Effluent pretreatment by iron coagulation applying various dose-pH combinations for optimum particle separation

Wastewater reuse often requires particle destabilization and removal to protect water transport systems and membranes from clogging. Flocculation process of activated sludge effluent applying ferric chloride is examined and comparison with alum (aluminium sulfate) application is made in this work. Optimum flocculation conditions are determined based on the removal efficiency of different particle size groups and on turbidity as a function of coagulant dosage and pH. Results show that the best removal for ferric chloride coagulant occurs at pH 4-5 and dosage of 20-30 mg l^-1. Settled water total particle count (TPC) of particle size ≥ 2 μm was reduced by more than 99%, while turbidity removal reached 86%. Zeta potential measurements and visual observations indicate domination of adsorption and charge neutralization mechanisms. Best removal with alum occurred at pH 6-7 while dosing 30 mg l^-1 and higher. Destabilization mechanism of adsorption and sweep coagulation is proposed. Generally alum performed somewhat better than iron for turbidity removal and worse for TPC removal. CMD (count mean diameter) is proposed for particle removal index: the higher the TPC removal, the lower the CMD.