CHEMICAL COAGULANTS

The sedimentation process can be quickened by adding coagulants to the water.

Chemical coagulants are commonly used in community drinking water treatment
systems though some application in household water treatment occurs. The main
chemicals used for coagulation are aluminium sulphate (alum), poly aluminium
chloride (also known as PAC or liquid alum), alum potash, and iron salts
(ferric sulphate or ferric chloride). Lime (Ca(OH2)), lime soda ash (Na2CO3) and
caustic soda (NaOH) are sometimes used to "soften" water, usually ground water, by
precipitating calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and other minerals that
contribute to hardness.
How Does it Remove Contamination?
Particles that cause turbidity (e.g. silt, clay) are generally negatively charged, making
it difficult for them to clump together because of electrostatic repulsion. But
coagulant particles are positively charged, and they chemically attracted to the
negative turbidity particles, neutralizing the latter’s negative charge. With mixing the
neutralized particles then accumulate (flocculation) to form larger particles (flocs)
which settle faster. The flocs can then be settled out or removed by filtration.

POLYALUMINIUM COAGULANTS
These compounds have the general formula (Aln(OH)mCl(3n-m)) x and have a
polymeric structure, totally soluble in water. The length of the polymerised chain,
molecular weight and number of ionic charges is determined by the degree of
polymerisation. On hydrolysis, various mono- and polymeric species are formed,
with Al13O4(OH)24 7+ being a particularly important cation. A less predominant
species is Al8(OH)20 4+.
These highly polymerised coagulants include the following:
polyaluminium chloride (PACl, n=2 and m=3),
aluminium chlorohydrate (ACH, n=2 and m=5).

POLY ALUMINIUM CHLORIDE

Chemical Symbol – PACl

Molecular Mass – 211.33
Chemical Formula – AL2(OH)3Cl3
Chloride-10.5%
pH – 3.0
CHEMICAL FLOCCULANT

The function of a flocculant is to bring together coagulated particles into larger aggregates
and settle them. A typical flocculant is a long chain hydrocarbon. These polymers consist of
several (poly) repeating units (mer) and have molecular weights varying from 5 to 20
million. Molecular weights of flocculants are significantly higher than those of coagulants
which range from 2,000 to 200,000. The molecular weights of both coagulants and
flocculants can be controlled and modified by changing process variables during
manufacturing. Also, a variety of different functional groups can be attached to the backbone
of a flocculant to give it different properties. Thus, a product can be tailor-made for specific
applications, resulting in synthetic polymers that are much more active than natural
polymers. Depending on its chemistry, the charge of a flocculant can be neutral, anionic, or
cationic. Most aggregate operations use neutral (non-ionic) or anionic flocculants. Non-ionic
flocculants are long chain polymers of polyacrylamides made from acrylamide monomer.
Most flocculants used in aggregate applications are copolymers of acrylamide and sodium
acrylate. Acrylamide-acrylate copolymers are anionic due to the presence of negatively
charged carboxylate groups in the polymer. The ratio of sodium acrylate to acrylamide in the
polymer determines its anionicity. A higher proportion of sodium acrylate will result in a
higher charged flocculant.

Poly Acrylamide(PAM)

IUPAC Name – Poly (-2-prop-enamide)

Molecular Mass – 2000 to 20000 amu

Chemical Formula- (C3H5NO) n