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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 is flocculation in water treatment process?
Flocculation is a water treatment process where solids form larger clusters, or flocs, to be removed from water. This process can happen spontaneously, or with the help of chemical agents. It is a common method of stormwater treatment, wastewater treatment, and in the purification of drinking water.
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).
Why is flocculation important for treating water?
Conventional coagulation–flocculation-sedimentation practices are essential pretreatments for many water purification systems—especially filtration treatments. These processes agglomerate suspended solids together into larger bodies so that physical filtration processes can more easily remove them.
What is flocculation of soil?
Definition. Flocculation – process during which particles, for example, of a soil, dispersed in a solution contact and adhere each another, forming clusters, flocks, flakes, or clumps of a larger size. Flocculation is synonymous with agglomeration and coagulation.
How can flocculation be prevented?
When particles of a suspension come close together they can form aggregates called flocculates which will settle more rapidly. To prevent that we often coat the particle with a charged surfactant. The charge (Zeta potential) acts to keep the particles separate and prevent flocculation.
Is polymer a coagulant or flocculant?
Polymers (long-chained, high-molecular-weight, organic chemicals) are becoming more widely used. These can be used as coagulant aids along with the regular inorganic coagulants. Anionic (negatively charged) polymers are often used with metal coagulants.
What does flocculation not remove?
Suspended particles cannot be removed completely by plain settling. Large, heavy particles settle out readily, but smaller and lighter particles settle very slowly or in some cases do not settle at all. Aluminum sulfate (alum) is the most common coagulant used for water purification.
What is difference between flocculation and Deflocculation?
The key difference between flocculation and deflocculation is that flocculation is the formation of flocs by the clumping of fine particles, whereas deflocculation is the dispersion of flocs to form a stable colloid. Flocculation refers to the formation of clumps from fine particles in a colloid.
Does flocculant affect pH?
Because flocculants can affect the pH level, you’ll want to start out with it at about 7.0 so you can make sure your sanitizer keeps working at maximum efficiency.
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.
What is flocculation value?
The phenomenon of the precipitation of a colloidal solution by the addition of the excess of an electrolyte is called coagulation or flocculation. The minimum concentration of an electrolyte which is required to cause the coagulation or flocculation of a sol is known as flocculation value.
What is the purpose of flocculation process?
Flocculants are substances that promote the agglomeration of fine particles present in a solution, creating a floc, which then floats to the surface (flotation) or settles to the bottom (sedimentation). This can then be more easily removed from the liquid.
Why do we use flocculation?
4 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 makes a good flocculant?
Polymers are useful as flocculants because they are robust molecules and sometimes carry charges. Because they are so large, small particles can get trapped in the curves of the polymer causing them to accumulate a mass heavy enough to prevent their retention in solution.
Is flocculation physical or chemical?
Flocculation, in physical chemistry, separation of solid particles from a liquid to form loose aggregations or soft flakes. These flocculates are easily disrupted, being held together only by a force analogous to the surface tension of a liquid.
How fast does flocculant work?
How Long Does It Take to Work? The beauty of flocculants is that they work fast. Your pool can be cleaned in 24 hours, whereas with a clarifier, it takes a few days for the filter to do its job. The drawback, however, is that you have to vacuum the dirt out from the pool floor by yourself.
What is flocculant made of?
Aluminum sulfate or alum (Al2(SO4)3), ferric chloride (FeCl3) and ferric sulfate (Fe(SO4)3) are the most widely used flocculants [1, 70].
How does flocculation occur?
In dispersed clay slurries, flocculation occurs after mechanical agitation ceases and the dispersed clay platelets spontaneously form flocs because of attractions between negative face charges and positive edge charges.
What is 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.
How is chloride removed from wastewater?
At high concentrations, chloride can harm fish and plant life. But there’s no easy and affordable way to remove chloride in wastewater. It would require reverse osmosis, the same process used to produce water for laboratory use, which is technically difficult as well as costly.
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.
