What is the difference between a purifier and a clarifier?

The primary difference between a *purifier* and a *clarifier* lies in their specific applications and how they handle separation processes. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Purpose and Functionality:

   - Purifier: A purifier separates impurities or contaminants from a mixture, typically liquids. In industrial and marine settings, it commonly separates water and solid impurities from fuel oil. It usually works by spinning the liquid at high speeds, leveraging centrifugal force to separate impurities based on density differences. Cleaners are highly effective for multi-phase separation (solid, water, and oil).

   - Clarifier: A clarifier focuses on removing suspended solids from a liquid to "clarify" it, making it clearer and more transparent. Clarifiers don’t always handle multi-phase separation, as they’re typically used to remove just one type of impurity (like solid particles). Clarifiers are common in water treatment, where they settle out suspended particles to improve water clarity.

2. Separation Mechanism:

   - Purifier: Often involves centrifugal separation, where denser impurities (like water or sludge) are forced outward, allowing cleaner oil or liquid to remain in the center. This makes it suitable for mixtures with multiple impurities.

   - Clarifier: Generally uses gravity to settle suspended solids to the bottom of the tank or vessel. Some clarifiers, like mechanical clarifiers, may also use a slight centrifugal effect, but primarily to enhance sedimentation rather than complex multi-phase separation.

3. Typical Applications:

   Purifier: This is common in industries where high purity is required, such as fuel processing, lubrication oil treatment, and pharmaceuticals.

   - Clarifier: Commonly used in wastewater treatment, drinking water purification, and applications where removing only suspended solids is the goal.

In short, a purifier is best for multi-phase or multi-impurity separations (often involving centrifugal force), while a clarifier is simpler, primarily removing suspended solids, usually through sedimentation.