Kinetics of Sedimentation of a Coagulating Suspension

Abstract

The main role in the formation of a suspension in an aqueous medium is played by the coagulation of particles with the accompanying sedimentation of growing aggregates. Under natural conditions, it leads to migration of dispersed organic matter from the bulk of the water into bottom sediments [1]. In view of the large volume of the hydrosphere, this contributes significantly to the global geochemical cycles of carbon and accompanying elements. In chemical engineering, one of the widely used processes for producing an amorphous solid phase is precipitation from solutions by reagents. This process is widely applied in water treatment for removing harmful substances by their conversion into insoluble form. The amorphous phase obtained in coagulant hydrolysis is also used for the absorption of contaminants and their removal from the bulk of the water during suspension settling [2]. The processes of mixing, hydrolysis, and coagulation occurring therein were analyzed previously [3].