Flocculation natural flocculants

An interesting example of a large specific surface which is wholly external in nature is provided by a dispersed aerosol composed of fine particles free of cracks and fissures. As soon as the aerosol settles out, of course, its particles come into contact with one another and form aggregates but if the particles are spherical, more particularly if the material is hard, the particle-to-particle contacts will be very small in area the interparticulate junctions will then be so weak that many of them will become broken apart during mechanical handling, or be prized open by the film of adsorbate during an adsorption experiment. In favourable cases the flocculated specimen may have so open a structure that it behaves, as far as its adsorptive properties are concerned, as a completely non-porous material. Solids of this kind are of importance because of their relevance to standard adsorption isotherms (cf. Section 2.12) which play a fundamental role in procedures for the evaluation of specific surface area and pore size distribution by adsorption methods. 

Filtration is often referred to as mechanical separation because the separation is accompHshed by physical means. This does not preclude chemical or thermal pretreatment used to enhance filtration. Although some slurries separate well without chemical conditioning, most pulps of a widely varying nature can benefit from pretreatment (see Flocculating agents). 

The natural process of bringing particles and polyelectrolytes together by Brownian motion, ie, perikinetic flocculation, often is assisted by orthokinetic flocculation which increases particle coUisions through the motion of the fluid and velocity gradients in the flow. This is the idea behind the use of in-line mixers or paddle-type flocculators in front of some separation equipment like gravity clarifiers. The rate of flocculation in clarifiers is also increased by recycling the floes to increase the rate of particle—particle coUisions through the increase in soUds concentration. 

Organic Flocculants. The organic flocculants are all water-soluble natural or synthetic polymers. 

There are two main advantages of acrylamide—acryUc-based flocculants which have allowed them to dominate the market for polymeric flocculants in many appHcation areas. The first is that these polymers can be made on a commercial scale with molecular weights up to 10—15 million which is much higher than any natural product. The second is that their electrical charge in solution and the charge density can be varied over a wide range by copolymerizing acrylamide with a variety of functional monomers or by chemical modification. 

Eor vacuum filters, both the rate of filtration and the dryness of the cake may be important. The filter cake can be modeled as a porous soHd, and the best flocculants are the ones that can keep the pores open. The large, low density floes produced by high molecular weight polymers often coUapse and cause blinding of the filter. Low molecular weight synthetic polymers and natural products that give small but rigid floes are often found to be the best. 

In the area of municipal and iadustrial wastewater treatment, the principal environmental issue is the toxicity of residual flocculating agents ia the effluent. Laboratory studies have shown that cationic polymers are toxic to fish because of the iateraction of these polymers with giU. membranes. Nonionic and anionic polymers show no toxicity (82,83). Other studies have shown that ia natural systems the suspended inorganic matter and humic substances substantially reduce the toxicity of added cationic polymer, and the polymers have been used successfully ia fish hatcheries (84—86). Based on these results, the EPA has added a protocol for testing these polymers for toxicity toward fish ia the presence of humic acids (87). The addition of anionic polymers to effluent streams containing cationic polymers to reduce their toxicity has been mentioned ia the patent Hterature (83). 

In the production of opalescent or natural-type apple juice, ascorbic acid is added to the fmit pulp before pressing, or to the juice as it comes from the press, to retain more of the apple flavor (4). Ascorbic acid addition and pasteurization of the juice as soon as possible after pressing prevent polyphenol oxidation, which causes browning and contributes to pulp flocculation. 

Gums are used in industry because their aqueous solutions or dispersions possess suspending and stabilising properties. In addition, gums may produce gels or act as emulsifiers, adhesives, flocculants, binders, film formers, lubricants, or friction reducers, depending on the shape and chemical nature of the particular gum (2). Considerable research has been carried out to relate the stmeture and shape (conformation) of some gums to their solution properties (3,4). 

Most synthetic latices contain 5—10 wt % of nonelastomeric components, of which more than half is an emulsifier or mixture of emulsifiers. One reason for this relatively high emulsifier concentration as compared with natural latex is that emulsifier micelles containing solubiHzed monomer play a principle role in the polymerization process. A high emulsifier concentration is usually necessary to achieve a sufficiently rapid rate of polymerization. Secondly, a considerable fraction of the surface of the polymer particles must be covered by adsorbed soap or equivalent stabilizer to prevent flocculation... 

OT,-methionine propane odorant natural gas odorant components water repeUants prevulcanization inhibitor flocculent... 

Suspended matter in raw water suppHes is removed by various methods to provide a water suitable for domestic purposes and most industrial requirements. The suspended matter can consist of large soflds, settleable by gravity alone without any external aids, and nonsettleable material, often colloidal in nature. Removal is generally accompHshed by coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation. The combination of these three processes is referred to as conventional clarification. 

Coagulation involves neutralizing charged particles to destabilize suspended soflds. In most clarification processes, a flocculation step then follows. Flocculation starts when neutralized or entrapped particles begin to colUde and fuse to form larger particles. This process can occur naturally or can be enhanced by the addition of polymeric flocculant aids. 

Latex Types. Latexes are differentiated both by the nature of the coUoidal system and by the type of polymer present. Nearly aU of the coUoidal systems are similar to those used in the manufacture of dry types. That is, they are anionic and contain either a sodium or potassium salt of a rosin acid or derivative. In addition, they may also contain a strong acid soap to provide additional stabUity. Those having polymer soUds around 60% contain a very finely tuned soap system to avoid excessive emulsion viscosity during polymeri2ation (162—164). Du Pont also offers a carboxylated nonionic latex stabili2ed with poly(vinyl alcohol). This latex type is especiaUy resistant to flocculation by electrolytes, heat, and mechanical shear, surviving conditions which would easUy flocculate ionic latexes. The differences between anionic and nonionic latexes are outlined in Table 11. 

Pretreatment Chemicals Even though the suspended solids concentration of the slurry to be tested may be correct, it is frequently necessary to modify the sluriy in order to provide an acceptable filtration rate, washing rate, or final cake moisture content. The most common treatment, and one which may provide improvement in all three of these categories, is the addition of flocculating agents, either inorganic chemicals or natural or synthetic polymers. The main task at this point is to determine which is the most effective chemical and the quantity of chemical which should be used. 

Cationic flocculants are widely used in clearing oil-water, waste, natural and drinking water. At the sarue time they ar e moderately toxic substances which have cumulative properties. For the majority of flocculants, prodused and used in Ukraine, limit admission concentration is 0,l-t-0,4 mg/dm for drinking water and 0,01 mg/dm and less - for natural waters. 

Lime is somewhat different from the hydrolyzing coagulants. When added to wastewater it increases pH and reacts with the carbonate alkalinity to precipitate calcium carbonate. If sufficient lime is added to reach a high pH, approximately 10.5, magnesium hydroxide is also precipitated. This latter precipitation enhances clarification due to the flocculant nature of the Mg(OH)2. Excess calcium ions at high pH levels may be precipitated by the addition of soda ash. The preceding reactions are shown as follows ... 

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