Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for Wastewater Flocculation by a Novel (AlCl<sub>3</sub>-PAM) Hybrid Polymer

Abstract

In this study, a novel aluminum chloride-ploy(acrylamide) hybrid polymer has been synthesized by free radical solution polymerization of acrylamide (AM) onto aluminum chloride (AlCl3) in the presence of ammonium persulphate and sodium hydrogen sulphite as polymerization’s initiators. On the other hand, the structure of hybrid polymer (AlCl3-PAM) has been characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The central composite design (CCD) and response surface methodology (RSM) have been applied in the flocculation process of wastewater treatment to achieve maximum removal efficiencies of total suspended solids (TSS), turbidity , and chemical oxygen demined (COD), as the other objectives of this study. The operating variables in this experiment were new hybrid polymer dose and wastewater pH. The maximum conditions have been found to be wastewater pH 7, and hybrid polymer dose 100 mg/l. Under these optimal conditions, the removal of turbidity, TSS, and COD in the effluent have been reached to 98.2%, 99.1%, and 90.6% respectively. According to these results, domestic wastewater treatment using (AlCl3-PAM) has proved to be an effective alternative in the administration of COD, TSS, and turbidity problems of municipality wastewater.