Introduction to flocculants

Flocculants, also called flocculating agents are a kind of water treatment chemicals that promote flocculation by gathering colloids and other suspended particles in a liquid to form flocs. Flocculants are used in water treatment processes to improve the sedimentation or filterability of small particles. So, how exactly do flocculants work and what are the differences between the flocculants and the coagulating agents? Please let me introduce them to you in the following contents.

Here is the content list:

l What are the working principles of flocculants?

l What are the differences between flocculation and coagulation?

What are the working principles of flocculants?

The working principles of this magic water treatment chemical are not hard to understand. When flocculants are added to the solution. The flocculant is adsorbed by the submicron flocs and promotes the bridging of the gaps between the flocs. Bringing the particles to close together so that it provides an effective range of van der Waals forces to reduce the energy barrier in the form of flocculation and loss accumulation of flocs. The aggregation, binding, and strengthening of the flocs continue until the formation of large suspended flocs. Sedimentation of flocs will occur under proper weight, size and strength. Large flocs are very sensitive to mixing, and once they are torn apart by strong shear forces, they are difficult or impossible to reform. What is more? Actually, the flocculation process occurs naturally during the formation of snowflakes or seabed sediments but is also intentionally applied in water treating, biotechnology, petroleum, pulp and paper, and mining industries.

What are the differences between flocculation and coagulation?

Even though, these two water treatment chemicals flocculants and coagulants are all used as clarifying agents in water treatment. There are still differences between flocculation and coagulation. For example, before flocculation, the colloid particles are only suspended in the liquid in the form of a stable dispersion and are not really dissolved in the solution, while for the coagulation process, the particles it needs to sediment is already totally dissolved in the solution. Another big difference between these two water treatment chemicals is that coagulants aim to destabilize and aggregate particles through the chemical interaction between coagulant and colloid, but flocculants aim to sediment the destabilized particles by causing their aggregation into floc. Even there are multiple differences between them, coagulation and flocculation are all important processes in water treatment, and they could be applied as a good combination. This great combination of flocculation and sedimentation is widely used in drinking water purification and sewage treatment, rainwater treatment, and industrial wastewater treatment.

Well, isn’t that amazing? Two different kinds of water treatment chemicals can be used together to form a wonderful water treating solution for multiple types of applications. If you are looking for more information concerning water treatment chemicals or if you are interested in buying wonderful water treatment chemicals. Please make sure you check out the web of Nanjing Jiayi Sunway Chemical Co., Ltd, their reliable and professional knowledge and their full range of products can definitely satisfy your unique taste and needs.