Use Of Alum Research Articles

Poly(dimethylamine-co-epichlorohydrin) as an alternative to alum for the demulsification of commercial dishwasher wastewater

The aim of this research was to evaluate the viability of cationic polymers for the treatment of commercial dishwasher wastewater. Commercial dishwashers use large quantities of fresh water during regular use, and produce significant amounts of high-strength oily wastewater in the process. When treating this wastewater, the particles in the dispersed phase often require destabilization to facilitate their separation via gravity. Alum and other metallic salts are generally used for this purpose, though relatively large doses are required. Cationic polymers, which can destabilize colloids at much smaller doses, were herein investigated as a potential alternative to alum. Experimentation was conducted within a single-stage dissolved air flotation column. Out of the eight cationic polymers tested, only one was capable of outperforming alum. This polymer, poly(dimethylamine-co-epichlorohydrin), sold by the product name Superfloc C-572, yielded the greatest removal efficiencies when compared to alum and the seven other cationic polymers tested. Under optimal conditions, a C-572 dose of 0.10 mg L−1 was able to remove up to 87% of the oil and 90% of the turbidity from the wastewater samples. The removal efficiencies were further increased when the polymer and alum were used together. A C-572 dose of 0.10 mg L−1 with an alum dose of 200 mg L−1 yielded removal efficiencies of 95.6%, 94.6%, 73.0%, and 94.4% for oil, turbidity, chemical oxygen demand, and 5-day biochemical oxygen demand, respectively. However, the combined use of alum and polymer produced inconsistent results when treating a range of wastewaters that varied in strength. The C-572 polymer was less sensitive to the effects of dilution and produced more consistent results when treating these wastewaters. The C-572 polymer was also able to operate at a much higher pH range which eliminated the need to adjust the pH of the wastewater prior to treatment. The pH adjustment step was required when using alum. On balance, it was determined that C-572 was a suitable alternative to alum for the demulsification of commercial dishwasher wastewater.

Use of Alum for Odor Reduction in Sludge and Biosolids from Different Wastewater Treatment Processes.

Applicability of alum addition to wastewater sludge and biosolids produced from different treatment processes was evaluated as a means of odor reduction. Four water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) were chosen for this study: two used mesophilic anaerobic digestion and two used oxidation ditch processes. The experiments were conducted on a laboratory scale and in all cases the alum was added prior to dewatering. This is the first report of the application of alum for odor reduction in oxidation ditch processes. Alum addition was effective in reducing odors in anaerobically digested biosolids. Addition of 4% alum to anaerobically digested liquid biosolids prior to dewatering resulted in a 60% reduction in the peak odor concentration in the laboratory dewatered cake, relative to the control sample. Alum addition did not reduce odors in dewatered sludge from oxidation ditch processes.

Phosphorous removal from aqueous solution can be enhanced through the calcination of lime sludge

Water treatment plants generate an enormous amount of the sludge which is normally treated as waste. In the recent past, many investigations have been focused on developing an economical adsorbent using water treatment sludge to remove phosphorous (P) from aqueous solutions. However, the great extents of the studies have been limited in the use of alum- and iron-based sludges. This study, therefore, investigated the P removal performance of the calcined lime sludge. Calcined lime sludge at 700 °C significantly enhanced the P removal efficiency whereas marginal improvement was noted when the sludge calcined at 400 °C was tested. With increase P removal efficiency, final pH values of the solution also significantly increased. P removal efficiency of the calcined sludge decreased with increasing the initial P concentrations. However, the removal efficiency could be improved by increasing the weight of the sludge. Further analysis demonstrated that P removal trend followed both pseudo-second order and diffusion-chemisorption kinetics signifying the P removal is potentially due to a multi-mechanistic reaction in which, the process is controlled by intra-particle diffusion followed by chemisorptions.

Use of Alum and Grain Dust Waste for the Reduction of Bacterial Transport on Soil Surface

<abstract> <b><i>Abstract. </i></b> Soil treatments for controlling bacterial mobility was investigated. Three pairs of 15-m furrows were dug in a nearly flat field. Two pairs were treated with alum or grain dust waste, while the last pair received no treatment. A biotracer bacterium (nalidixic acid-resistant NAR) was applied at the upstream 2 m of each of the six furrows. After 24 h, water was applied at the upstream end of each of the furrows until they were flooded. Soil samples were collected the next day from the soil surface at 2 m distances along each furrow. Analysis of soil samples showed that biotracer cells were transported to distances of 8 and 6 m downstream in furrows treated by alum and grain dust waste, respectively. No biotracer cells were found beyond these distances. On the other hand, biotracer cells were found in all soil samples along the furrows that received no treatment. The soil treatments used reduced bacterial mobility.

Efektivitas Penggunaan Tawas dan Tanah Lempung pada Pengolahan Air Gambut Menjadi Air Bersih

Need for clean water is a very important issue and still can not be resolved, especially in the peatlands. Clean water is used for everyday purposes must comply with the requirements of water quality in accordance with the Minister of Health Decree No. 416 / Menkes / per / 1990 on the conditions and water quality control. Peat water which is a source of raw water is very abundant, whereas in the processing of peat water into clean water using a coagulant has been no literature to say exactly how many doses of coagulant used, so this research is very important to do. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the use of alum, clay and a combination of both on peat water treatment. This research method using a completely randomized design-RAL (Completely Randomized Design) with two factors, alum and clay and performed repeat three times with water media processing tool is simple. Test parameters are pH, color, 6 valence chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), sulfate (SO), chloride (Cl), organic substances as KMnO4 (ZO), and hardness (CaCO3). Analysis of the data used in this study is the determination of the effectiveness of the coagulant, ANOVA test (F test) and Duncan Multiple (Duncan's Multiple Range Test). The results showed that the most effective coagulant addition is the clay of 2 g / l in combination with alum to 200 mg / l, where the combination of this coagulant obtain a pH level of 6.53 mg / l, 113.67 PtCo color, 6 valence chromium (Cr) 0,017 mg / l, manganese (Mn) 1.07 mg / l, iron (Fe) 0.39 mg / l, sulfate (SO) 108.31 mg / l, chloride (Cl) 36.56 mg / l, substance organic as KMnO4 (ZO) 90.01 mg / l, and hardness (CaCO3) 53.38 mg / l. Effectiveness and clay alum as a coagulant for peat water treatment discussed in more detail in this paper.

Pengaruh Tawas dan Waktu Pengadukan Terhadap Kadar Fosfat pada Limbah Cair Laundry di Martapura Kabupaten Banjar

Abstract: Effect of Stirring Time Alum And Phosphate Levels In Liquid Waste Martapura Laundry In Central District. One of the wastes produced is phosphate. Disposal of waste which contains phosphates in the water can cause eutrophication processes in the aquatic environment. Therefore it needs proper methods for treating waste that contains a lot of laundry phosphate compounds that safely discharged into the environment. This study aims to determine the effect of the use of alum and alum stirring time on levels of phosphate in laundry wastewater XXX in Martapura, Banjar.This type of research is shaped Experimental research. Design The study design is randomized pretest-posttest control group design. The sample was liquid waste from the laundry XXX Laundry washing process that represents the entire population of data analysis using One Way ANOVA Test. The result of a decrease in the average levels of phosphate in sequence on each variation of stirring time, ie 92.7%; 99.6%; and 96.7%. The statistical test used is One Way Anova test. Based on an analysis using One Way ANOVA in the treatment group p-value (0.00

Assessment of the adjuvant activity of mesoporous silica nanoparticles in recombinant Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae antigen vaccines

The adjuvant potential of two mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), SBa-15 and SBa-16, was assessed in combination with a recombinant HSP70 surface polypeptide domain from Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, the etiological agent of porcine enzootic pneumonia (PEP). The recombinant antigen (HSP70212-600), previously shown as immunogenic in formulation with classic adjuvants, was used to immunize BALB/c mice in combination with SBa-15 or SBa-16 MSNs, and the effects obtained with these formulations were compared to those obtained with alum, the adjuvant traditionally used in anti-PEP bacterins. The HSP70212-600 + SBa-15 vaccine elicited a strong humoral immune response, with high serum total IgG levels, comparable to those obtained using HSP70212-600 + alum. The HSP70212-600 + SBa-16 vaccine elicited a moderate humoral immune response, with lower levels of total IgG. The cellular immune response was assessed by the detection of IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 in splenocyte culture supernatants. The HSP70212-600 + SBa-15 vaccine increased IFN-γ, IL-4 and IL-10 levels, while no stimulation was detected with the HSP70212-600 + SBa-16 vaccine. The HSP70212-600 + SBa-15 vaccine induced a mixed Th1/Th2-type response, with an additional IL-10 mediated anti-inflammatory effect, both of relevance for an anti-PEP vaccine. Alum adjuvant controls stimulated an unspecific cellular immune response, with similar levels of cytokines detected in mice immunized either with HSP70212-600 + alum or with the adjuvant alone. The better humoral and cellular immune responses elicited in mice indicated that SBa-15 has adjuvant potential, and can be considered as an alternative to the use of alum in veterinary vaccines. The use of SBa-15 with HSP70212-600 is also promising as a potential anti-PEP subunit vaccine formulation.

Specific and cross-reactive immune response against Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigens in mice immunized with proteoliposomes from Mycobacterium bovis BCG

ObjectiveTo characterize the immunogenicity and the induction of cross-reactive responses against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) of a proteoliposome (PL) from Mycobacterium bovis Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) with and without alum hydroxide (AL) as adjuvant (PLBCG-AL and PLBCG, respectively) in BALB/c mice. MethodsBALB/c mice were inoculated with phosphate buffer solution, BCG, PLBCG and PLBCG-AL. The humoral immunogenicity was determined by ELISA [immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgG1 and IgG2a] and the cellular immunogenicity was evaluated in vivo by delayed type hypersensitivity. The humoral cross-reactive response against M. tuberculosis was determined by Western blot. ResultsSera from animals immunized with PLBCG-AL and PLBCG showed significant increase in specific total IgG and IgG1 antibodies and the presence of cross-reactive antibodies against M. tuberculosis antigens, which were more intense with the use of alum as adjuvant. Mice immunized with PLBCG and PLBCG-AL also showed a specific cellular response in vivo. ConclusionsThe cellular and humoral immunogenicity of PLBCG and the capacity to induce cross-reactive responses against M. tuberculosis is in agreement with the protective capacity previously demonstrated by this vaccine candidate and supports the continuation of its evaluation in further stages.

Characterization of Raw and Thermally Treated Alum Sludge

Use of alum as a coagulant in drinking water treatment process generates an alum sludge as a waste product. Since the amount of this sludge is huge, it is crucial for a water work management to properly handle and dispose of this sludge. Reuse of this alum sludge as a solid adsorbent is one of the proposed applications for this material but modification and characterization are needed to alter and identify its properties so that optimum benefits are obtained. This paper reports characterization of raw and thermally treated alum sludge. The raw alum sludge was collected from a local water treatment plant and heated at 300 °C and 800 °C for 7 hours using a furnace before characterization using scanning electron microscopy energy (SEM), thermogravimetric (TGA), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). The results showed that surface morphology, thermal properties, microstructure, surface area and porosity of the sludge were affected by heating temperature whereby increase the heating temperature resulted in improved thermal stability of the sludge. The results also revealed that both raw and thermally treated alum sludge were mesoporous materials and mainly compose of quartz and kaolinite. It can be said that the sludge could be a good candidate as low cost adsorbent.

Animal Slurry Acidification Affects Particle Size Distribution and Improves Separation Efficiency.

Solid-liquid separation is performed to improve slurry management, and acidification of the slurry is used to reduce ammonia emissions. Acidification is known to affect slurry characteristics, and we hypothesized that it may affect mechanical separation. Our objective in this study was to assess the effects of slurry acidification on particle size distribution and separation efficiency. Two types of slurry, aged pig and fresh dairy, and two different acidification additives, sulfuric acid and aluminum sulfate (alum), were studied. We found that acidification with sulfuric acid promoted phosphorus (P) solubilization for both slurries, but no change was observed with alum. More ammonium was found in the acidified dairy slurry compared with raw dairy slurry, but no difference was found in aged pig slurry. Acidification before separation increased the proportion of the solid fraction in the slurries, and the effect was significantly higher with alum. When alum was used to acidify the slurries, the proportion of particles larger than 100 μm increased significantly, as did the P concentration in this particle size range. The efficiency of P separation increased markedly in both slurries when alum was used, with the removal to the solid fraction of the dairy slurry being almost complete (90%). Because the priority in mechanical separation is to increase the P content in the solid fraction, the use of alum before centrifugation may be the most suitable option for enhancing its nutrient content. We conclude that separation efficiency and particle size distribution are significantly affected by acidification, but the extent of the effects depends on slurry type and on the type of additive used for acidification.

Production of a biodegradable flocculant from cotton and evaluation of its performance in coagulation-flocculation of kaolin clay suspension: Optimization through response surface methodology (RSM)

Flocculants are widely used along with coagulant to increase the efficiency of coagulation-flocculation process for removal of colloidal particles from wastewaters. The most widely used flocculants are synthetic which have some problems such as non-biodegradability and release of toxic residual monomers. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of cellulose sulfate (CS), which was synthesized through sulfonation of cotton, as a biodegradable and natural-based flocculant. Reaction time as an important factor in the sulfonation reaction was optimized for obtaining CS with high charge density and suitable fiber size. The sulfate content, charge density (CD) and morphology of each CS were determined to investigate and select the best CS for the flocculation process. A suspension containing kaolin clay was used as a colloidal test solution and coagulation was performed using alum (as a coagulant) and CS (as a flocculant). Optimization was performed using response surface methodology (RSM). The optimization results showed that CS had a good performance in turbidity reduction in coagulation-flocculation treatment and maximum turbidity reduction (98.9%) was obtained at alum dosage of 23.1mg/L, CS dosage of 7.2mg/L and pH 6.2. The results showed that the pH variation had insignificant effect on the CS dosage. Zeta potential measurements and microscopic photos of flocs confirm charge neutralization and bridge formation in flocculation using cellulose sulfate, respectively. Also, the total chemical consumption reduced compared with the use of alum alone. As a consequence, CS can be considered as a suitable alternative for conventional flocculants.

The use of alum as coagulant for removing cyanobacterial cells in drinking water

A variety of problems can occur due to the presence of cyanobacteria in water resources used for drinking, agricultural, industrial, commercial, and recreational purposes. In addition, certain cyanobacteria genera are producers of several potent toxins, which endanger the human and animal health. Coagulation is the key step in water treatment process for algae and cyanobacteria, and their associated metabolites removal. The objective of this study was to examine the coagulation processes to optimize the removal of cyanobacterial cells from drinking water under various aluminum sulfate dose and pH values. The influence of cationic polyelectrolyte as a coagulant aid on the cells in accompany with aluminum sulfate was also studied. A set of jar test experiments at 200 rpm of rapid mixing, and 30 rpm of slow mixing and 30 min settling time were conducted to find the optimum chemical dose and pH. From the results of the tests, the optimum dose and pH for aluminum sulfate coagulant and polyelectrolyte were obtained corresponding to the lowest concentrations of cyanobacterial cells and turbidity.

The use of alum to decrease phosphorus loss from dairy farm laneways in southern New Zealand

AbstractDairy farm laneways are sources of enriched P loss. Aluminium sulphate (alum) has been shown to decrease P loss when applied to land; our hypothesis was that alum may serve as a cost‐effective strategy to mitigate P loss from laneways connected to streams. A 4‐month field study, over the milking period when cows regularly used the laneway, showed that alum (25 and 50 kg/Al/ha) initially lowered FRP losses for four events, over 60 days, following application. If connected to a stream, the cost‐effectiveness of alum use on dairy farm laneways (51–75 USD per kg P retained) was high compared to other strategies on a grazed dairy farm.

Polyanhydride nanovaccine platform provides protective immunity against Streptococcus pneumoniae

Event Abstract Back to Event Polyanhydride nanovaccine platform provides protective immunity against Streptococcus pneumoniae Danielle A. Wagner1, Sean M. Kelly2, Shannon L. Haughney2, Balaji Narasimhan2 and Michael J. Wannemuehler1 1 Iowa State University, Veterinary Microbiology and Preventative Medicine, United States 2 Iowa State University, Chemical and Biological Engineering, United States Introduction: Worldwide, community-acquired pneumonia is a serious disease that is the leading cause of death in children less than five years of age[1]. Pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) is a key virulence factor of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Polyanhydride nanoparticles comprised of copolymers of 1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy) hexane (CPH) and 1,8-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)-3,6-dioxaoctane (CPTEG) provide several benefits for vaccine delivery, including adjuvanticity, antigen stability, and sustained antigen release[2]. Upon release from nanoparticles, PspA maintains its primary and secondary structure including antigenicity[3]. Previous work has shown that encapsulation of a suboptimal dose of antigen into polyanhydride microparticles can induce a robust, long-lived immune response[4]. Reducing the antigen required in a vaccine may reduce vaccine production costs as well as vaccine shortages. Here, we expand upon previous work and demonstrate protection against lethal S. pneumoniae challenge following a single vaccination with a nanovaccine formulation containing a 25-fold lower dose of PspA than previously described[3]. Materials and Methods: CBA/CaHN mice were immunized subcutaneously with one of the following regimen: 1 µg PspA encapsulated into 50:50 CPTEG:CPH nanoparticles, 0.5 µg PspA encapsulated into 50:50 CPTEG:CPH nanoparticles plus 0.5 µg soluble PspA, 1 µg PspA plus Alum, 1 µg PspA alone, and saline. Serum samples were collected 21 days post-immunization (DPI) and analyzed via ELISA. Mice were challenged intravenously 24 DPI with 2500 CFUs of S. pneumoniae strain A66.1. Body temperature and body condition scores were recorded daily for the duration of the experiment. Moribund mice were removed from the study and at 14 days post-challenge surviving animals were euthanized. Results and Discussion: Mice immunized once with PspA encapsulated into nanoparticles had significatly better survival rates (87.5%) over those immunized with soluble PspA alone (12%) (Fig. 1A). Although there was no difference in survival between the nanovaccine- and the PspA plus Alum-immunized mice, the mice that received the nanovaccine formulations had higher antibody titers (Fig. 1B). Additionally, no difference in survival or antibody titer was observed between the mice that received 100% PspA encapsulated into nanoparticles and those that received 50% of the PspA encapsulated into nanoparticles plus 50% as soluble PspA. Eliminating the need for a soluble bolous of PspA will improve the potential for the prolonged shelf life of the PspA-containing nanovaccine at room-temperature or above, based on the favorable thermal stability profile of polyanhydride nanoparticles[5]. Conclusion: Similar to the use of Alum, immunization with PspA encapsulated into polyanhydride nanoparticles provided protection against lethal S. pneumoniae challenge but with much less tissue reactogenicity[6]. Both nanovaccine regimens also induced robust humoral immune responses that were comparable to that observed following immunization with a 25-fold higher dose of soluble PspA[3].

Separation of Cells by Flocculation: Use of Alum as Flocculating agent to separate Saccharomyces Cerevisae from fermentation

Flocculation is an interesting and unique phenomena observed. Flocculation usually involves the mixing process of a fluid with the flocculating agent under conditions of higher shear in a stirrer tank. It has wide range of applications. Major application in down stream processingis to acquire refined and bioprocessed product. In the current study yeat cells were flocculated in specific culture conditions hence resulted in flocs of Saccharomyces cerevisae (Yeast).

Durable immunity to oncogenic human papillomaviruses elicited by adjuvanted recombinant Adeno-associated virus-like particle immunogen displaying L2 17–36 epitopes

Vaccination with the minor capsid protein L2, notably the 17–36 neutralizing epitope, induces broadly protective antibodies, although the neutralizing titers attained in serum are substantially lower than for the licensed L1 VLP vaccines. Here we examine the impact of other less reactogenic adjuvants upon the induction of durable neutralizing serum antibody responses and protective immunity after vaccination with HPV16 and HPV31 L2 amino acids 17–36 inserted at positions 587 and 453 of VP3, respectively, for surface display on Adeno-Associated Virus 2-like particles [AAVLP (HPV16/31L2)]. Mice were vaccinated three times subcutaneously with AAVLP (HPV16/31L2) at two week intervals at several doses either alone or formulated with alum, alum and MPL, RIBI adjuvant or Cervarix. The use of adjuvant with AAVLP (HPV16/31L2) was necessary in mice for the induction of L2-specific neutralizing antibody and protection against vaginal challenge with HPV16. While use of alum was sufficient to elicit durable protection (>3 months after the final immunization), antibody titers were increased by addition of MPL and RIBI adjuvants. To determine the breadth of immunity, rabbits were immunized three times with AAVLP (HPV16/31L2) either alone, formulated with alum±MPL, or RIBI adjuvants, and after serum collection, the animals were concurrently challenged with HPV16/31/35/39/45/58/59 quasivirions or cottontail rabbit papillomavirus (CRPV) at 6 or 12 months post-immunization. Strong protection against all HPV types was observed at both 6 and 12 months post-immunization, including robust protection in rabbits receiving the vaccine without adjuvant. In summary, vaccination with AAVLP presenting HPV L2 17–36 epitopes at two sites on their surface induced cross-neutralizing serum antibody, immunity against HPV16 in the genital tract, and long-term protection against skin challenge with the 7 most common oncogenic HPV types when using a clinically relevant adjuvant.

Optimized use of alum together with unmodified Cassia obtusifolia seed gum as a coagulant aid in treatment of palm oil mill effluent under natural pH of wastewater

Natural seed gum extracted from Cassia obtusifolia seeds was assessed to determine its potential as a coagulant aid together with alum to treat high-strength agro-industrial wastewater, namely palm oil mill effluent. If the untreated palm oil mill effluent was discharged into watercourses, it could cause severe environment pollutions due to its high total suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand. Thus, this study investigated the influence of alum dosage, C. obtusifolia seed gum dosage and settling time on both total suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand removals from the palm oil mill effluent using response surface methodology. The combined treatment between alum plus C. obtusifolia seed gum yielded total suspended solids and chemical oxygen demand removals up to 81.58 and 48.22%, respectively using the following optimum conditions: alum dosage of 1.15g/L, C. obtusifolia seed gum dosage of 2.47g/L and settling time of 35.16min. Additionally, the combined treatment was observed to be an adequate alternative to treat palm oil mill effluent at its natural pH using relatively smaller alum dosage and shorter settling time in comparison with the treatment using C. obtusifolia seed gum alone. The presence of complexes in flocs and their requirement for higher degradation temperature (>220°C) were confirmed using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermal gravimetric analysis, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy microphotograph revealed that the flocs after treatment using alum plus C. obtusifolia seed gum exhibited the presence of fibrous networks with rough surface and porosity.

Effect of incorporating alum in cane juice clarification efficiency and sucrose losses

The effect of incorporating alum in the clarification stage of raw juice in sugarcane processing on the juice quality and sucrose loss was investigated. Alum was incorporated in both intermediate and hot liming clarification processes of cane juicing. One portion of the cane juice was used for With Pre-treatment Treatment (WPT) while the other portion constituted No Pre-treatment (NPT) juice. Alum at levels of 0 mg L-1, 50 mg L-1, 100 mg L-1 and 150 mg L-1 was incorporated in both intermediate and hot liming clarification processes in each of the two cane juice portions. Sugar concentration (sucrose, glucose and fructose), oBrix, pH, colour, settling performance (initial settling rates (ISR), final mud volume (MV∞), and turbidity) and residual aluminium ion concentration were evaluated. Any significant variations (p &lt; 0.05) in these parameters were assessed. The study found significantly lower (p &lt; 0.05) sucrose losses in clarified juice from intermediate liming of WPT after alum treatment than in the rest of the clarified juices. Colour and turbidity in the pre-treated cane juice of intermediate liming was reduced by 36.9% and 98.1%, respectively at 150 mg L-1 alum level. An initial settling rate of 260 mL min-1 in WPT cane juice of intermediate liming at 150 mg L-1 alum level resulted in the most compact final mud volume of 10.3%. The residual aluminium concentration (0.025 to 0.048 mg L-1) in alum treated clarified juices was lower than the natural aluminium concentration (0.088 mg L-1) in untreated cane juice. This study showed the potential for the use of alum in cane juice clarification to improve on clarification efficiency and lower sucrose loss.

Effect of incorporating alum in cane juice clarification efficiency and sucrose losses

The effect of incorporating alum in the clarification stage of raw juice in sugarcane processing on the juice quality and sucrose loss was investigated. Alum was incorporated in both intermediate and hot liming clarification processes of cane juicing. One portion of the cane juice was used for With Pre-treatment Treatment (WPT) while the other portion constituted No Pre-treatment (NPT) juice. Alum at levels of 0 mg L -1 , 50 mg L -1 , 100 mg L -1 and 150 mg L -1 was incorporated in both intermediate and hot liming clarification processes in each of the two cane juice portions. Sugar concentration (sucrose, glucose and fructose), o Brix, pH, colour, settling performance (initial settling rates (ISR), final mud volume (MV ∞ ), and turbidity) and residual aluminium ion concentration were evaluated. Any significant variations (p < 0.05) in these parameters were assessed. The study found significantly lower (p < 0.05) sucrose losses in clarified juice from intermediate liming of WPT after alum treatment than in the rest of the clarified juices. Colour and turbidity in the pre-treated cane juice of intermediate liming was reduced by 36.9% and 98.1%, respectively at 150 mg L -1 alum level. An initial settling rate of 260 mL min -1 in WPT cane juice of intermediate liming at 150 mg L -1 alum level resulted in the most compact final mud volume of 10.3%. The residual aluminium concentration (0.025 to 0.048 mg L -1 ) in alum treated clarified juices was lower than the natural aluminium concentration (0.088 mg L -1 ) in untreated cane juice. This study showed the potential for the use of alum in cane juice clarification to improve on clarification efficiency and lower sucrose loss.

Evaluation of the use of alum sludge as hydraulic barrier layer and daily cover material in landfills: a finite element analysis study

In this study, the uses of alum sludge (AS) as hydraulic barrier (HB) layer and daily cover (DC) material were investigated using two-dimensional finite element analysis. In the analyses, typical landfill geometries were carried out for two different side-slope steepness (2H:1V and 3H:1V), two different HB materials (compacted clay (CC) and AS) and four different DC scenarios (no DC, sand (S), compost, and AS), two landfill heights (20 m and 30 m) and two different municipal solid waste decomposition conditions (freshly disposed waste and old waste), and the effects of these variables on the displacements, and factor of safety (FS) values were investigated. For all the cases studied, FS values higher than 1.5 were obtained which indicated that the landfills were stable against sliding, and the displacement values were within the limits reported in the literature. The results of the finite element analysis also showed that AS used as HB and DC material yielded compatible results with the ones for the CC and S, which are widely used materials as HB and DC in landfills, respectively. Therefore, it can be said that, considering its low hydraulic conductivity, high shear strength, high contaminant removal abilities, and easy availability at no cost, AS can be used as an efficient alternative HB and DC material for landfills.