
Flocs in Water Treatment is the first of its kind - serving as a valuable aide-mémoire for scientists, process engineers and other professionals engaged in water treatment. The framework described in Flocs in Water Treatment can also be applied to aggregated solids found both in the natural environment, and within a broad range of industries. Flocs (aggregated solid matter) resulting from the combined influence of coagulation and flocculation play a vital role in solid-liquid separation ...
What is the purpose of the floc in water?
Chemicals (coagulants) are added to the water to bring the nonsettling particles together into larger, heavier masses of solids called floc. Aluminum sulfate (alum) is the most common coagulant used for water purification. Other chemicals, such as ferric sulfate or sodium aluminate, may also be used.
What do flocculants do in water treatment?
Nov 24, 2016 · Flocs are important in water treatment. For example, treatment chemicals such as alum cause small particles to clump together (coagulate). Gentle mixing brings smaller clumps of particles together to form larger groups called floc. Some of the floc begins to settle during the coagulation stage. During the flocculation stage, the heavy, dense floc settles to the bottom of …
What is flocculation water treatment?
Flocculation is a water treatment technique in which particles combine to create bigger clusters, or flocs, which are then removed from the water. This process might happen naturally or with the help of chemical agents. It is a widespread method of wastewater treatment, stormwater treatment, & purification of drinking water.
What is flocculation in a water treatment plant?
Sep 13, 2021 · Flocculation is the water purification process to remove contaminants from the water. It is the most common process to treat wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water, making it clean and disinfected to use. The process of flocculation is separating the solution from the sediment and debris mixed in it.

What does floc mean in water?
Floc is a flocculent mass formed in a fluid through precipitation or aggregation of suspended particles. Flocs produced from hard/turbid waters are generally dense; that is, they possess much lower water content than flocs derived from the coagulation of soft humic waters.Nov 24, 2016
Why is floc important to the water treatment process?
Flocculants are used in many different types of processes, such as cheese-making and brewing. When it comes to water treatment processes, they are used to remove microscopic particles that can affect everything from taste to appearance, smell and texture.Aug 29, 2018
What is the purpose of floc?
Flocculants improve filtration, leading to an improved cleaning and disinfection of the water. This treatment method is recommended when the filtration system struggles to remove all the floating particles (murky/troubled water).Jul 18, 2018
What is coagulant function?
3 Coagulants. Coagulants and flocculation processes are used to remove colloidal impurities: suspended particles such as bacteria, clay, silts, and organic matter from the contaminated water. This produces large flock aggregates that can be removed from the water in subsequent clarification/filtration processes.
What is flocculant made of?
The aluminum-based flocculants include aluminum sulfate, aluminum chloride, sodium aluminate, aluminum chlorohydrate, and polyaluminum chloride. The iron-based flocculants include ferric chloride, ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate, and ferric chloride sulfate [15, 69].
How is floc disposed of?
Coagulation and flocculation occur in successive steps intended to overcome the forces stabilising the suspended particles, allowing particle collision and growth of flocs, which then can be settled and removed (by sedimentation) or filtered out of the water.May 24, 2019
What happens to floc?
Once floc is beginning to form, a polymer chemical is added to the wastewater. Polymers bridge the flocculant from micro to macro flocculant, meaning that the mass of particles collecting together gets bigger.Jul 31, 2019
How long does flocculant last?
8 to 16 hoursPool flocculant can clear up your cloudy pool water in 1 or 2 days. Though it works faster than pool clarifiers, it will need 8 to 16 hours to clump together the particles before you can vacuum.Jan 13, 2022
What is the meaning of a flocculant?
flocculant. / (ˈflɒkjʊlənt) / noun. a substance added to a suspension to enhance aggregation of the suspended particles.
Which is example of coagulant?
Examples of primary coagulants are metallic salts, such as aluminum sulfate (referred to as alum), ferric sulfate, and ferric chloride. Cationic polymers may also be used as primary coagulants.
What is a coagulating agent?
Coagulating agents like rennet, and in some cases, a food-grade acid help in setting milk into curd and whey. A starter is used in most cheese varieties to create flavor and texture. Removal of whey leads to cheese curd, which may be pressed.
Why is coagulant necessary for purification?
It is, however, an important primary step in the water treatment process, because coagulation removes many of the particles, such as dissolved organic carbon, that make water difficult to disinfect. Because coagulation removes some of the dissolved substances, less chlorine must be added to disinfect the water.Jan 23, 2017
What are Flocculants?
Flocculants are materials that help in promoting the accumulation of fine particles in water that creates a floc, floating to the surface or settling in the bottom. This makes it easier to remove these particles from the water. Flocculants are inorganic or organic and are in multiple forms, molecular weights, charge densities, and charges.
What is Flocculation Process?
Flocculation is the water purification process to remove contaminants from the water. It is the most common process to treat wastewater, stormwater, and drinking water, making it clean and disinfected to use.
Uses of Flocculants
Flocculants, like polyacrylamide pam, are utilized in numerous industries, including biotechnology, earth sciences, and civil engineering. However, their primary use is in the water treatment plants for solids dehydration, sludge thickening, lime softening, water clarification, and solids removal.
Ways Flocculants Work
In the process of coagulation and flocculation, positively charged chemicals are included in the water to help neutralize the negative charges. These negative charges are usually held by the solids, including dissolved organic materials, clay, and dirt.
Stages Involved in Flocculation Process
Flocculation is done through a chemical procedure involving chemicals in the wastewater to enable the small particles and debris to gather and combine to form a large mass known as floc. This process is conducted in different stages to treat water:
What is the purpose of flocculation in water treatment?
Flocculants are substances that promote the agglomeration of fine particles present in a solution, creating a floc, which then floats to the surface (flotation) or settles to the bottom (sedimentation). This can then be more easily removed from the liquid.
Why is flocculation important?
Used water can contain significant amounts of suspended particulate matter, which often takes long to sediment. Flocculation expedites sedimentation and ensures efficient solid/liquid separation.
What are the three main stages of water treatment?
There are three main stages of the wastewater treatment process, aptly known as primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment. In some applications, more advanced treatment is required, known as quaternary water treatment.
What is flocculation of soil?
Definition. Flocculation – process during which particles, for example, of a soil, dispersed in a solution contact and adhere each another, forming clusters, flocks, flakes, or clumps of a larger size. Flocculation is synonymous with agglomeration and coagulation.
Which gas is released when alum is added to water?
Explanation: Carbon dioxide gas is released when alum is added to water, which is corrosive to metals.
What chemicals are flocculants?
A flocculants are usually organic chemicals added to wastewater to enhance flocculation, such chemicals are alum, aluminium chlorohydrate, aluminium sulphate etc.
Does flocculant affect pH?
Because flocculants can affect the pH level, you’ll want to start out with it at about 7.0 so you can make sure your sanitizer keeps working at maximum efficiency.
What is coagulation and how is it used in water treatment?
Coagulation is the process of adding specific chemicals to untreated water in order to destabilize the particles within the water. In most cases, aluminum sulfate or ferric chloride is added to achieve this. These particles have positive charges that are opposite to the negative charges of suspended particles within the water.
What is flocculation and how is it used in water treatment?
Flocculation is the process of encouraging the formation of flocs, or small clumps, from solids in the water. The water is mixed and activated slowly, allowing movement of particles and micro solid throughout the waste water treatment chamber.
Deploying coagulation and flocculation together in sequence
Where coagulation is found to be lacking — i.e., in creating large macro flocs that can be easily filtered and removed — flocculation can help. In areas where flocculation is inadequate by itself — for example, in targeting the particles that are suspended within the untreated water — coagulation is useful.
How are flocs produced in the secondary treatment?
Explanation: During the secondary treatment of sewage, the primary effluent is passed into the large aeration tanks where it is continuously agitated mechanically and air is pumped into it. This leads to the vigorous growth of useful aerobic microbes into flocs.
What are flocs formed during secondary treatment of sewage they are made up of?
Flocs’ are masses of bacteria associated with fungal filaments to form mesh like structures. Methanogens are micro-organisms that produces methane. Question What are ‘flocs’, formed during secondary treatment of sewage ? OR Write any two places where methanogens can be found. Subject Biology (more Questions).
What is used in secondary sewage treatment?
The principal secondary treatment techniques used in secondary treatment are the trickling filter and the activated sludge process. After effluent leaves the sedimentation tank in the primary stage it flows or is pumped to a facility using one or the other of these processes.
At what stage of sewage treatment flocs are formed?
Flocs form the activated sludge in settling tanks after secondary treatment of sewage.
What are the 3 types of sewage treatment?
There are three main stages of the wastewater treatment process, aptly known as primary, secondary and tertiary water treatment.
What is the role of bacteria in secondary treatment of sewage?
Microbes play a significant role during secondary and tertiary sewage treatment. These microbes consume major part of the organic matter in the effluent as they grow. Due to this, BOD of the effluent is significantly reduced. During tertiary treatment, bacterial flocs are allowed to sediment.
What is activated sludge 12?
Activated sludge comprises a mixture of microbes and suspended particles. In the primary treatment, the bacterial culture is produced to break down organic to carbon dioxide, water as well as other inorganic ions. Many aspects of organic matter in the wastewater system act as a source of food for such microbes.
What is a mesh in sewage treatment?
A mesh-like structure formed by the association of bacteria and fungal filaments in sewage treatment. In sewage treatment, the microbes are used for the reduction of the complex organic matter into simpler organic matter in the sewage water. The bacterial cells and the filaments of fungal species are combined and associated to form a mesh ...
What are the bacterial cells and filaments of fungal species?
The bacterial cells and the filaments of fungal species are combined and associated to form a mesh or network-like structure. These organisms carry out the reduction of the organic matter and help to reduce the BOD (Biological oxygen demand) of the sewage water. Thus, the correct answer is option C.
