Which cationic water soluble flocculants are best for sludge dewatering?

The new series of cationic water-soluble flocculants for sludge dewatering, XD-series, has been developed by Kemira, a global chemicals company serving customers at municipalities and in water intensive industries.

Can a flocculant improve the dewatering ability of sewage sludge?

An appropriate flocculant can significantly improve the dewatering ability of sewage sludge. In order to assess its effectiveness, the measurement of capillary suction time (CST) and the measurement of the specific resistance to filtration (SRF) of a cake are most often used (Sawalha and Scholz, 2010).

Which flocs are more susceptible to dewatering than cationic-anionic flocculant systems?

Flocs, which are formed by adding PC and then PN, are more susceptible to dewatering than those formed by first adding PN and then PC (Lee, 2000). In cationic-anionic flocculant systems, no significant differences were observed with regards to the order of their addition (Yukselen et al., 2006).

Does photopolymerization improve flocculation and dewatering properties?

As a result of the photopolymerization, a flocculant with a molecular weight of 1.3 × 107 Da in a mass ratio of 4: 3: 3 was obtained. The conducted SEM analysis and the obtained results indicate that the obtained copolymer has better flocculation and dewatering properties than P (AM-DAC) (Zhu et al., 2013).

Does EPs increase the demand for polyacrylamides in sewage sludge?

Phuong To et al. showed that an increase in the concentration of EPS causes an increase in the demand for polyacrylamides (To et al., 2019). An appropriate flocculant can significantly improve the dewatering ability of sewage sludge.

How much flocculant can be used in wastewater treatment plants?

Research by Vu Hien Phuong To et al. on sludge from seven different wastewater treatment plants show that the dose of flocculant is strongly dependent on the concentration of SEPS. Up to 80% of the PAM used can be used up in reaction with the SEPS.