2/18/2019 Polymers for Water Clarification - treating water and wastewater

Tramfloc, Inc. (http://tramfloc.com)

Polymers for Water Clari cation

Tram oc Polymers for Water Clari cation

Water Clari cation: DESCRIPTION
Tramfloc, Inc. offers a complete line of polyelectrolytes for water clarification. The polymer product line includes a series of
synthetic organic polymers which possess a progressive degree of anionic or cationic charge. These products are designed
for use as primary coagulants or as flocculants for clarifying water supplies. They can be used alone or in conjunction with
conventional inorganic coagulants such as alum, iron salts or lime or with Tramfloc® 700 and 800 Series Coagulants.

Water Clari cation: PRINCIPLES

The purpose of water clarification is to remove the suspended particles from natural water supplies such as river or lake
waters. Such removal is necessary whether the water is used for drinking, for cooling or for any number of industrial or
commercial processes. Because larger particles such as sand are removed quite easily by settling, the basic problem of
clarification is to remove the stabilized colloidal particles which will not settle naturally. The colloidal particle may consist of
clay and silt, color bodies, precipitated iron or manganese oxides, and even bacteria and algae. Other water treatment
processes such as lime softening may form colloidal calcium carbonate or other precipitates in the water so that softened
water frequently need clarification just like natural surface waters.

Most colloidal particles in natural water supplies carry a net negative electrical charge which is measured as Zeta Potential
and expressed as the potential differential between the fixed layer of ions on the surface of the particle and a point in the
body of the water where electroneutrality exists. Because the particles all carry the same charge, they repel each other and
will not coalesce to form particles sufficiently large to precipitate without special coagulant and flocculant chemistries.

Coagulation is generally taken to mean the neutralization of particle charges and the initial collision and coalescence of two
or more particles to form “micro-flocs” due to natural Brownian movement in the body of the water. Coagulation is only the
first step of clarification because the mico-flocs that are formed are still virtually invisible and too small to settle in a
sedimentation basin. Gentle stirring of the water is then applied to cause further collisions of the mico-flocs, so that further
growth occurs into floc particles of sufficient size to settle rapidly in a sedimentation basin. This growth, due to externally
applied movement, is termed flocculation. Organic polyelectrolyte polymers aid greatly in this flocculation process because
they possess numerous sites on the same polymer chain which can absorb additional colloidal particles so that a bridging
action occurs and thus precipitation is not impeded.

Water Clari cation: CATIONIC POLYMERS

Cationic organic polymers of appreciable charge density like Dadmac based cationic flocculants are primary coagulants just
as are the conventional inorganic coagulants, alum and iron salts, which hydrolyze to form inorganic cationic polymers. They
cannot be added to water without neutralization of all or part of the negative charge on the colloidal particles which results
in coagulation. Since they are relatively high molecular weight polyelectrolytes, they aid flocculation by their bridging action
and are more effective in this respect than the hydrolyzing inorganic coagulants. However, because the molecular weights of
organic coagulants usually decrease as the cationic charges increase, frequently, they are less effective bridging agents
than nonionic and anionic organic polymers.

Cationic organic polymers may be used alone as the only coagulant or in conjunction with lesser amounts of inorganic
coagulants in much the same way as when both alum and iron salts must be used to clarify water. Much depends upon the
total mixing time available. The organic cationic polymers have a relatively slow destabilization time (time required for
adsorption, charge neutralization and initial floc formation) as compared to the inorganic coagulants. Since some WTP are
designed for inorganic coagulants, the most effective and economical application of the organic polymers in existing plants

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is usually
2/18/2019 to use from 0.25 to 3 ppm of organic polymers
Polymers to Clarification
for Water replace 40-60%- treatingof theand
water alum or iron salts previously used. The
wastewater
use of the inorganic coagulant speeds the total destabilization time to accommodate the short mixing times encountered.
The use of the organic polymer reduces treatment costs considerably.

In several systems it has been possible to feed the cationic polymers into the raw water line far enough upstream from the
plant to obtain several hours of additional mixing time in the line. In such cases, as little as 0.5 ppm of the organic polymer
has improved clarification considerably and eliminated the use of alum and activated silica as well as lime. Even when
cationic polymer is used with alum, it is usually better to feed it into the raw water line ahead of the rapid mix to obtain a
maximum of mixing time. It is also sometimes advantageous to premix the polymer solution with the inorganic coagulant
solution. However these factors do not hold true with nonionic or anionic organic polymers which function by bridging action
alone.

Because cationic organic polymers are primary coagulants, they can also be used with various coagulant aids such as
clays, activated silica and even other nonionic and anionic organic polymers. Such coagulants can be helpful in increasing
floc volume when clarifying very low turbidity waters because organic polymers do not form precipitates themselves as do
alum and iron salts. Activated silica has also been found to be particularly effective as an aid for cationic polymers in lime
or lime soda softening plants.

Water Clari cation: NONIONIC AND ANIONIC POLYMERS

Nonionic, anionic and even weakly cationic organic polymers function basically as flocculants or coagulant aids rather than
as primary coagulants. They have little or no effect in neutralizing negative particle changes, but instead function by
improving the bridging action of the primary coagulants. Because of their very high molecular weight, they are much more
efficient bridging agents than the cationics and are used primarily to produce much larger and more stable flocs to
overcome serious flocculation and floc carryover problems. They are more frequently employed in industrial water
clarification plants where high rate up-flow clarifiers are often installed and filters are frequently omitted. Because of
improved flocculation with these polymers, they frequently permit appreciable dosage reduction of alum or other primary
coagulants but not usually as much as can be obtained with strongly cationic polymers. Their primary purpose usually is to
improve results rather than to reduce treatment costs. Nonionic polymers are perhaps the most reliable coagulant aids
inasmuch as drastic overdoses have little or no effect on zeta potential. However, over treatment is still possible since good
flocculation does not occur if more than 50% of the particle surface is covered by polymer.

Anionic polymer frequently give the best bridging action because their polymer chains are more uncoiled and therefore
exposed to a greater number of separate particles when added to the water. They also have the highest molecular weights
which are indicative of longer chain lengths. Anionic polymers may function as primary coagulants when the colloidal
particles are positively charged such as occurs in lime or lime-soda softening processes. In these processes, when pure
calcium carbonate precipitates, it carries a negative charge. However, when calcium carbonate precipitates with magnesium
or even in the presence of considerable magnesium still in solution, the particles have a positive charge. For this reason,
Tramfloc® 100 Series Flocculants have widespread use as a flocculant for softening applications.

When nonionic or anionic organic polymers are used as coagulant aids with inorganic coagulants, dosages in the range of
0.1 to 0.5 ppm are most frequently employed. Dosages from 0.1 to 0.2 are usually sufficient for most waters. Like most
coagulant aids, these polymers are usually most effective when fed shortly after the primary coagulant or at the point of
initial floc formation.

Water Clari cation: FEEDING ORGANIC POLYMERS

Detailed instructions for dissolving and feeding each of the Tramfloc polymer products discussed herein are given in
individual product bulletins which are available upon request or via our website, www.tramfloc.com. A few general principles,
however, apply to all organic polymers. They have very large molecules and are effective only when they are thoroughly
mixed and dispersed with the water to be treated so that all colloidal particles can be contacted evenly. Absorption of too
little or too much polymers on some particles results in incomplete coagulation or flocculation. Adsorption of too much
polymer on some particles can result in the destabilization of these particles on the positive or negative side depending
upon the type of polymer used. This is the most frequent cause of the haze that is left in some settled waters. The haze

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can best
2/18/2019 be eliminated and more uniform coagulation
Polymers forobtained by using
Water Clarification morewater
- treating dilution water with polymer solution prior to
and wastewater
application and by using multiple addition points to provide more rapid distribution of the large polymer molecules
throughout the water that is being treated.

CONTACT US!
6046 FM 2920 Rd. #615
Spring, TX, 77379

water@tramfloc.com (mailto:water@tramfloc.com)
Phone 888-929-8973
Fax 480-383-6895

Tramfloc, Inc. (https (http:/

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