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The miracle of suspended particles aggregation: Why is the flocculation process so critical in water treatment?
In the field of water treatment, the flocculation process is an indispensable link and its importance cannot be overestimated. The basic principle of flocculation is to cause fine particles suspended in water to aggregate into larger aggregates. This process is crucial for water purification, especially in drinking water and sewage treatment.
Flocculation is "the process of contact and adhesion whereby the particles of a dispersion form larger aggregates."
Definition and function of flocculation
According to the definition of the International Union of Chemical Engineers (IUPAC), flocculation is "the process of contact and adhesion that causes the particles of a dispersion to form larger aggregates." This process is usually accomplished by adding flocculants, the most common of which is aluminum salt, with the specific chemical formula Al2(SO4)3·14H2O. During this process, fine suspended particles lose stability due to chemical reactions with the flocculant and begin to aggregate to form larger agglomerates.
During the flocculation process, gentle mixing action accelerates particle collisions, further agglomerating unstable particles into larger precipitates.
However, the effectiveness of flocculation is affected by several parameters, including mixing intensity, time, and pH. The Jar test is often used to determine the optimal flocculant dosage and selection, which involves rapid mixing, slow mixing, and ultimately settling.
Application of flocculation in different fields
Application in water treatment
In water treatment, flocculation and sedimentation are key steps in the drinking water purification process and wastewater treatment. Common water treatment procedures involve screening, flocculation, sedimentation, sand filtration and disinfection processes. Its core purpose is to remove impurities from water by promoting the aggregation and sedimentation of particles.
In the treatment of drinking water, appropriate pH adjustment and selection of clarifiers have a significant impact on the flocculation effect.
Food and Biotechnology
In the food industry, flocculation is used during cheese making to measure the progress of curd formation. In biotechnology, flocculation technology combined with microfiltration can improve the efficiency of biological feeding. The addition of synthetic flocculants can increase the average particle size, making microfiltration more efficient.
Medical and construction engineering
In the medical field, flocculation is used in a variety of diagnostic tests. In civil engineering and earth sciences, flocculation can also improve the physical properties of soils, particularly the fragile structures formed when small particles such as clay adhere to each other.
Challenges and Future Prospects
Although flocculation technology has shown good results in many areas, deflocculation (or deflocculation) can cause problems in wastewater treatment plants, such as poor sedimentation and deterioration of effluent quality. This suggests that we need to further explore the best practices and future trends of this technology to meet new challenges.
Environmentally friendly flocculants, especially chitosan, are gaining attention because they are not only biodegradable but also effective in removing pollutants from water.
Under the current technological background, in-depth understanding and innovation of flocculation technology will continue to promote progress in water treatment in all walks of life. However, the complexity and uncertainty of this process still raises many questions, such as: Can we continue to improve the efficiency of water resource utilization while protecting the environment?
