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ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study is to investigate the application of chemical conditioning method for the post-electroflocculation wastewater sludge treatment with polyelectrolytes of varying ionic characters, namely anionic, cationic and nonionic flocculating agents. Electroflocculation, a combination of the processes of electroflotation and electroprecipitation, was found effective to remove the organic and color components in monosodium glutamate fermentation wastewater. The settleability and dewaterability of the separated sludge, containing 15–20% of iron hydroxides, increased 35% and 60% due to polymer conditioning through a jar-test apparatus. The influence of shear conditions and polymer dose on the floc size, zeta potential, filterability and dewatering performance, and shear resistance of sludges was investigated. Experimental results showed that the anionic polymer acts as a better flocculating agent than both cationic and nonionic polymers, and the optimal polymer doses fall between 4.0 and 10.0 mg/g Fe sludge under corresponding shear rates of 200–300 rpm. This study also indicated that both charge neutralization and polymer bridging mechanisms operate in the sludge conditioning process.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors are grateful to the National Science Council of the Republic of China for financial support through Grant No. NSC-89-2214-E-027-010.