Understanding Factors Affecting Polymer Demand for Conditioning and Dewatering

The research undertaken in this project sought to better understand the factors which impact polymer demand for conditioning. The research focused on sludge and polymer properties, as well as shear, and attempted to understand the interactions of these different parameters. Over the last few decades, research has been performed to understand the role of shear and the impact of polymer characteristics; however, none sought to combine all these factors into a single model to estimate polymer demand. This study provided a relatively large data set using consistent testing protocols to examine the different factors independently. The empirical equation that was developed is a starting point for attaining the goal of an accurate, universal model to predict polymer demand. It also provides an analysis tool to develop methods to reduce polymer demand. Published by WERF.

Originally funded as WERF project 01-CTS-1.