Chemistry and Application of Coagulants and Flocculants in Industrial Wastewater Treatment Systems

Industrial wastewater treatment often requires application of coagulant or flocculant chemicals. In some cases, these chemical additives for enhancing contaminant separability are misapplied due to lack of understanding application details. This paper presents the basic chemistry and fundamentals of coagulation and flocculation, and how application of chemical additives fits with various methods of clarification. Types of coagulants and flocculants and matching of types with substrates are reviewed. Proper application and common misapplication points in pre-, primary, secondary, and tertiary wastewater treatment and dewatering in various industrial categories are covered. The reader should gain sufficient knowledge so that one can understand most common applications, and be able to ask targeted questions concerning uncommon applications.