
Flocculation
Flocculation, in the field of chemistry, is a process wherein colloids come out of suspension in the form of floc or flake; either spontaneously or due to the addition of a clarifying agent. The action differs from precipitation in that, prior to flocculation, colloids are merely suspended in a liquid and not actually dissolved in a solution.
What is the purpose of the floc in water?
Dec 13, 2021 · Flocculants are used in water treatment processes to improve the sedimentation or filterability of small particles. Filtration is used in water treatment plants, where. water from the river is filtered to remove solid particles. Here is a basic lab setup for filtration: This process involves the use of a filter paper placed in a filter funnel.
What do flocculants do in water treatment?
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?
What is flocculation water treatment?
Sep 13, 2021 · Flocculation is the water purification process to remove contaminants from the water. It is the most common process to treat wastewater management, 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 is flocculation in a water treatment plant?
Flocculant (Floc) is used to clear cloudy water by helping to remove microscopic contaminants such as pollen, dust, oils, or any number of other particles that find their way into your water and aren’t heavy enough to sink or that are too small to filter. The main ingredient in pool (or spa) flocculants is aluminum sulfate.

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 floc in water treatment?
Flocculation is a water treatment process where solids form larger clusters, or flocs, to be removed from water. This process can happen spontaneously, or with the help of chemical agents. It is a common method of stormwater treatment, wastewater treatment, and in the purification of drinking water.Jul 31, 2019
How does floc relate to drinking water?
The remaining nonsettling floc causes noticeable turbidity in the water and can shield microbes from disinfection. Filtration is a physical process that removes these impurities from water by percolating it downward through a layer or bed of porous, granular material such as sand.
How does a flocculant work?
A flocculant is a chemical that can be added to the water to help colloids and any other suspended solids bind together and form heavier particles. The heavier particles then settle to the bottom of the container/tank and the water on the top is drained off.
What happens to floc?
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What is the meaning of a flocculant?
flocculant. / (ˈflɒkjʊlənt) / noun. a substance added to a suspension to enhance aggregation of the suspended particles.
How long does it take flocculant to work?
Flocculant, although fast-acting, will still need around 8-16 hours to work its magic. It's easiest to do this overnight. The pump definitely needs to be off as you want the water to be still. The floc will have settled at the bottom of the pool and will require manual vacuuming to remove the debris.
What is the purpose of flocculation during the treatment of drinking water quizlet?
The purpose of coagulation and flocculation is to remove particulate impurities and color from the water being treated.
What are floc particles?
Floc is a small, loosely aggregated mass of flocculent material suspended in or precipitated from a liquid. It consists of finely divided suspended particles in a larger, usually gelatinous particle, the result of physical attraction or adhesion to a coagulant compound.Nov 24, 2016
What does alum remove from water?
ALUMINIUM SULFATE OR ALUM IS USED AS A FLOCCULANT TO REMOVE UNWANTED COLOUR AND TURBIDITY FROM WATER SUPPLIES. IT HAS BEEN USED SINCE ANCIENT TIMES FOR THIS PURPOSE AND ITS USE TOGETHER WITH FILTRATION IS STANDARD PRACTICE IN CONVENTIONAL WATER TREATMENT PROCESSES AROUND THE WORLD.Mar 1, 2011
Does alum remove iron from water?
Using conventional treatment with adding alum, flocculation, sedimentation and filtration can remove up to 97% and 18% of iron and manganese, respectively. Using PP in addition to alum enhances manganese removal but decreases iron removal.
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:
How does flocculant work?
The main difference between flocculant and clarifiers is that flocculant works more quickly by causing the particles to coagulate into larger clumps and sink to the bottom of the water so they can be vacuumed. Clarifier on the other hand causes the particles to form in smaller clumps that cause then to be trapped by your filter.
What is the difference between a clarifier and a flocculant?
A key difference between clarifiers and flocculants is that clarifiers can be used with cartridge filters whereas flocculants can not. Additionally, clarifiers require circulation to be effective and as a result, they take longer to work.
What is the purpose of Sutro app?
With Sutro you’ll save time, cost and effort while keeping your pool chemicals in balance, even if you don’t know what you are doing , the Sutro app will help you out telling you what to do.
How to store pool chemicals?
You should always read and follow all safety precautions on the product labels. Keeping your pool (or spa) safe means keeping yourself and others around you safe while maintaining your chemistry and your equipment. Some common recommendations include: 1 Wearing protective gear such as gloves and eye protection. 2 Store chemicals in ventilated areas and separate from one another to avoid chemical reactions from leaks. 3 As with any pool chemicals: do not mix them, unless you know what you are doing.
Can you use flocculant with a cartridge filtration system?
You want to circulate the flocculant initially, but then you want to turn off the pump and allow the particles to clump and fall to the bottom so that they can be vacuumed to waste. Note that you can not use flocculant with a cartridge filtration system.
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?
Applying flocculation ensures a high flux over filtration units as well as efficient and cost effective separation of cell material from supernatant. Used water can contain significant amounts of suspended particulate matter, which often takes long to sediment.
What coagulants are used in water treatment?
Chemical Coagulants Used In Water Treatment Aluminum Sulfate (Alum) – One of the most commonly used water treatment chemicals in the world. Aluminum Chloride – A second choice to Alum as it is more expensive, hazardous and corrosive. Polyaluminum Chloride (PAC) & Aluminum Chlorohydrate (ACH).
Is FeCl3 a coagulant?
Ferric chloride (FeCl3) is the most common iron salt used to achieve coagulation. Its reactions in the coagulation process are similar to those of alum, but its relative solubility and pH range differ significantly from those of alum. Both alum and ferric chloride can be used to generate inorganic polymeric coagulants.
What is the most important step in water treatment?
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.
How can flocculation be prevented?
When particles of a suspension come close together they can form aggregates called flocculates which will settle more rapidly. To prevent that we often coat the particle with a charged surfactant. The charge (Zeta potential) acts to keep the particles separate and prevent flocculation.
What two chemicals are commonly used as water coagulants?
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.
