Principles and Advantages of Polyacrylamide Flocculant

Polyacrylamide is a linear polymer with good thermal stability and water solubility. Due to its unique properties, it can also be used as a coagulant aid.

The Coagulation Principle of Polyacrylamide Flocculant

After the coagulant is added to the water, appropriate hydraulic conditions must be created to successfully complete the coagulation. The entire coagulation process is divided into two stages, one called mixing, and the second called flocculation. These two stages have different requirements for the turbulence of the water flow. The mixing stage generally takes less than 2 minutes, so after the coagulant is added, the water must be stirred to quickly mix the flocs with the water and undergo hydrolytic polymerization. However, in the flocculation stage, the turbulence of the water flow should be reduced to prevent the flocs from breaking under prolonged high-intensity agitation.

At this time, polyacrylamide acts as a coagulant aid, so it becomes a coagulant aid. It is a highly polymerized macromolecular flocculant whose action produces stable flocs through bridging adsorption. That is, fine, uniform particles and clay particles in the dispersed phase are adsorbed by active groups on the PAM carbon chain, forming flocs that interconnect to form coarse flocs.

Advantages of Polyacrylamide Flocculant

Rapid Formation of Coarse Flocs

Polyacrylamide has excellent flocculation performance and can quickly adsorb and bridge with suspended particles in the water to form coarse, dense flocs. These flocs have a large specific surface area and good settling performance, allowing rapid separation from the water. Compared to traditional flocculants, polyacrylamide flocculant can form larger, more stable flocs in a shorter time, thus improving water treatment efficiency.

Strong Adaptability

Polyacrylamide flocculant adapts to a wide pH range and is non-corrosive to pipelines and equipment. It can also meet the treatment needs of different water qualities and different pollutants. For example, when treating high-turbidity water, polyacrylamide can quickly reduce water turbidity; when treating wastewater containing heavy metal ions, polyacrylamide flocculant can form stable complexes with heavy metal ions to effectively remove them. This strong adaptability makes polyacrylamide perform well in various water treatment scenarios.

High Efficiency and Energy Saving

Polyacrylamide flocculant can significantly reduce the energy and material consumption in the water treatment process. On one hand, because polyacrylamide can quickly form coarse, dense flocs, it reduces the pressure and energy consumption of subsequent filtration, sedimentation, and other treatment stages; on the other hand, the amount of polyacrylamide used is relatively small and does not produce excessive sludge and wastewater, reducing treatment costs. In addition, polyacrylamide has good stability and heat resistance, maintaining stable flocculation performance in harsh environments like high temperatures and high pressures.

Environmental Safety

Polyacrylamide, as an environmentally friendly water treatment agent, is characterized by low toxicity and harmlessness. Its degradation products are mainly non-toxic, harmless small molecular substances that do not cause secondary pollution to the environment. Additionally, the raw materials and additives used in the preparation of polyacrylamide meet environmental protection requirements and do not pose a health hazard to humans. This environmentally safe characteristic has led polyacrylamide flocculants to be widely applied in the field of water treatment.