Is polyaluminium chloride better than polyelectrolyte – alum-based coagulation?

At the Barekese Water Treatment Plant in Ghana, an alternative, the polyelectrolyte – polyaluminium chloride (PAC) is also used in coagulation but limited information is available on the operating conditions required to achieve better performance than alum-based coagulation.

What is high-purity poly-aluminum chloride (PACL)?

Poly-aluminum chloride (PACl) is one of the common coagulants for water and wastewater treatment. A new Chinese national standard of PACl has been implemented, where the concentration of insoluble substances, iron and heavy metals is to be controlled strictly, then researches on the preparation of high–purity PACl are needed.

What is the optimal pH range for Pac coagulation?

The optimal pH range for PAC coagulation performance was 7.5 to 8.0. The coagulation process in conventional water treatment could be enhanced and the ensuing water pH decline reduced appreciably by applying the right dosage of polyaluminium chloride and appropriate process conditions of pH, fluid mixing speed matrix and residence time.

Does high-purity PACL remove turbidity?

Samples taken from the Huangpu River were used to evaluate the coagulation performance of high-purity PACl in comparison with conventional PACl. The results demonstrate that for the whole dose range studied, high-purity PACls removed more turbidity than conventional PACl.

Why are pre-polymerized coagulants better?

The superior performance of pre-polymerized coagulants is attributed to their wider working pH range, a lower sensitivity to low water temperature, lower doses required to achieve the equivalent treatment efficiency, and lower residual metal-ion concentrations .

What are the disadvantages of alum coagulant?

Water Practice and Technology 1 October 2021; 16 (4): 1215–1223. doi: Alum, the predominant coagulant in conventional drinking water treatment schemes, has various disadvantages including the production of large volumes of sludge, lowering water pH (requiring pH adjustment using lime), limited coagulation pH range of 6.5 to 8.0, etc.