COAGULATION

Gisselle Flores
Estefanía Túquerrez
Melissa Trujillo
 • Definition
• Difference between coagulation and
flocculation
• Coagulation process in WWT
• Advantages and disadvantages of
coagulation
• Types of coagulants
INDEX • Organic
• Inorganic
• Coagulants aids
• Jar test
• Exercise
• Kahoot
 • The small particles in
the water due to a
coagulant are put
together into larger,
heavier clumps which
settle out relatively
quickly.

DEFINITION
VIDEO
COAGULATION VS
FLOCCULATION

• Coagulation: particles that

aggregate with themselves.
• By the influence of a change in pH

• Flocculation: particles that

aggregate by the use of
polymers that binds them
together
 Coagulation
process in Waste
Water Treatment
• Coagulation plays primary and
important roles in water
and wastewater treatment.
• Researches are needed for
novel coagulants, hybrid
processes and control
schemes.
• Study of floc properties is
essential to enhance the
coagulation efficiency.
• The performance of coagulation
is the major factor in improving
water treatment efficiency.
Examples of studies where the coagulation is integrated into
other units to form hybrid processes and to perform the
coagulation, disinfection, degradation and oxidation.
• Colloidal systems contain
particles from 0.1 μm to 1 nm.

• Settling velocity ranges from

0.3 to 3 m/year.

• The particles have an electric

charge which makes the ions
that surround them create a
double electric layer.

Settling Time for Particles of Various Dia

meters; Peterson, H. G. 2001.
Rural Drinking Water and Waterborne Ill
ness.
 ADVANTAGES

● Less time is required to settle out

suspended solids.
● Removal of protozoa, bacteria
and viruses.
● It can remove a large amount of
organic compounds, including
Natural Organic Matter (NOM) or
Disoolved Organic Carbon (DOC)
and inorganic precipitates,
such as iron.
● Limited investment is required
for the tanks and dosage units.
DISADVANTAGES
● Operational cost, accurate dosage
and monitoring
● Large amount of residual sludge f
ormed
● It does not remove all of the
viruses and bacteria in the water
 ● Mixing
COAGULATION ● pH

EFFECTIVENESS ●
●
Coagulant dose
Laboratory jar test
TYPES OF COAGULANTS
 ORGANIC
COAGULANTS

• Best for solid-liquid separation

• Reduces sludge generation
• Benefits of working at lower
doses
• No effect on the pH
PolyAMINEs and
PolyDADMACs
• Cationic coagulants work by
charge neutralization Haga clic para agregar
Haga clic para agregar
texto
• Most widely used organic texto
coagulants
• They coagulate through charge
neutralization
• Forms a spongy mass called a
“microfloc”
Melamine Formaldehydes and
Tannins

• They coagulate colloidal material in the water

and contribute to their own precipitated floc.

• This sweep-floc precipitate can absorb

organic materials such as oil and grease.

• Great for operations that generate

hazardous sludge (oil refineries).

Adsorption of kerosene by CPCMERI-2 over

water surface. Melamine-based polyaminal
covalent polymer (CPCMERI-2)
 • Cheaper than organic coagulants
• Especially effective when used on water with low
turbidity.
INORGANIC • When added to water, they form aluminum or iron
precipitates.
COAGULANTS • They clean the water by absorbing impurities in the
water as they fall, known as the “sweep-floc”
mechanism.
 • Most common water treatment chemical used in industrial
processes
Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) • Alum’s crystalline form is created when the liquid is
dehydrated.

• More expensive
• Usually picked as a second choice in processes where alum
Aluminum Chloride can not be used.

Polyaluminum Chloride • Best used for more basic water supplies

(PAC) and Aluminum

Chlorohydrate (ACH)

• Used as reducing agent or when excess soluble iron ions are

Ferric Sulfate and required
Ferrous Sulfate

• The least expensive

• Only used in facilities that can handle it
Ferric Chloride
COAGULANT AIDS

Activated silica Bentonite clay Polyelectrolytes

Increase Long carbon

Strengthens
number of chain
floc
collisions molecules

Increases rate Speed floc Produce highly

of coagulation formation charged ions

Limestone and
Cationic,
Reduces powdered
anionic or
coagulant dose silica are also
nonionic
used
 JAR TEST
• Pilot-scale test
• Determine the coagulation dose
and efficiency for a given water
sample.

• pH constant and coagulant dose

is systematically varied
• Coagulant dose constant and pH
is systematically varied
• Equal amount of water in each jar
• Each jar with a different coagulant
dose
• Parameters that may be altered:
mixing rate, aeration, time, filtration
type...
• Comparing the final water quality to
know which is better
• Several jar testing at the time (4-6)
EXERCISE
• Calculate the theoretical amount of alkalinity (mg/L as CaCO3) that would be
consumed with an alum dose of 12 mg/L. The molecular weight of alum is
594 g/mol
REFERENCES

• Bratby, J. (2016). Coagulation and Flocculation in Water and Wastewater

Treatment. Alliance House: London
• Peterson, H. (2001). Settling Time for Particles of Various Diameters. Rural Drinking Wa
ter and Waterborne Illness.
• Jiang, Q (2015) The role of coagulation in water treatment.
Retrieved https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S221133981500009
X?via%3Dihub
• Barrera-Díaz, C., Balderas, P. (2019). Electrocoagulation: Fundamentals and
Prospectives. Retrieved
from https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/chemical-coagulation

• Safe Drinking Water Foundation. Conventional Water Treatment: Coagulation and

Filtration Fact Sheet. Retrieved from: https://www.safewater.org/fact-sheets-
1/2017/1/23/conventional-water-treatment