Influence of pH on Crystallization point of Liquid Aluminium Sulphate 8% w/w (as Al !

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Liquid Aluminium Sulphate, 8% w/w (as Al2O3) is an inorganic, acidic chemical !t is used primaril" as a coagulant #or the treatment o# water $he alumina content is directl" related to the a%ilit" o# the chemical to remo&e organics, colour and other contaminants #rom the raw water $he 'ualit" (ontrol methodolog" relating to this product is go&erned %" standard !S )* +3,2-+... $his standard descri%es how the Aluminium and Alumina content should %e anal"sed /hen anal"sing liquid aluminium sulphate the two most important parameters are actual Aluminium 0 Alumina content and actual Acidit" content Anal"sis o# %oth o# these parameters are co&ered in !S )* +3,2-+... 1oth methods are wet chemistr" %ased !n the case o# Aluminium anal"sis the method principle is that #ull aluminium comple2ation with an e2cess o# )3$A occurs and direct aluminium content is measured %" titration o# the e2cess )3$A with a standard solution o# 4inc $he main reason that !S )* +3,2-+... requires this method to %e used is that normal atomic a%sorption measurement o# % w/w aluminium content incurs too man" margins o# error $hese include errors due to the massi&e dilutions required and also possi%le inter#erences (hemi#loc scienti#ic sta## a#ter man" "ears o# anal"sis ha&e come to realise that this anal"sis cannot %e routinel" carried out where sta## ma" not ha&e the time nor in#rastructure readil" a&aila%le and instead leads to plants ha&ing to outsource anal"sis usuall" carried out %" inappropriate methodolog" as outlined a%o&e !n order to ma5e li#e easier and cost e##ecti&e (hemi#loc, through anal"sis, recognised the relationship %etween p6 and Acidit" content Also the relationship %etween Speci#ic 7ra&it" and Alumina content (as Al2O3) at 5nown Acidities Attached are a series o# (ali%ration (harts $hese (ali%ration (harts allow 8lant Sta## to quic5l" determine the Alumina content o# an" sample $ree Acidity $he degree o# Acidit" (Sulphuric Acid e2cess) has an impact on the p6 o# the product As the degree o# Acidit" increases the p6 decreases $he e##ect that Acidit" has on Liquid Aluminium Sulphate is demonstrated in the (ali%ration (harts attached

Cali%ration Charts (harts +, 2 and 3 illustrates the relationship %etween Speci#ic 7ra&it" and Alumina (ontent at di##erent le&els o# Acidit" (hart + is deri&ed using ,% w/w Acidit" Liquid Aluminium Sulphate (p6 + 9 to 2 2) :rom this chart "ou can see that *eutral Acidit" Liquid Aluminium Sulphate at a densit" o# + 32, g/l ; 2,o( has an Alumina content (Al2O3) o# 8% w/w (hart 2 is deri&ed using <+ ,% w/w :ree Acidit" Liquid Aluminium Sulphate (p6 , = to + 9) :rom this chart "ou can see that this Liquid Aluminium Sulphate at a densit" o# + 32, g/l ; 2,o( has an Alumina content (Al2O3) o# > 88% w/w as Al2O3 (hart 3 is deri&ed using + , ? 2 ,% w/w :ree Acidit" Liquid Aluminium Sulphate (p6 , 2 to , =) :rom this chart "ou can see that this Liquid Aluminium Sulphate at a densit" o# + 32, g/l ; 2,o( has an Alumina content (Al2O3) o# > =8% w/w as Al2O3 NOTE Just because your Liquid Aluminium Sulphate has an specific gravity of 1 !"# g$l % "#o& or higher' that doesn(t al)ays guarantee that its *+ )$) as Al"O!.

Chart &
Aluminium Sulphate (neutral acidity# 'ensity (s) %Al !" * pH of &)+, to ) ,
8 2@ 82 8 +@ 8+ 8 ,@ 8 > .@ >. > 8@ >8 > >@ >> + 3+2

% Alumina

+ 3+3

+ 3+9

+ 3+@

+ 3+=

+ 3+>

+ 3+8

+ 3+.

+ 32

+ 32+

+ 322

+ 323

+ 329

+ 32@

+ 32=

+ 32>

+ 328

Specific -ra(ity * ,

Chart
Aluminium Sulphate (.&),% w/w Acidity# 'ensity (s) %Al !" * pH of ,)/, 0 &)+,
8 +@ 8+ 8 ,@

Chart "
Aluminium Sulphate ( &), 1 ),% w/w Acidity 'ensity (s) %Al !" * pH of ,) , 0 ,)/,
> .@ >. > 8@

% Alumina

% Alumina

8 > .@ >. > 8@ >8 > >@ >> > =@ >= + 3+2

+ 3+3

+ 3+9

+ 3+@

+ 3+=

+ 3+>

+ 3+8

+ 3+.

+ 32

+ 32+

+ 322 + 323

+ 329

+ 32@

+ 32=

+ 32>

+ 328

Specific -ra(ity * ,

>8 > >@ >> > =@ >= > @@ >@ > 9@ >9 > 3@ + 3+2

+ 3+3

+ 3+9

+ 3+@

+ 3+=

+ 3+>

+ 3+8

+ 3+.

+ 32

+ 32+

+ 322

+ 323

+ 329

+ 32@

+ 32=

+ 32>

+ 328

Specific -ra(ity * ,

(hart 9 is a re#erence chart suita%le as a wor5ing tool to allow determination o# Alumina content (Al2O3) #or an" Liquid Aluminium Sulphate sample at &ar"ing :ree Acidit" concentrations

Chart +
Aluminium Sulphate

Density vs. %Al2O3

8.3 8.25 8.2 8.15 8.1 8.05

% Alumina

8 7.95 7.9 7.85 7.8 7.75 7.7 7.65 7.6 7.55 7.5 7.45 7.4 7.35 1.312 1.313 1.314 1.315 1.316 1.317 1.318 1.319 1.32 1.321 1.322 1.323 1.324 1.325 1.326 1.327 1.328 pH 0.20 to 0.60 pH 0.60 - 1.40 ph 1.40 - 2.20

Specific Gravity @ 20oC

:ree Sulphuric acid e2cess in aluminium sulphate tends to change man" o# the chacteristics o# aluminium sulphate 1elow are the main characteristic changesA &# Alumina content As demonstrated in (hart +, neutral acidic aluminium sulphate with a densit" o# + 32, g/l ; 2,o( would ha&e a concentration o# 8% w/w (as Al2O3) As the degree of acidity increases ,the p- decreases. the alumina concentration at any particular density )ould be lo)er than the alumina concentration at the same density of neutral acidic liquid alum) $his is largel" due to the #act that sulphuric acid itsel# has a densit" o# + 89 (ie + litre o# sulphuric acid B +,89, g) So an" increase in acidit" would increase the densit" while decreasing the concentration o# the Alumina $his is the main reason that when measuring Speci#ic 7ra&it" o# Liquid Alum it is essential to simultaneousl" measure the acidit" !# an acidit" measurement is una&aila%le then at a minimum a p6 should %e measured :rom %oth the densit" and the p6 a much more accurate Alumina measurement can %e o%tained as outlined a%o&e

# Crystallization 2oint $here are man" #actors that contri%ute to gi&e Liquid Aluminium Sulphate its (r"stalli4ation 8oint $he two most important areA a) (oncentration o# Alumina %) (oncentration o# Acidit" A general rule o# thum% is that the higher the concentration o# either or %oth Alumina 0 Acidit" then the higher the cr"stalli4ation point in degrees celcius A solution o# 8% w/w (as Al2O3) Liquid Aluminium Sulphate with neutral acidit" has a cr"stalli4ation point o# < >o( 3he more acidic the solution the hi4her the crystallization point %ecomes ie5 %ecomes closer to ,oC) $his matter is o# great rele&ance to water treatment plants in !reland especiall" as we ha&e %ecome accustomed to su%4ero winter temperatures o# the last #ew "ears !S )* 8>8-2,,9 stipulates that Liquid Aluminium Sulphate should ha&e a cr"stalli4ation point o# not less C >o( $he lower the % w/w Acidt" o# the Liquid Alum the greater the protection against cr"stalli4ation

/e must emphasi4e that this quic5 chec5 anal"tical method is not a replacement #or the wet chemistr" anal"sis outlined in !S )* +3,2-+... %ut the charts ha&e %een deri&ed #rom anal"sis carried out %" the methods outlined in the standard and there#ore gi&e an accurate appro2imation #or #ast, cost e##ecti&e and regular con#irmation o# product supplied