIF.
Dicalite Department 612 So. Flower Street Los Angeles 17, California
