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Virginia Tech

Impact of polymer type, dosage, and mixing regime and sludge type on sludge floc properties

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

This research investigated the impact of sludge type, polymer type (percent mole charge), dosage, mixing rate, and solution ionic strength on bound water content of sludge flocs. Data determined to evaluate the extent of dewatering included: percent dry solids, bulk density, bound water content (determined by dilatometric method), floc density (determined by isopycnic centrifugation), and cake solids concentrations. Calculated floc densities and bound water contents were compared with measured values. The polymer mole charge had marginal impact on bound water content. The optimal polymer dose as determined by dose curves did not necessarily result in the least bound water content. The mixing rate did not have an impact on bound water content of the chemical sludge, but did have an impact on bound water content of the biological sludge. However, the percentage of total water removed that was due to bound water removal was not affected by rate of mixing, polymer mole charge, or polymer dose. Altering solution ionic strength did not appear to improve bound water removal. The calculated bound water content values determined using measured floc densities were consistently greater than the measured bound water content values determined by dilatometric method. The bound water content per the dilatometric method did not account for all the water present in the floes as determined by the isopycnic centrifugation method.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Environmental Planning
Department dc:contributor.department
Environmental Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1995

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Kolda, Bridget C.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Knocke, William R.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Novak, John T.
  • Randall, Clifford W.

Subjects

dc:subject × 1

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-01172009-063552
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/40662

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Kolda, Bridget C.. Impact of polymer type, dosage, and mixing regime and sludge type on sludge floc properties. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/40662