English 
French 
Spanish 
Turkish 
Russian 
Polyacrylamide
PAM flocculant, mainly polyacrylamide, is an organic polymer flocculant widely used in water treatment, sludge dehydration, oil extraction, papermaking, and mineral processing industries. Its main function is to change the surface characteristics of particles in water, so that small suspended matter aggregates to form larger flocs, thereby accelerating the solid-liquid separation process. According to the different molecular structures, PAM flocculants can be divided into three types: anionic, cationic, and non-ionic.
Flocculation Principle
The suspended particles are connected together through the “bridging” effect on the molecular chain to increase the particle aggregation ability. PAM of different ionic types is suitable for pollutants of different properties. The flocs generated by PAM are relatively fluffy and have better effects on systems containing more organic matter such as sludge. PAM can effectively improve the dewatering performance of sludge and reduce its volume.
Why are PAM and PAC Used Together?
When polyacrylamide and polyaluminium chloride are used together, their advantages can complement each other. The flocculation effect of polyacrylamide can effectively condense the suspended matter and colloidal particles in the water into large particles, which is convenient for subsequent precipitation and filtration treatment. The aggregated aluminum chloride can further increase the cohesion between these particles, making it easier to precipitate, thereby improving the effect and efficiency of water treatment.
In addition, the use of these two flocculants can also reduce the treatment cost. Since polyacrylamide has a high molecular weight, its dosage is relatively small, which can effectively reduce the amount of flocculant used. At the same time, the raw material cost of polyaluminium chloride is relatively low, which further reduces the cost of water treatment. In short, the purpose of using them together is to give full play to their respective advantages to improve the effect and efficiency of water treatment and reduce the cost of water treatment.
Precautions for Use in Winter
- Low temperature will have a certain impact on the polyacrylamide prepared into an aqueous solution, and PAM may not dissolve or completely dissolve. There are five solutions below.
- Appropriately extend the dissolution time. Low temperature will kill the polyacrylamide. The dissolution time may be slow. Some adjustments can be made in time. For example, the dissolution time is about 40 minutes at ordinary times, and it is recommended that the dissolution time is not less than 60 minutes at low temperatures.
- Increase the water temperature. If conditions permit, appropriately increase the water temperature by 20-30 degrees Celsius to accelerate the dissolution, but the maximum temperature should be less than 50 degrees.
- Increase the stirring speed. Considering practical applications, it is appropriate to increase the stirring speed to 200 revolutions per minute.
- Under low-temperature conditions, the charge matching of the flocculant is higher, and the dosage will be larger under low-temperature conditions, so the mixing time of sludge and reagents will be increased.
- Prepare for use and quantitative configuration. The polyacrylamide must be used up in time after dissolution to avoid the phenomenon of freezing the dissolved polyacrylamide solution.
