Flocculation, precipitation, sedimentation and flotation for use as pretreatment stages for brackish water and seawater in desalination plants

Abstract The increased application of ion exchange and membrane processes for producing drinking water from qualitatively poor sources of raw water necessitates the use of advanced mechanical and chemical technologies as well as combinations of these. Our immediate objectives are as follows: (a) Use of precipitation and flocculation reactions for removing inorganic and organic matter; (b) separation of the suspension by using flotation and sedimentation; (c) application of these processes in compact units to minimize investment costs, and (d) inclusion of sludge treatment in water processing using mechanical techniques of dehydration.