# Experimental Observations of Heat-Assisted Boycott Effect in Trapezoidal Enclosures
## 5 Conclusions  
This study investigated the impact of controlled heat injection on the sedimentation process in a trapezoidal enclosure, with the aim of leveraging the combined effects of heat-induced convection and the Boycott effect to enhance sedimentation efficiency. The injection of 9 W demonstrated a favorable impact on the overall concentration within the cell for the scenario with an initial concentration of 3000 ppm, achieving an early average sedimentation rate of 8.52 %/min and an average clear water generation rate of 3.48 %/min. These rates were higher compared to the cases with 4.5 W and without heat. In contrast, for an initial concentration of 1500 ppm, no improvement in total concentration was observed, and the injection of 4.5 W showed no positive effect in any of the cases studied. This outcome was attributed to particle resuspension, highlighting the need for further research to clarify the interaction between thermally altered settling and the influence of the thermal boundary layer on the clear-fluid layer induced by particle settling. The results suggest several potential industrial applications. Heat-enhanced clarification could improve efficiency in processes requiring high rates of particle separation or classification, such as water treatment. Controlled mixing within a vessel is another promising application, particularly in industries involving sediment transport, where it is critical to prevent material deposition in pipelines. Furthermore, precise control of sedimentation rates could support applications that require process stability and regulation. Based on these findings, future research directions include the following: developing a computational model for heat-assisted sedimentation to validate experimental results and further explore the observed dynamics; studying the combined effects of coagulants and flocculants during the process; testing real industrial mixtures, such as mine water or wastewater, to evaluate applicability; incorporating inclined plates to scale up the experiment into a lamella setter; and conducting both batch and continuous experiments. These efforts aim to expand the applicability and deepen the understanding of heat-induced sedimentation dynamics in industrial contexts.  
Conceptualization, F.A. and C.F.I.; Methodology, F.A. and C.F.I.; Software, F.A.; Investigation, F.A.; Resources, C.F.I.; Data curation, F.A.; Writing--original draft, F.A.; Writing--review & editing, C.F.I; Visualization, F.A.; Supervision, C.F.I.; Funding acquisition, C.F.I. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by Scholarship Program/DOCTORADO BECAS CHILE/2019-21190656, and the APC was funded by the Chilean National Agency of Research and Development (ANID) through Fondecyt Project 1211044.  
Not applicable.  
The data presented in this study (e.g., original images) are available on request from the corresponding author. Graphs, curves, and processed results are included in the article.  
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Antofagasta; the Department of Mining Engineering of the University of Chile; the Chilean National Agency for Research and Development (ANID) through projects Fondecyt 1211044, Anillo ACT210027, and Fondef ID23I10333; the Vice-rectory of Research and Development Univ. Chile, Project code ENL11/20; and Scholarship Program/DOCTORADONACIONAL/2019-21190656.The authors also thank [PERSON] for technical support with the experimental setup. FA thanks [PERSON] and [PERSON] for mentoring, guidance, and feedback.  
Author [PERSON] was employed by the company Shimin Engineering. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.