Comparison of experimental and simulated behaviour of Solid-liquid expression using predictive model

• Nonlinear predictive model of solid–liquid expression is compared with experimental results. • Effects of the initial cake structure on consolidation behaviour are highlighted. • Model generally aligns with experiments, though unmodelled effects can lead to deviations. This study compares the experimental and simulated behaviour of solid–liquid expression using a nonlinear predictive model. The model is based on power-law constitutive equations for the local filter cake parameters (permeability, specific resistance, compressibility modulus, and consolidation coefficient), and describes the compressive pressure distributions and consolidation ratio under different pressures. Experimental data from kaolin and bentonite suspensions are compared to model simulations. The experiments involve the formation of semi-solid and pre-compressed by filtration cakes, which are then subjected to solid–liquid expression. The study highlights the influence of initial cake structure on consolidation behaviour and evaluates the applicability of conventional filtration-consolidation theory to non-uniform cakes formed by filtration. The results demonstrate that the predictive model generally aligns with the experimental data, although deviations may occur due to unmodeled effects and experimental inaccuracies.