Abstract
Polymeric flocculants are widely used due to their ability to efficiently promote flocculation at low dosages. However, fundamental background knowledge about how they act and interact with the substrates is often scarce, or insufficient to infer the best chemical configuration for treating a specific effluent. Inductive, data-driven approaches offer a viable solution, enabling the development of effective solutions for each type of effluent, overcoming the knowledge gap. In this work, we present such an inductive workflow that combines the statistical design of experiments and predictive modelling, and demonstrates its effectiveness in the development of anionic polymeric flocculants for the treatment of a real effluent from the potato crisps manufacturing industry. Based on the results presented, it is possible to conclude that the hydrodynamic diameter, charged fraction and concentration are the parameters with a stronger influence on the characteristics of flocs obtained when using copolymers, while the charged fraction, concentration and hydrophobic content present a stronger influence on the characteristics of flocs obtained using terpolymers containing a hydrophobic monomer.
Highlights
Coagulation/flocculation strategies are widely used in effluent treatment due to their capacity to destabilize and aggregate colloids
In order to maximize the insights extracted from data analysis, the experimental results were treated from different perspectives
The experimental and data analysis allowed to infer which polyelectrolyte characteristics are critical for the flocs’ design size and structure, and how they affect these properties in a quantitative way
Summary
Coagulation/flocculation strategies are widely used in effluent treatment due to their capacity to destabilize and aggregate colloids. Organic polymeric flocculants are the most frequently used due to their ability to flocculate efficiently at low dosages, producing large aggregates, contrary to what happens when using traditional inorganic coagulants. Polyelectrolytes are water-soluble macromolecules, natural or synthetic, containing ionic charges along the polymer chain. Depending on their charge, they can be classified as anionic (negative charge), cationic (positive charge) or amphoteric (both negative and positive charges). Charge density and molecular weight are considered as the most important features influencing their performance and application. Charge distribution and molecular weight, they can be used for many applications in industry, namely as flocculants in effluent treatment [1]
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