This research investigated the impact of sludge type, polymer type
(percent mole charge), dosage, mixing rate, and solution ionic strength on
bound water content of sludge flocs. Data determined to evaluate the
extent of dewatering included: percent dry solids, bulk density, bound
water content (determined by dilatometric method), floc density
(determined by isopycnic centrifugation), and cake solids concentrations.
Calculated floc densities and bound water contents were compared with
measured values.
The polymer mole charge had marginal impact on bound water
content. The optimal polymer dose as determined by dose curves did not
necessarily result in the least bound water content. The mixing rate did not
have an impact on bound water content of the chemical sludge, but did
have an impact on bound water content of the biological sludge. However,
the percentage of total water removed that was due to bound water
removal was not affected by rate of mixing, polymer mole charge, or
polymer dose. Altering solution ionic strength did not appear to improve
bound water removal.
The calculated bound water content values determined using
measured floc densities were consistently greater than the measured bound
water content values determined by dilatometric method. The bound water
content per the dilatometric method did not account for all the water
present in the floes as determined by the isopycnic centrifugation method.
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