Determination of the factors affecting the efficiency of the polymer in solid–liquid separation with synthetic polymers

Abstract

To eliminate the environmental damage of high water content dredging sludge and industrial waste containing heavy metals, these wastes are dewatered and stored. Dewatering is based on the principle of solid–liquid separation. One of the most effective methods for dewatering is the removal of water from the environment by mixing various synthetic polymers into the soil slurry by providing rapid flocculation of solid particles. Although it offers fast and affordable solutions, it makes it necessary to conduct experimental studies to determine the effective polymer type and dose to be used according to the soil type in each project site. The most commonly used experimental method for determining the effective polymer and its dose is the jar test. In this study, using the Seyitömer fly ash as industrial waste, experimental factors affecting the results in the jar test were investigated. The settling time of the slurry, mixing speed, mixing time, temperature, and storage time of the polymer solution was determined to have a significant effect on the jar test results, and these factors must be taken into account. In the jar tests, the settling time of 2–4 min, the mixing speed of 200–250 rpm, the mixing time of 3 min, and the 20 °C ambient temperature were determined as the most effective range to determine the effective polymer and its dose. Furthermore, it was experimentally determined that the polymer solution can be used for solid–liquid separation without a decrease in its effectiveness for 16 days after 24 h after it was prepared.