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Lupasol® for Water Treatment Applications
Flocculation and Water Treatment
The flocculation of contaminants from water is a critical step in wastewater treatment for municipal and industrial settings. Coagulation and flocculation are required such that small particulates suspended within the wastewater form larger particles, referred to as flocs, that are large enough to settle to the bottom of treatment tanks. These flocs reduce turbidity and increase clarity in the wastewater, making downstream treatment processes easier to accomplish. Flocculants are typically polymers that bind particulates together and are responsible for creating flocs.Lupasol® Cationic Flocculants
Suspended solids within waste streams are usually anionic in nature and therefore require a cationic polymer to assist in flocculation. Lupasol® polyethyleneimines (PEIs) are cationic polymers available in a range of molecular weights and are used to broadly flocculate anionic contaminants, such as zeolites, silicates, and proteins, from water. While many types of polymers are used in wastewater treatment processes, Lupasol® provides an advantage as a cationic flocculant because of its high cationic charge density. At pH 4.5, Lupasol® polymers feature a charge density of approximately 17 mEq/g, more than twice as high as other cationic flocculant polymers, such as polyamines and polyacrylamides. In addition to flocculation, Lupasol® can also form reversible complexes with divalent metal ions and is combined with ultrafiltration to remove heavy metals from water.
Common Water Treatment Applications
Lupasol® is an ideal cationic water treatment polymer to use in flocculation applications across various industries. Below are a few examples where Lupasol® is recommended for use as a cationic flocculant.Waste Water Treatment
Wastewater sludge needs to be dewatered prior to disposal. By separating floc from water, the waste volume and disposal cost can be greatly reduced. Lupasol® is an effective flocculant for common anionic contaminants, such as zeolites, silicates, and proteins.
Cooling Tower Water Treatment
Water for cooling tower operations needs to be demineralized to prevent solids from being left behind during blowdown. Lupasol® works well as a flocculant to increase the ease of mineral removal from feed and makeup water. With a lower concentration of solids left behind, the cycle of concentration of cooling tower operations can be improved, promoting higher efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Boiler Feed Water Treatment
The removal of solids is critical for boiler water treatment. Sludge buildup can damage plumbing and reduce a boiler’s energy efficiency. Lupasol® is used as a flocculant of silica, proteins, and other contaminants from feed water to prevent the buildup of deposits.
Heavy Metal Separation
Most industrial wastewater streams contain heavy metals that will not naturally degrade over time. These metals must be removed before the water can be discharged or reused. In addition to flocculation, Lupasol® polymers can form a reversible complex with multivalent metal ions, such as Zn, Hg, and Pb. These complexes can then be removed from the waste stream by ultrafiltration.
Recommended Flocculant Grades
High–molecular weight grades of Lupasol® polymers are typically recommended for flocculant and water treatment applications. Lupasol® P and Lupasol® SK are high–molecular weight PEI molecules well suited as flocculants for water treatment. As mentioned previously, since Lupasol® is cationic, it is best to use it as a flocculant for anionic material.| Grade | Average Molar Mass (g/mol) | Concentration (%) | Water Content (%) | Viscosity (cP) | pH | Polymer Cationic Charge Density (meq/g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lupasol® P | 750,000 | 50 | 50 | 25,000 | 13 | 17 |
| Lupasol® SK | 2,000,000 | 24 | 76 | 700 | 8 | 8 |
Summary
Lupasol® polymers are ideal, effective flocculants for wastewater treatment processes because they have a significantly high cationic charge density. This makes them highly efficient at producing flocs of silica, proteins, and other anionic matter in industrial and municipal wastewater. Request a sample of Lupasol® for your flocculation application by clicking the link below.
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