The heterogeneous coagulation and flocculation of brewery wastewater using carbon nanotubes.
Coagulation and flocculation treatment processes play a central role in the way wastewater effluents are managed. Their primary function is particle removal that can impart colour to a water source, create turbidity, and/or retain bacterial and viral organisms. This study was carried out to investigate whether carbon nanotubes (CNTs) can be used as heterogeneous coagulants and/or flocculants in the pretreatment of brewery wastewater. A series of experiments were conducted in which the efficiencies of pristine and functionalised CNTs were compared with the efficiency of traditional ferric chloride in a coagulation/flocculation process. Turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD), including the zeta potential were used to monitor the progress of the coagulation/flocculation process. Both pristine and functionalised CNTs demonstrated the ability to successfully coagulate colloidal particles in the brewery wastewater. Overall, ferric chloride was found to be a more effective coagulant than both the pristine and functionalised CNTs.
School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, P/Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa. simateg@yahoo.com
Geoffrey S
GS
Simate
Sunny E
SE
Iyuke
Sehliselo
S
Ndlovu
Mike
M
Heydenrych
D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D057919:Biological Oxygen Demand Analysis; D002712:Chlorides / Q000737:chemistry; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry; D005427:Flocculation; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009391:Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman; D055672:Static Electricity; D013818:Thermogravimetry; D017186:Titrimetry; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*; D060753:Water Quality
D002712:Chlorides; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D007220:Industrial Waste; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; C024555:ferric chloride