How the nature of the compounds present in solid and liquid compartments of activated sludge impact its rheological characteristics

ABSTRACT

Although the role of the solids concentration on the rheological characteristics of sludge is greatly documented in the literature, few studies focused on the impact of the nature of these solids. How the nature of solutes can modify the solid–liquid interactions and thus the rheological properties of the sludge are also slightly explored. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the rheological characteristics of activated sludge in relation with the nature of the compounds present in the solid and liquid phases. Rheological measurements were carried out on raw sludge and on sludge modified by mechanical actions and/or addition of solids or solutes. The rheological properties of raw and modified sludges were measured according to flow and dynamic measurements. Results demonstrated that if suspended solid concentration affected sludge rheological parameters, the nature of the solids was quite of importance. The key role of nature and molecular weight of solutes was also highlighted. The results contribute to a better knowledge of the relationship between sludge composition and its rheological properties, which is useful for the optimization of sludge mixing, pumping or aeration and also for the improvement of sludge dewatering, notably by a relevant choice of adjuvant.

KEYWORDS:

• Activated sludge
• rheological behavior
• suspended solids
• polysaccharides
• mineral salt

Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge Benjamin Cassier, Training student, who performed some of the rheological measurements.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.