Centrifuges

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Generally driven by an electric motor, a centrifuge puts an object in rotation around a fixed axis, applying a force perpendicular to the axis. Via the sedimentation principle, centripedal acceleration causes denser substances to separate out along the radial direction, while lighter objects tend to move to the top. Large industrial centrifuges are used in water and wastewater treatment to dry sludges. The resulting dry product is often termed cake and the water leaving a centrifuge is called centrate.