FUNCTIONAL POLYMERIC FLOCCULANTS FOR WATER TREATMENT

Natural, industrial or residential wastewater is treated with various organic and inorganic agents (coagulants and flocculants) to be used for drinking or reusing in the industries. We clarify the difference between coagulants and flocculants. Coagulation involves neutralization of electric charges, while in flocculation the charges might or might not play a role. In order to restrict the use of inorganic chemicals, we discuss organic agents and their application principles. Moreover, functional modification of natural polymers in order to improve their performances are reviewed for green technology. Some testing and characterization methods of polymer flocculants are mentioned briefly.