Effect of properties of polyelectrolytes on their interaction with particulates and soluble organics

In many situations, the purpose of water and effluent treatment by flocculation-sedimentation or flocculation-filtration is to remove the suspended particulates and not necessarily the ''dissolved'' macromolecular organics. Flocculation of above mentioned systems by ''traditional'' (low molecular mass, high charged) cationic polymers as primary flocculants is limited because of high flocculants requirement, caused by polymers chemical binding with anionic organic substances in liquid phase. Effects of matrix, molecular mass and ionic value of polymers on their interaction with SS and DOM were investigated in this research. Significant differences were discovered in interaction of the low molecular mass polymers and high molecular mass polymers with particulates in the presence of soluble organics. (C) 1997 IAWQ. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.