Iron from coagulants

When thermal volcanic waters react with aerated surface waters, the appearance of ferric iron colloids is quite permissible. However, there are no organic compounds of fulvic acid t)q)e in volcanic waters and only colloidal silica could act as a stabilizer. At the same time there often is sulfur in thermal solutions, the stable form of which in the presence of free oxygen is the S04 ion—the main coagulant of colloidal iron. For this reason the possibilities of colloidal transport of iron from volcanic sources to sedimentary basins are limited. A high COj content in the hydrosphere and atmosphere does not exert a stabilizing effect on Fe(OH)3 colloids. 

It is also true that many water treatment plants use ferric chloride as a coagulant in water treatment operations. Ferric ions are trivalent cations, much like aluminum ions. Since the DMP is driven by an electrochemical potential, it is thought that it might be possible to apply it to WTR generated from iron-based coagulants. It was therefore conceived that a single-step DMP could selectively recover ferric ions as well. 

Figure 12.6 Experimentally derived stability ratio, of a hematite suspension plotted as a function of pH for different ionic strengths. The pH of the PZNPC is indicated. Dashed lines are drawn through the experimental points as a guide. The solid line has been model-calculated. From Ae/uaric Sciences 52(1) 32-55, L. Liang and J. J. Morgan, Chemical aspects of iron oxide coagulation in water Laboratory studies and implications for natural systems, Copyright 1990 by Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, Switzerland. Used by permission.

Precipitation and dissolution phenomena are extremely important in both natural waters and water treatment processes. Dissolution of minerals is a prime factor in determining the chemical composition of natural waters. Natural water chemical composition can be altered by precipitation of minerals and the subsequent sedimentation of these solids from supersaturated solutions. Water and wastewater treatment processes such as lime-soda softening, iron removal, coagulation with hydrolyzing metal salts, and phosphate precipitation are based on precipitation phenomena. 

A solution of ferritin mixed with sodium hydroxide gives rise to a brown precipitate of ferric hydroxide, which is not precisely of the composition FeOOH, but contains some phosphate, just as all amorphous ferric hydroxides, especially those obtained from coagulation of any colloidal ferric hydroxide sol, contains some anionic constituents other than OH. The phosphorus content of that precipitate is smaller than would correspond to the ratio 1 9 mentioned above. A part of the phosphate seems to be split off from its attachment to iron, when the iron is precipitated by sodium hydroxide. 

The cake produced by the digestion is extracted with cold water and possibly with some diluted acids from the subsequent processes. During the cake dissolution it is necessary to maintain the temperature close to 65°C, the temperature of iron sulfate maximum solubiUty. To prevent the reoxidation of the Fe " ions during processing, a small amount of Ti " is prepared in the system by the Ti reduction. The titanium extract, a solution of titanium oxo-sulfate, iron sulfate, and sulfuric acid, is filtered off. Coagulation agents are usually added to the extract to faciUtate the separation of insoluble sludge. 

Table 1 Hsts a number of common inorganic coagulants. Typical iron and aluminum coagulants are acid salts that lower the pH of the treated water by hydrolysis. Depending on initial raw water alkalinity and pH, an alkah such as lime or caustic must be added to counteract the pH depression of the primary coagulant. Iron and aluminum hydrolysis products play a significant role in the coagulation process, especially in cases in which low turbidity influent waters benefit from the presence of additional colHsion surface areas.

Soluble iron or aluminum carryover ia the clarifier effiueat may result from inorganic coagulant use therefore, elimination of the inorganic coagulant can minimise the deposition of these metals ia filters, ion-exchange units, and cooling systems. 

Chemical precipitation can remove 95 percent of the suspended solids, up to 50 percent of the soluble organics and the bulk of the heavy metals in a wastewater. Removal of soluble organics is a function of the coagulant chemical, with iron salts yielding best results and lime the poorest. Metal removal is primarily a function of pH and the ionic state of the metal. Guidance is available from solubihty product data. 

Rotary vertical shaft turbine units as shown in Figure 10 and other rotary or reciprocating equipment are other examples. Tapered flocculation may be obtained by varying reel or paddle size on horizontal common shaft units or by varying speed on units with separate shafts and drives. In applications other than coagulation with alum or iron salts, flocculation parameters may be quite different. Lime precipitates are granular and benefit little from prolonged flocculation. 

Ion exchange, in contrast, creates an effluent that contains between two and five times the mass of inorganic material removed from the product water. Coagulation with aluminum or iron salts creates a sludge, which creates a disposal problem. Green pressure, especially in Switzerland and mid-west USA, which lie in the middle of large land masses, has started to force industrialists to install alternative membrane processes to avoid these discharges. 

Procedure B. Pipette 25 mL of the diluted solution into a 250 mL conical flask containing 5mL 6 M nitric acid. Add a slight excess of standard 0.1M silver nitrate (about 30 mL in all) from a burette. Then add 2-3 mL pure nitrobenzene and 1 mL of the iron(III) indicator, and shake vigorously to coagulate the precipitate. Titrate the residual silver nitrate with standard 0.1M thiocyanate until a permanent faint reddish-brown coloration appears. 

Waste pickle liquors from these operations can often be of use to sanitary waste treatment systems for phosphate control and sludge conditioning. Some industrial firms can use spent process waste from pickling operation. Iron in the waste is used as a coagulant in wastewater treatment systems.1415... 

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