10/16/2016

WastewaterChemicalTreatmentProcesses

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WastewaterChemicalTreatmentProcesses
Chemicalsareusedduringwastewatertreatmentinanarrayofprocessestoexpeditedisinfection.These
chemicalprocesses,whichinducechemicalreactions,arecalledchemicalunitprocesses,andareused
alongsidebiologicalandphysicalcleaningprocessestoachievevariouswaterstandards.Thereareseveral
distinctchemicalunitprocesses,includingchemicalcoagulation,chemicalprecipitation,chemicaloxidation
andadvancedoxidation,ionexchange,andchemicalneutralizationandstabilization,whichcanbeappliedto
wastewaterduringcleaning.
WastewaterChemicalTreatment

Processes

ChemicalPrecipitation
Chemicalprecipitationisthemostcommonmethodforremovingdissolvedmetalsfromwastewatersolution
containingtoxicmetals.Toconvertthedissolvedmetalsintosolidparticleform,aprecipitationreagentis
addedtothemixture.Achemicalreaction,triggeredbythereagent,causesthedissolvedmetalstoformsolid
particles.Filtrationcanthenbeusedtoremovetheparticlesfromthemixture.Howwelltheprocessworksis
dependentuponthekindofmetalpresent,theconcentrationofthemetal,andthekindofreagentused.In
hydroxideprecipitation,acommonlyusedchemicalprecipitationprocess,calciumorsodiumhydroxideis
usedasthereagenttocreatesolidmetalhydroxides.However,itcanbedifficulttocreatehydroxidesfrom
dissolvedmetalparticlesinwastewaterbecausemanywastewatersolutionscontainmixedmetals.
ChemicalCoagulation
Thischemicalprocessinvolvesdestabilizingwastewaterparticlessothattheyaggregateduringchemical
flocculation.Finesolidparticlesdispersedinwastewatercarrynegativeelectricsurfacecharges(intheir
normalstablestate),whichpreventthemfromforminglargergroupsandsettling.Chemicalcoagulation
destabilizestheseparticlesbyintroducingpositivelychargedcoagulantsthatthenreducethenegative
particlescharge.Oncethechargeisreduced,theparticlesfreelyformlargergroups.Next,ananionic
flocculantisintroducedtothemixture.Becausetheflocculantreactsagainstthepositivelychargedmixture,it
eitherneutralizestheparticlegroupsorcreatesbridgesbetweenthemtobindtheparticlesintolargergroups.
Afterlargerparticlegroupsareformed,sedimentationcanbeusedtoremovetheparticlesfromthemixture.
ChemicalOxidationandAdvancedOxidation
Withtheintroductionofanoxidizingagentduringchemicaloxidation,electronsmovefromtheoxidanttothe
pollutantsinwastewater.Thepollutantsthenundergostructuralmodification,becominglessdestructive
compounds.Alkalinechlorinationuseschlorineasanoxidantagainstcyanide.However,alkalinechlorination
asachemicaloxidationprocesscanleadtothecreationoftoxicchlorinatedcompounds,andadditionalsteps
mayberequired.Advancedoxidationcanhelpremoveanyorganiccompoundsthatareproducedasa
byproductofchemicaloxidation,throughprocessessuchassteamstripping,airstripping,oractivatedcarbon
adsorption.
IonExchange
Whenwateristoohard,itisdifficulttousetocleanandoftenleavesagreyresidue.(Thisiswhyclothing
washedinhardwateroftenretainsadingytint.)Anionexchangeprocess,similartothereverseosmosis
process,canbeusedtosoftenthewater.Calciumandmagnesiumarecommonionsthatleadtowater
hardness.Tosoftenthewater,positivelychargedsodiumionsareintroducedintheformofdissolvedsodium
chloridesalt,orbrine.Hardcalciumandmagnesiumionsexchangeplaceswithsodiumions,andfreesodium
ionsaresimplyreleasedinthewater.However,aftersofteningalargeamountofwater,thesofteningsolution
mayfillwithexcesscalciumandmagnesiumions,requiringthesolutionberechargedwithsodiumions.
ChemicalStabilization
Thisprocessworksinasimilarfashionaschemicaloxidation.Sludgeistreatedwithalargeamountofagiven
oxidant,suchaschlorine.Theintroductionoftheoxidantslowsdowntherateofbiologicalgrowthwithinthe
sludge,andalsohelpsdeodorizethemixture.Thewateristhenremovedfromthesludge.Hydrogenperoxide
canalsobeusedasanoxidant,andmaybeamorecosteffectivechoice.
OtherChemicalsGuides
OpticalCoatingsBuyingGuide
ThermosetPowderCoating
ActivatedCarboninWaterFiltration

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