ENHANCED REMOVAL OF RESIDUAL ALUMINUM AND TURBIDITY IN TREATED WATER USING POLYMERS

Abstract

This study investigated the possibility of reducing the residual aluminum (Al) in the treated water using polymers. Two raw waters (lake and river water) and three kinds of polymers (coagulant, flocculant, and filtration aids) were used for this purpose. This study found that coagulation at the high dose did not necessarily lead to the high concentration of the residual Al in the treated water. The coagulation efficacy was found more important in determining the residual Al than the coagulant dose. The use of a polymer enhanced the removal of turbidity as well as the residual Al. The coagulant aid removed the dissolved Al as well as the particulate Al by helping the coagulation and the solid-liquid separation. The flocculant aid and the filtration aid preferentially removed the particulate Al while helping the solid-liquid separation. The filtration aid reduced the residual Al substantially more effectively than the flocculant aid. The polyamine-based coagulant aid (FL) showed the better performance in reducing the residual Al and turbidity than DADMAC (WT). The cationic flocculant aid with weak charge density and the medium molecular weight (SC-020) showed the best performance in reducing the residual Al.