Enhanced dewatering of waste sludge with microbial flocculant TJ-F1 as a novel conditioner

• Published in: Water research (Oxford) Vol. 44; no. 10; pp. 3087 - 3092
• Main Authors: Zhang, Zhiqiang, Xia, Siqing, Zhang, Jiao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Acrylamides - chemistry; activated sludge; Applied sciences; calcium carbonate; Calcium Chloride - chemistry; Conditioner; Conditioning; Dewaterability; Dewatering; Dewatering (separation process); Exact sciences and technology; Filtration - methods; flocculants; Flocculating; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Microbial flocculant; Microorganisms; optimization; Other industrial wastes. Sewage sludge; Pollution; Proteus mirabilis; Quaternary Ammonium Compounds - chemistry; Resistivity; Sewage - chemistry; Sewage - microbiology; Sludge; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Waste sludge; Wastes; wastewater treatment; Water - chemistry; Water treatment and pollution; China; Asia; China, People's Rep; Dewaterability; Microbial flocculant; Conditioner; Waste sludge; Filtration; Waste treatment; Dehydration; Sewage treatment plant; Flocculation reagent; Chlorides; Flocculation; Physicochemical purification; Conditioning
• ISSN: 0043-1354; 1879-2448
• DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2010.02.033

Microbial flocculant (MBF) TJ-F1 with high flocculating activity was investigated to be used as a novel conditioner for the enhanced dewaterability of the waste sludge from wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The experimental results showed that TJ-F1 was better than poly(acrylamide [2-(Methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride) (P(AM-DMC)), the most commonly used conditioner in China, in improving the dewaterability of the waste sludge in terms of both the specific resistance in filtration ( SRF) and the time to filter ( TTF). The key parameters influencing the dewaterability of the waste sludge conditioned by TJ-F1, including the system pH, CaCl 2 concentration and TJ-F1 concentration, were systematically investigated. The favorite pH for the conditioning process was around the neutral. CaCl 2 was found to be a good conditioning aid to TJ-F1. A right dosage of TJ-F1 was decisive for the conditioning process. The optimized conditioning process is that about 0.17% (w/w) TJ-F1 and 1.3% (w/w) CaCl 2 are added into the sludge, and then the system pH was adjusted to 7.5. The compound use of TJ-F1 and P(AM-DMC) was also testified to be feasible in improving the dewaterability of the waste sludge.