Sedimenters

Sedimenters are devices or systems that promote sedimentation, the process by which solid particles settle out of a liquid under gravity or centrifugal force. The term is uncommon in professional vocabulary; more precise terms include sedimentation tank, settler, clarifier, or sedimentation basin. In water and wastewater treatment, sedimenters are designed to remove suspended solids from incoming streams by providing a calm, low-turbulence environment in which particles can settle to the bottom, allowing clarified liquid to exit from the top.

Designs vary by application. Gravity settlers rely on density differences to separate solids from liquids. Lamella or inclined-plate settlers increase the effective settling area to reduce footprint. Sludge thickeners concentrate accumulated solids after settling. In some processes, coagulation and flocculation precede sedimentation to form larger aggregates that settle more readily.

In geology and sedimentology, the term sedimentation describes the broader process of particle deposition in a fluid, and practitioners are typically called sedimentologists or geoscientists. "Sedimenter" may appear in older literature or as an informal descriptor for equipment used to promote or measure sedimentation, but it is not standard terminology in these fields.

In laboratory contexts, sedimentation can be used to separate suspensions, and equipment such as settling columns or settling tubes may be referred to as sedimenters in informal speech. However, more precise terms are preferred in technical writing.

Overall, sedimenters relate to the broader concepts of sediment transport, flocculation, and clarifier design, and are governed by factors such as particle size, density difference, fluid viscosity, temperature, and flow rate.