Essential Chemicals That Ensure Clean and Safe Water in Industrial Water Treatment

Introduction:

Clean, safe water is crucial in many industrial processes, but have you ever wondered what makes it possible? The secret lies in a series of essential chemicals used in water treatment systems. These chemicals not only ensure water purity but also enhance system efficiency. Let’s take a look at how these vital agents work and why they’re indispensable in modern water treatment.

 

Poly Aluminum Chloride (Coagulant)

Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) is an inorganic coagulant with strong bridging and adsorption capabilities. During hydrolysis, it induces coagulation, adsorption, and precipitation. PAC comes in different grades, including industrial, industrial standard, drinking water grade, and food grade.

Appearance:

• Industrial Grade PAC: Yellow-brown granules or powder.
• Industrial National Standard PAC: Earth yellow granules or powder.
• Drinking Water Grade PAC: Golden yellow granules or powder.
• Food Grade PAC: White granules or powder.

Key Features:

• Fast flocculation, quick settling, good solubility, and low water treatment costs.
• Exceptional performance in low temperature and high turbidity water treatment.
• Low corrosion, with good operational conditions.

 

Alum (Coagulant)

Alum is widely used in water treatment as a coagulant. It helps aggregate suspended particles, making them larger and easier to remove through sedimentation or filtration.

Key Features:

• Coagulation and flocculation: Alum aids in coagulating small particles, improving water clarity and ease of filtration.
• Turbidity reduction: By aggregating particles, alum significantly lowers turbidity, ensuring clearer water.

Applications:

• Drinking Water Treatment: Used to clarify water by removing suspended solids and reducing turbidity.
• Wastewater Treatment: Effective in removing contaminants from industrial and municipal wastewater.
• Papermaking: Used to clarify water used in paper production, ensuring high-quality paper products.

 

Poly Ferric Sulfate (Flocculant)

Poly ferric sulfate (PFS), also known as polyferric sulfate, is an efficient iron salt-based inorganic polymer flocculant. It offers excellent coagulation performance, dense floc formation, rapid sedimentation, and effective water purification. It is free from aluminum, chlorine, and harmful heavy metal ions, and is non-toxic.

Appearance:

• Liquid: Red-brown transparent liquid.
• Solid: Light yellow amorphous solid.

Applications:

• Widely used in urban water supply, industrial wastewater treatment, papermaking, and textile wastewater purification.
• Effective in removing turbidity, decolorizing, de-oiling, dewatering, eliminating bacteria, odors, algae, and reducing COD, BOD, and heavy metals.

Product Performance:

• Suitable for a wide range of pH values (4-11), with optimal performance between pH 6-9.
• Outstanding purification performance for low turbidity, algae-containing, and low-temperature water sources.
• Liquid PFS is easy to use, requires no secondary dissolution, is cost-effective, and can reduce treatment costs by 20%-50%.

 

Polyacrylamide (Flocculant)

Polyacrylamide (PAM) is an important water-soluble polymer with excellent flocculating, thickening, shear resistance, dispersion, and other properties. It is widely used in various industries such as oil extraction, mineral processing, coal washing, metallurgy, chemical engineering, papermaking, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and agriculture.

Types:

• Anionic Polyacrylamide (APAM)
• Cationic Polyacrylamide (CPAM)
• Nonionic Polyacrylamide (NPAM)

Usage:

• Prepare a 0.2% aqueous solution, preferably using neutral, salt-free water.
• When dissolving, evenly sprinkle the product into the stirred water and mix at 100-300 RPM. Heating can speed up dissolution.
• Adjust the pH value of wastewater for optimal performance.
• Add the product solution rapidly to mix with wastewater, then reduce mixing speed to allow flocs to grow and accelerate sedimentation.

 

Ferrous Sulfate (Flocculant)

Ferrous Sulfate is an inorganic compound, typically a green powder with no odor. Its crystalline hydrated form is green and can oxidize to form brownish iron compounds in moist air.

Appearance: Light green crystals.

Applications:

• Used as a flocculant with excellent decolorizing ability.
• Helps in removing heavy metals, oil, phosphates, and bacteria, especially for dye wastewater and electroplating sludge.
• Used as a food additive, pigment, and in various industrial applications such as soil improvement and sulfur removal.

 

Ferric Chloride (Flocculant)

Ferric chloride is a powerful coagulant that helps bind small particles in water into larger clumps (flocs). These flocs can then be easily removed through sedimentation or filtration. It is especially effective in wastewater treatment, where it helps remove phosphates and suspended solids.

Product Features:

• Coagulation and Flocculation: Ferric chloride is highly effective in coagulating suspended particles and colloids in water. It destabilizes the particles by neutralizing their surface charge, allowing them to aggregate and form larger, denser flocs.
• Heavy Metal Removal: It aids in the removal of heavy metals like arsenic, lead, and chromium from water through precipitation and adsorption mechanisms.
• Odor Control: Ferric chloride also helps reduce unpleasant odors caused by hydrogen sulfide and organic compounds in water.

Applications:

• Municipal Water Treatment: Ferric chloride is widely used in municipal water treatment plants to clarify raw water, remove turbidity, and reduce heavy metal concentrations.
• Industrial Water Treatment: Ferric chloride is used in industrial wastewater treatment, especially in processes requiring the removal of specific contaminants like heavy metals.
• Drinking Water Production: In drinking water production, ferric chloride ensures the treated water meets regulatory standards by effectively removing contaminants and improving water quality.

 

Phosphorus Removal Agent (Flocculant)

The phosphorus removal agent is an inorganic polymer-based flocculant that combines phosphorus removal with flocculation. It rapidly neutralizes the negative charges on colloidal particles in water, bridging ions and adsorbing, trapping, and working in conjunction with heavy metal catchers to remove contaminants. It also has a synergistic effect in removing heavy metals.

Product Features:

1. Dual function of phosphorus removal and flocculation, making it a highly efficient, multifunctional phosphorus removal agent.
2. Rapid reaction and high removal efficiency.
3. Thorough phosphorus removal, resulting in clear water.
4. Low dosage, effective results, and cost-effective.

Usage Instructions:

1. Small-scale testing: Laboratory testing can be conducted by adding a certain amount of raw water, phosphorus removal agent, and corresponding coagulants. After mixing, add appropriate amounts of PAM and measure the residual phosphorus in the water after coagulation and sedimentation.
2. On-site usage: The agent can be added to the reaction tank in the existing treatment process. After stirring and flocculation, sedimentation will occur.
3. Preparation: Can be formulated into a 5%–20% solution for dosing or added directly to the wastewater.
4. Usage Conditions: Suitable for wastewater with a pH range of 2–12.

 

Activated Carbon (Adsorbent)

Activated carbon is a versatile adsorbent used in water treatment to remove organic pollutants, chlorine, and other impurities.

Product Features:

• Adsorption Capacity: Activated carbon has a high surface area and porous structure, enabling it to adsorb various organic compounds, pesticides, and disinfection by-products in water.
• Odor and Taste Removal: It effectively removes odors, tastes, and compounds that cause color, enhancing the aesthetic quality of treated water.
• Chlorine Removal: Activated carbon filters are used to remove chlorine and chloramines from water, making it suitable for drinking and other applications.

Applications:

• Drinking Water Treatment: Activated carbon is used in point-of-use and point-of-entry water filtration systems to improve taste, odor, and overall water quality. It is also used in municipal water treatment plants to remove organic pollutants.
• Wastewater Treatment: Activated carbon plays a crucial role in treating industrial wastewater, where it adsorbs organic pollutants and harmful chemicals before discharge.
• Air Purification: Apart from water treatment, activated carbon is also used in air purification systems to remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs), odors, and pollutants from the air.

 

Composite Carbon Source

Composite carbon sources are a new type of non-toxic, green carbon source product made from a mixture of various minerals, sugars, alcohols, and acids through fermentation and special enzyme hydrolysis technologies. This composite carbon source is used to increase the denitrification rate, enhance microbial purification capabilities, and improve the treatment capacity and shock resistance of biochemical systems. It is highly efficient, fast-acting, low in consumption, non-toxic, and biologically friendly.

Product Features:

1. Quickly enhances the activity of functional microorganisms in the region through nutrients.
2. The increased functional microorganisms promote the rapid removal of total nitrogen in the region.
3. Maintains the stability of functional microorganism activity in the system, improving total nitrogen removal efficiency.
4. Can also provide a carbon source for anaerobic and aerobic functional microorganisms, improving biological activity and increasing the removal rate of total nitrogen and ammonia nitrogen.

 

Defoamer

Defoamers, also known as anti-foam agents, are added during industrial production processes to eliminate harmful foam. They are widely used in industries such as latex removal, textile sizing, food fermentation, biomedicine, pesticides, coatings, petroleum and petrochemical, papermaking, industrial cleaning, and others to remove harmful foam generated during production.

Principles of Defoaming:

1. Reducing the foam surface tension leads to foam breakage.
2. Defoamers can destroy the elasticity of the foam membrane, causing bubble collapse.
3. Defoamers facilitate the drainage of liquid from the foam membrane, leading to bubble breakage.
4. Adding hydrophobic solid particles can lead to foam collapse.
5. Surfactants that promote solubility can also cause foam breakdown.
6. Electrolytes can break down the double electric layer of surfactants, causing foam breakdown.

Applications:

• Municipal wastewater, domestic sewage, general industrial wastewater, washing wastewater, cleaning wastewater, electroplating wastewater, aquaculture wastewater aeration tank sewage, and wastewater treatment plants.

Usage Instructions:

1. Can be directly added to the system that requires defoaming.
2. Depending on the different defoaming systems, it is recommended to conduct a trial beforehand to achieve the best defoaming effect and control the appropriate dosage.

 

Heavy Metal Capturing Agent

The heavy metal capturing agent is a liquid polymer organic compound containing dithiocarbamate, capable of rapidly removing heavy metal ions from wastewater. At room temperature, the agent reacts quickly with various metal ions in the wastewater, forming water-insoluble polymer chelate salts, which then form flocculent precipitates, thus achieving the removal of heavy metal ions.

Product Features:

1. Simple treatment method, directly added to remove heavy metal ions.
2. Strong integration capacity and stable precipitates.
3. Safe operation, non-toxic, and non-hazardous.
4. Minimal and stable sludge, simple post-treatment.

Usage Instructions:

1. Test the heavy metal ion concentration in the wastewater, then conduct a dosage trial to determine the optimal amount of the agent.
2. The specific dosage needs to be considered according to the pH, type of heavy metals, and other specific conditions of wastewater. Our company will provide a detailed product usage plan based on your wastewater treatment system’s operating conditions.
3. Before dosing, dilute the measured agent to a concentration of 1-2% in a dedicated dosing system, then continuously or batch-wise add it to the wastewater. Ensure thorough mixing for 5-10 minutes, followed by the addition of appropriate flocculants and coagulants.
4. After mixing, allow the heavy metal precipitate to stand for 10 minutes before separating it from water by pressure filtration. The metal-laden filter cake can be disposed of as non-leaching toxic waste, while the filtered water can be safely discharged.

 

Fluoride Removal Agent

Fluoride removal agents are inorganic polymer substances, produced by polymerization under catalytic conditions, and are large-molecular-weight, highly charged inorganic polymers. These products exhibit excellent fluoride-capturing properties.

Product Features:

1. High efficiency: Strong capturing capacity, the fluoride removal effect far surpasses that of traditional calcium salts such as lime.
2. Rapid: Fast reaction speed and sedimentation, with high activity and good filtration properties.
3. Strong adaptability: Suitable for various raw water types, regardless of high or low turbidity, or varying concentrations of wastewater pollutants, with significant effect.

Application Range:

• Used for deep end-of-treatment of industrial wastewater in coal-fired thermal power plants, coal chemical plants, coking wastewater, stainless steel cleaning, glass, photovoltaic, rare earth, metallurgy, mining, aluminum, and aluminum products processing, semiconductor and panel production, fertilizers, chemicals, electroplating, and other industries.

 

Demulsifier

The demulsifier is a composite high polymer water treatment chemical with a large number of positively charged groups on its molecular backbone. It is a unique type of cationic polymer with ultra-strong reverse emulsion breaking capacity. It can effectively improve the interfacial tension of oil-in-water (W/O) or water-in-oil (O/W) emulsions, causing the oil or colloidal particles in wastewater to lose their stable repulsive and attractive forces, eventually destabilizing and forming flocs. Further chemical bridging leads to the separation of oil and water, as well as the separation of harmful impurities, achieving the recovery of oil and purification of wastewater.

Application Range:

1. Oil field water from petroleum extraction processes and oil-water separation in wastewater.
2. Emulsion liquid and cutting fluid wastewater in mechanical processing and hardware manufacturing.
3. Emulsion liquid and alkaline wastewater in steel plant cold rolling processes.
4. Oil-water separation in coking plant wastewater.
5. Oil-water separation in wastewater from leather and fur production processes.
6. Removal of organic matter in high-concentration organic wastewater in chemical industries.

Usage Instructions:

• Directly add the product’s concentrate or diluted solution to the wastewater, stir, and allow sedimentation. For better effect, combine with PAC or PAM.
• Ideal pH for use is 5-12, with the most significant demulsification effect around pH 9.
• Add the agent in the rapid mixing tank during wastewater treatment.
• The dosage depends on the type of wastewater, generally about 50-1000 ppm.

 

Ammonia Nitrogen Removal Agent

The ammonia nitrogen removal agent is used to remove ammonia nitrogen from wastewater. Upon addition, it converts some of the ammonia nitrogen into water-insoluble nitrogen gas, nitrogen dioxide, nitric oxide, and water. The catalytic components in the product convert ionized ammonia nitrogen into free ammonia nitrogen, with an auxiliary effect in removing COD and decolorizing. The reaction process is completed in about 2 minutes, with no residues and a high removal rate.

Product Features:

1. Fast reaction speed: The reaction is completed in 2-10 minutes.
2. High removal efficiency: Compared with other ammonia nitrogen removal agents, it requires a smaller dosage and has a larger removal effect.
3. Ease of use: Good operability and easy to add.
4. Auxiliary functions: Also removes color and reduces COD.

 

Sodium Hypochlorite (Oxidation Disinfection)

Sodium hypochlorite is an inorganic compound primarily used for bleaching, industrial wastewater treatment, and various manufacturing processes. In water treatment, it acts as a coagulant, disinfectant, and helps in organic foulant backwashing of MBR (Membrane Bioreactor) systems.

Product Features:

• Strong disinfection: Effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi, ensuring the safety of treated water.
• Oxidation of pollutants: It oxidizes various impurities, helping remove them from water.

Application Range:

• Textile industry: Bleaching of paper, textiles, chemical fibers, starches, etc.
• Soap industry: Fat bleaching.
• Inorganic chemicals: Production of hydrazine hydrate, monochloramine, dichloramine, and chlorine agents for cobalt and nickel.
• Sewage treatment: Coagulating agent (removal of trihalogenated hydrocarbons), disinfecting agent (e.g., removal of coliform bacteria).
• Organic chemicals: Manufacturing of chloroform (CCl3NO2), removal of sulfur and phosphorus compounds from acetylene crude.
• Agriculture & Livestock: Deodorizing agent for fruits, livestock farms, and animal houses.
• Food industry: Disinfection of food and related machinery.

 

Hydrogen Peroxide (Oxidation Disinfection)

Hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizing agent used to disinfect water by breaking down organic matter, bacteria, and other harmful pollutants. It decomposes into oxygen and water, leaving no toxic residues, making it a more environmentally friendly alternative to other disinfectants.

Product Features:

• Disinfection: Effectively kills bacteria, viruses, and pathogens in water, ensuring it is safe for drinking and recreational purposes.
• Oxidation: Oxidizes hydrogen sulfide, iron, manganese, and other organic and inorganic pollutants, facilitating their removal from water.

Application Range:

• Drinking water treatment: Hydrogen peroxide is used as an alternative disinfectant in drinking water treatment plants, especially in places with chlorine-resistant pathogens. It also helps in oxidizing taste and odor-causing compounds.
• Wastewater treatment: In wastewater treatment, hydrogen peroxide aids in reducing biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) by oxidizing organic pollutants. It also improves the efficiency of biological treatment processes.
• Industrial applications: Hydrogen peroxide is used in chemical synthesis, bleaching, and wastewater treatment processes to improve water quality and environmental compliance.

 

Ozone (Oxidation Disinfection)

Ozone is a powerful oxidizing agent used for disinfection, pollutant oxidation, and deodorization in water treatment.

Product Features:

• Disinfection: Ozone is highly effective in killing bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms in water, providing a reliable barrier against waterborne diseases.
• Oxidation: It oxidizes organic and inorganic compounds, removing unpleasant tastes, odors, and color-causing substances from water.

Application Range:

• Drinking water treatment: Ozone is used as a primary or secondary disinfectant in drinking water treatment plants. It improves water quality by reducing disinfection by-product (DBP) concentrations formed during chlorine processes.
• Wastewater treatment: Ozone is applied in wastewater treatment to remove organic pollutants, pathogens, and hard-to-degrade compounds. It enhances overall treatment efficiency and helps meet stringent discharge standards.
• Aquaculture: Ozone is used in fish farming and aquaculture to maintain water quality, control pathogens, and improve fish health.

 

Chlorine (Oxidizing Disinfection)

Chlorine is one of the most commonly used disinfectants in water treatment. It effectively kills a wide range of pathogens, ensuring that water is safe for both human consumption and industrial use. Besides disinfection, chlorine is also used to oxidize iron, manganese, and hydrogen sulfide, helping to remove these impurities from the water.

Product Features:

• Effective Disinfection: Chlorine gas has powerful disinfecting properties, ensuring harmful microorganisms are eliminated and reducing the risk of waterborne diseases.
• Oxidizing Contaminants: Chlorine oxidizes various impurities, making it easier for them to be filtered or precipitated.

Applications:

• Municipal Water Treatment: Chlorine is added to public water supplies to eliminate pathogens and prevent disease outbreaks, ensuring the safety of drinking water.
• Swimming Pools: Chlorine is used to maintain clean and safe pool water by controlling algae and bacterial growth.
• Industrial Water Systems: In industrial settings, chlorine helps control microbial growth in cooling towers and other water systems, ensuring efficient operation and preventing biological contamination.

 

Acid

In wastewater pre-treatment, the main purpose of adding acid is to lower the pH of the wastewater (the pH of wastewater discharge typically ranges from 6 to 9).

The most common acids used include sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid, and nitric acid. Businesses can select the appropriate acid based on the actual wastewater situation.

 

Lime (Alkaline)

Lime is used to adjust the pH of water, making it more alkaline. It also helps soften water by precipitating calcium and magnesium, reducing water hardness.

Product Features:

• pH Adjustment: Lime is used to raise the pH of acidic water, neutralizing the acidity and stabilizing the water’s chemical composition. This is crucial for ensuring the water stays within an acceptable pH range for various applications.
• Water Softening: Besides adjusting pH, lime is also effective in softening water. It precipitates calcium and magnesium ions from hard water, converting them into insoluble forms, which can then be easily filtered or precipitated out.

Applications:

• Drinking Water Treatment: Lime is commonly used in drinking water treatment plants to raise the pH of acidic water sources. This helps prevent corrosion of distribution pipes and ensures minimal damage to pipeline equipment and appliances.
• Industrial Water Treatment: Lime is used in industrial water and wastewater treatment to control pH. It’s also used in boiler feedwater to prevent scaling caused by calcium and magnesium ions.
• Wastewater Treatment: Lime is used to adjust pH and promote the precipitation of metals and phosphates, helping to remove contaminants from wastewater.

 

Sodium Hydroxide (Alkaline)

Sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic soda, NaOH, is a strong base used in water treatment, mainly for pH adjustment and chemical precipitation.

Product Features:

• pH Adjustment: Caustic soda is used to raise the pH of acidic water, neutralizing the acidity. This is important for maintaining the appropriate chemical composition of the water and preventing corrosion in distribution pipes and equipment.
• Chemical Precipitation: It helps precipitate metals such as iron, manganese, and heavy metals from water, which can then be removed through filtration or settling.
• Neutralization: Caustic soda neutralizes acidic wastewater and industrial waste, reducing its environmental impact.

Applications:

• Drinking Water Treatment: Used to adjust pH and control corrosion in distribution systems. It also helps remove dissolved metals and pollutants.
• Industrial Water Treatment: In industrial applications, caustic soda is used for pH control in various processes, including metal surface treatment, food processing, and chemical manufacturing.
• Wastewater Treatment: It helps with phosphate precipitation, neutralizes acidic wastewater, and improves biological treatment efficiency.

 

Polyphosphate (Scale Inhibitor)

Polyphosphates are a group of chemicals mainly used in water systems for scale inhibition and corrosion control.

Product Features:

• Scale Prevention: Polyphosphates prevent scale formation by isolating hardness ions like calcium and magnesium, preventing scale deposits in pipes, boilers, and heat exchangers.
• Corrosion Control: They form a protective layer on metal surfaces, inhibiting corrosion caused by dissolved oxygen and acidic conditions in the water.

Applications:

• Industrial Water Treatment: Polyphosphates are widely used in industrial environments to prevent scale formation in cooling towers, boilers, and process water systems. They help maintain system efficiency and extend the life of equipment.
• Drinking Water Treatment: In municipal water treatment, polyphosphates are added to prevent scale formation in distribution pipes and reduce the likelihood of corrosion.
• Home Applications: Polyphosphates are used in residential water softeners and conditioners to protect pipes and appliances from scale buildup and corrosion.

 

Conclusion

Water treatment is essential for maintaining safe, clean, and efficient systems, whether for industrial use or public consumption. In complex industrial processes, from purification and disinfection to corrosion prevention, each of these chemicals plays a crucial role.

To learn more about the chemicals we offer, visit our product page or get in touch with us to discuss your specific water treatment needs!