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Flocculation is synonymous with agglomeration and coagulation / coalescence. Basically, coagulation is a process of addition of coagulant to destabilize a stabilized charged particle. Meanwhile, flocculation is a mixing technique that promotes agglomeration and assists in the settling of particles.
What is meant by coagulation and flocculation?
Coagulation-flocculation: The use of chemical reagents to destabilise and increase the size of the particles; mixing; increasing of flog size, A physical separation of the solids from the liquid phase. This separation is usually achieved by sedimentation (decantation), flotation or filtration.
What do you mean by flocculation?
Flocculation is a two-step particle aggregation process in which a large number of small particles form a small number large flocs. Step 1: Coagulation. Small particles usually carry negative surface charges that hinder aggregation and settling (1a).
What causes coagulation?
Blood vessels shrink so that less blood will leak out. Tiny cells in the blood called platelets stick together around the wound to patch the leak. Blood proteins and platelets come together and form what is known as a fibrin clot. The clot acts like a mesh to stop the bleeding.
Which coagulant is best?
A metal based coagulant will consume alkalinity, especially in a well buffered high pH water, which could compromise the softening process. The best coagulant is therefore a pre-hydrolysed species with a high basicity. PACl has been found to be very suitable for lime softening applications.
What is egg coagulation?
Think about an egg. When it is heated the runny yolk and white (albumen – which is the major source of protein) turn solid. The proteins in the egg start to thicken, a process known as coagulation. Coagulation is irreversible, the proteins cannot be turned back into their liquid form. Another example is heating milk.
What is a precipitation?
Precipitation is any liquid or frozen water that forms in the atmosphere and falls back to the Earth. These ice crystals then fall to the Earth as snow, hail, or rain, depending on the temperature within the cloud and at the Earth’s surface.
What are the side effects of alum?
Side effects of Alum The excessive amount of alum intake may cause breathing difficulty, facial puffiness, pricking sensation & small ulcers on the skin, chest/throat tightness, and burns rarely seen in some cases.
What is coagulant used for?
In water treatment, coagulants are used to remove a wide variety of hazardous materials from water, ranging from organic matter and pathogens, to inorganics and toxic materials, like arsenic, chemical phosphorous and fluoride.
What is the purpose of flocculation?
Flocculation is a process by which a chemical coagulant added to the water acts to facilitate bonding between particles, creating larger aggregates which are easier to separate. The method is widely used in water treatment plants and can also be applied to sample processing for monitoring applications.
What two chemicals are commonly used as water coagulants?
Aluminum sulfate (alum) is the most common coagulant used for water purification. Other chemicals, such as ferric sulfate or sodium aluminate, may also be used.
What is an example of coagulation?
Examples of Coagulation Milk proteins coagulate to thicken the mixture that forms yogurt. Blood platelets coagulate blood to seal a wound. Pectin gels (coagulates) a jam. Gravy coagulates as it cools.
What is flocculant for?
Used in a wide range of industries and applications, flocculants help to remove suspended solids from wastewater by aggregating contaminants into flakes or “flocs” that float to the surface of the water or settle at the bottom. They can also be used for lime softening, sludge thickening, and solids dehydration.
Is alum a coagulant or flocculant?
To accomplish this, the water is treated with aluminum sulfate, commonly called alum, which serves as a flocculant. Raw water often holds tiny suspended particles that are very difficult for a filter to catch. Alum causes them to clump together so that they can settle out of the water or be easily trapped by a filter.
What is the difference between flocculation and precipitation?
Flocculation and precipitation form large solid mass out of small masses. Precipitation is the process of formation of an insoluble solid mass. The main difference between flocculation and precipitation is that flocculation forms floccules whereas precipitation forms precipitates.
Are coagulants and flocculants the same?
Coagulants achieve flocculation through charge neutralisation whereas flocculants physically bind clay and colloidal particles together. The use of natural and synthetic polymeric flocculants can be used to generate larger, more stable flocs and may reduce treatment times.
Why is alum a good coagulant?
The pH of the water plays an important role when alum is used for coagulation because the solubility of the aluminum species in water is pH dependent. If the pH of the water is between 4 and 5, alum is generally present in the form of positive ions (i.e., Al(OH)2+, Al8(OH)4+, and Al3+).
What is the principle of flocculation?
Coagulation – flocculation is physico-chemical process that facilitates the agglomeration of fine particles (colloids) contained in water to form a floc that can be easily filtered from water. Effluent (waste water) must be treated before it is discharged or before the water is re-used.
What is a flocculation test?
A Flocculation Test Procedure is used to determine how much Flocculants need be added to solids in suspension (slurry or pulp) to cause the individual particles to collect in the form of flocs. The formation of flocs aids in improved settling rates, better overhead clarity and/or faster filtration rates.
What is an example of flocculation?
Flocculation and coagulation treatment chemicals are used in effluent wastewater water treatment processes for solids removal, water clarification, lime softening, sludge thickening, and solids dewatering. Examples of ChemTreat coagulation products include aluminum salts, iron salts, and polyelectrolytes.
Which one is a good coagulant?
Aluminum and iron salts are the most commonly used inorganic coagulants in the wastewater treatment settings. These include based aluminum metals (aluminum chloride, aluminum sulfate, sodium aluminate) and iron based metals (ferrous sulfate, ferric sulfate, ferric chloride) [13, 17, 18].
Does alum increase pH?
Ionic species present in alum solutions are highly dependent on the degree of reaction with hydroxyl ions. It is tempting to say that “the composition is pH-dependent.” However, in the vicinity of pH=4.3 the composition of alum solutions changes a great deal with very little change in pH.
