Channeling has already been an observed phenomenon that often occurs during settling and sedimentation processes of finer materials. However, it has been regarded as a minor factor affecting settling process, e.g. settling velocity or consolidation rate. In this study, settling behaviors of talcs, kaolins and attapulgite were reviewed by experiments with small and large settling columns with special focus on channel formation during sedimentation. The large settling column is equipped with twenty eight measuring points, which are connected to pressure transducers for measuring pore pressure changes during settling. Throughout the study, channel formation was observed and related to the experimental conditions affecting it. The excess pore pressure changes were measured during the large column tests. Channels occurred under flocculation in zone settling and also in consolidation zones; pressure drop was observed near channels in some cases. It was apparent that channels work as a facilitator to dissipate the excess pore water pressure. It is summarized that not only initial concentration but also the material properties, such as specific gravity and shape of particles, can affect the channel formation. / Master of Science

This study investigated the influence of cations on biopolymer characteristics and sludge properties. Settling and dewatering properties of sludges were measured and correlated to the biopolymer characteristics. In addition, effects of cations on sludge conditioning with polymer were studied. Experiment mainly consisted of two parts, reactor study and batch study. In re- actor study continuous-flow reactors were operated. Variables used included varying types of substrate, addition of magnesium or sodium, and changes in pH. The batch study included conditioning tests on the sludges with combinations of cationic polymer and salts. Biopolymers were extracted using alkali extraction followed by gel filtration and subsequent carbohydrate and protein analysis. The sludge settling and dewatering were measured in terms of SVI and specific resistance, respectively. Sludge filtering rate (TIF) was used to measure the conditioning efficiency. The results indicated that the influence of cations depended on the type and concentration of salt. An optimal concentration of Mg was found to improve biopolymer binding. The organic composition of feed also affected biopolymer characteristics. A higher pH combined with a high amount of sodium released biopolymer and resulted in sludge deflocculation. A relationship between unbound biopolymer and soluble effluent COD was observed but no discernible relation between biopolymer binding and sludge settling and dewatering properties was found. Cations were found to reduce polymer requirement during sludge conditioning. In addition, the amount of extractable biopolymers by alkali extraction was greatly influenced by salt. Magnesium inhibited the release of biopolymer, but sodium im- proved the efficiency of biopolymer extraction. / Master of Science

The accuracy of sediment transport models depends on identifying an appropriate sediment settling velocity. Determining this value for mud suspensions can be difficult because cohesive mud particles can aggregate, forming flocs whose sizes are a function of hydrodynamic and physiochemical conditions of the suspension. Here we present a new model refining the predicted floc size based on hydrodynamic conditions and inherited floc sizes, as well as on the salinity of the fluid environment. The improvements come from modifications made to the Winterwerp (1998) (W98) model. These improvements include: limiting floc size to the Kolmogorov microscale and including an initial salinity dependence. Limiting floc size in this way brings the model predictions more in line with flocculation theory and experimental observations. The salinity dependence was introduced based on a preliminary set of experiments that were conducted to examine floc growth rate and equilibrium size under different salinity conditions. In these experiments, increasing salinity from 2.5 to 10 PSU did not affect equilibrium floc size. However, the increases in salinity did result in longer times to equilibrium and an apparent increase in floc density or fractal dimension. The modified W98 model allows calibrated aggregation and breakup coefficients obtained under one set of concentration values (for both sediment and salinity) to be used to predict floc size under other concentration conditions. Comparing the modified W98 model with laboratory data shows more accurate predictive values, indicating that the modified W98 equation is a promising tool for incorporation into larger sediment transport models. / Master of Science

Dialysed activated sludge was used as a substrate to test for enzymes which can hydrolyse activated sludge floc. Two hundred and fifty aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms were tested against activated sludge for the presence of hydrolytic enzymes. These included known genera and organisms obtained by various enrichment procedures. Anaerobic digester mixed liquor was contacted with activated sludge agar under anaerobic conditions. None of the microorganisms present in the digester liquor hydrolysed the floc. The following commercial enzymes were contacted with activated sludge singly, in combination, and sequentially under various physical and chemical conditions: protease, lipase, cellulose, pectinase, phospholipase C, trypsin, and glucuronidase. Although commercial enzymes and various microorganisms reacted with known substrate controls neither the enzymes nor microorganisms employed affected the activated sludge floc. Treatment of activated sludge floc with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid resulted in gross deflocculation and release of humic substances. The floc particle, probably a combination of polymers bound in a complex manner, is resistant to enzymatic degradation. Several workers have reported on the enzymatic hydrolysis of polymers produced by axenic cultures isolated from activated sludge floc. It is unlikely that the results of their work can be extrapolated to the complex structure of activated sludge floc particles.

The coagulation/flocculation process is an important part of surface water treatment. It has direct impact on the reliability of plant operations and final water qualities together with cost control. Low water temperature has a significant impact on the operation of drinking water treatment plants, especially on coagulation/flocculation processes.<p> A microscopic image technique has been used to study the coagulation and flocculation process in recent years, but it requires sample handling that disturbs the floc characteristics during measurement. A high resolution photographic technique was applied to evaluate flocculation processes in the present work. With this technique, the images of the flocs were obtained directly while the flocculation process was taking place. In combination with camera control software and particle size analysis software, this procedure provided a convenient means of gathering data to calculate size distribution. Once the size distribution was calculated, the floc growth and floc size change in the aggregation process could be analyzed. Results show that low water temperature had a detrimental impact on aggregation processes. A water temperature of 0 °C resulted in a slow floc growth and small floc size. Although the floc growth rates at 4 °C and 1 °C were less than those at 22 °C, they were higher than at 0 °C. To improve aggregation processes at low water temperature, adding the coagulant aid of anionic copolymer of acrylamide into the water was found to be effective when the temperature was not less than 1 °C. However, it made only a slight impact on aggregation when the temperature approached 0 °C. At water temperatures of 22 °C, 4 °C and 1 °C, the polymer caused the formation of large floc (larger than 0.5 mm2 in projected area). The polymer significantly shortened the required time of flocculation and sedimentation. Three minutes of flocculation and 20 minutes of sedimentation were sufficient for the polymer to achieve good treatment performance, while the flocculation time and sedimentation time had to be 20 and 60 minutes, respectively, without using the polymer. On the other hand, when the temperature was close to 0 °C, the polymer did not cause the formation of the large floc, nor did it shorten the time of flocculation and sedimentation.<p> The experimental results in this research agree with the model for flocculation kinetics given by Argaman and Kaufman (1970). With decreasing water temperature, the aggregation constant (KA) decreased and breakup constant (KB) increased. KA and KB with aluminum sulfate was close to those with ferric sulfate, respectively. <p> In treating the South Saskatchewan River water, an aluminum sulfate or ferric sulfate dosage greater than 50 mg/L resulted in marginal gains in treatment efficiency. Decreasing dosages of aluminum sulfate or ferric sulfate caused lower floc growth rates and smaller floc sizes. Extremely low dosages (5 mg/L or less) resulted in poor floc formation and extremely small sizes.

The coagulation/flocculation process is an important part of surface water treatment. It has direct impact on the reliability of plant operations and final water qualities together with cost control. Low water temperature has a significant impact on the operation of drinking water treatment plants, especially on coagulation/flocculation processes.<p> A microscopic image technique has been used to study the coagulation and flocculation process in recent years, but it requires sample handling that disturbs the floc characteristics during measurement. A high resolution photographic technique was applied to evaluate flocculation processes in the present work. With this technique, the images of the flocs were obtained directly while the flocculation process was taking place. In combination with camera control software and particle size analysis software, this procedure provided a convenient means of gathering data to calculate size distribution. Once the size distribution was calculated, the floc growth and floc size change in the aggregation process could be analyzed. Results show that low water temperature had a detrimental impact on aggregation processes. A water temperature of 0 °C resulted in a slow floc growth and small floc size. Although the floc growth rates at 4 °C and 1 °C were less than those at 22 °C, they were higher than at 0 °C. To improve aggregation processes at low water temperature, adding the coagulant aid of anionic copolymer of acrylamide into the water was found to be effective when the temperature was not less than 1 °C. However, it made only a slight impact on aggregation when the temperature approached 0 °C. At water temperatures of 22 °C, 4 °C and 1 °C, the polymer caused the formation of large floc (larger than 0.5 mm2 in projected area). The polymer significantly shortened the required time of flocculation and sedimentation. Three minutes of flocculation and 20 minutes of sedimentation were sufficient for the polymer to achieve good treatment performance, while the flocculation time and sedimentation time had to be 20 and 60 minutes, respectively, without using the polymer. On the other hand, when the temperature was close to 0 °C, the polymer did not cause the formation of the large floc, nor did it shorten the time of flocculation and sedimentation.<p> The experimental results in this research agree with the model for flocculation kinetics given by Argaman and Kaufman (1970). With decreasing water temperature, the aggregation constant (KA) decreased and breakup constant (KB) increased. KA and KB with aluminum sulfate was close to those with ferric sulfate, respectively. <p> In treating the South Saskatchewan River water, an aluminum sulfate or ferric sulfate dosage greater than 50 mg/L resulted in marginal gains in treatment efficiency. Decreasing dosages of aluminum sulfate or ferric sulfate caused lower floc growth rates and smaller floc sizes. Extremely low dosages (5 mg/L or less) resulted in poor floc formation and extremely small sizes.

Thauera aminoaromatica MZ1T, a floc-forming bacterium isolated from an industrial activated sludge wastewater treatment plant, overproduces exopolysaccharide (EPS) leading to viscous bulking. This phenomenon results in poor sludge settling and dewatering during the clarification process. To identify genes responsible for bacterial flocculation, a whole genome phenotypic sequencing technique was applied. Genomic DNA of MZ1T flocculation-deficient mutants were subjected to massively parallel sequencing. The resultant high-quality reads were assembled and compared to the reference genome of the wild type genome. We identified nine nonsynonymous mutations and one nonsense mutation putatively involved in EPS biosynthesis. Complementation of the nonsense mutation located in an EPS deacetylase gene restored the flocculating phenotype. The FTIR spectra of EPS isolated from the wild-type showed reduced C=O peak of the N-acetyl group at 1665 cm-1 as compared to the spectra of MZ1T floc-deficient mutant EPS, suggesting that the WT EPS was partially deacetylated. Gene expression analysis also demonstrated the deacetylase gene transcript increased before flocculation occurred. The results suggest that the deacetylation of MZ1T EPS is crucial for flocculation. The information obtained from this study will be useful for preventing viscous bulking and wastewater treatment system failure, and may have potential applications in the biotechnology sector for the controlled removal of cells.

Rheology modifiers such as hydrophobically-modified ethoxylated urethane (HEUR)thickeners are included in waterborne latex coatings to optimize shear-rate dependent viscosity and other rheological properties. While these HEUR polymers are commonly used in industry, the complex chemical interactions that contribute to rheological properties are still not completely understood. Prior work in this area has focused on understanding latex-HEUR and latex-surfactant-HEUR interactions that affect rheological properties. Additionally, studies have been previously conducted to understand the relaxation mechanisms of complex interactions present in HEUR-thickened waterborne latex coatings under various dynamic conditions. The objective of this work is to extend the experimental work to fully-formulated coatings and determine the effects of additional ingredients in a fully-formulated system. Coating formulations were prepared with a target 90 KU (Kreb Units) viscosity, having 0.23wt% HEUR. The pigment volume concentration (PVC) and non-volatiles by volume (NVV) were kept constant at 19.87% and 30.47%, respectively. An analysis of phase stability (presence or absence of syneresis), flow sweep (10-2 to 103 s-1), oscillatory strain (10-2 to 102 %), and oscillatory frequency (10-2 to 102 Hz) data was carried out in an attempt to determine connections among these properties. Furthermore, brief comparisons were made with previous results on latex-HEUR and latex-HEUR-surfactant systems that utilized the same HEUR thickener and latex used in this study. In the fully-formulated system, 0.23wt% HEUR was found to be in excess of what is needed to saturate latex surfaces. This HEUR level is less than half of the level needed to saturate latex surfaces in simpler latex-HEUR systems in previous studies. Fully-formulated coatings, in addition to having TiO2 and other ingredients are more crowded than the previous systems. It appeared that a depletion flocculation mechanism dominated at low surfactant concentrations for fully-formulated systems in this study as evident from syneresis; large HEUR aggregates appear to build enough osmotic pressure to drive aggregation of latex and pigment particles resulting in depletion flocculation. At increasing surfactant levels, the depletion flocculation mechanism was negated allowing the associative HEUR bridge networks to dominate and stabilize the system. Phase stability for fully-formulated systems in this study were associated with Newtonian viscosity plateaus on flow sweeps, strain hardening on oscillatory strain sweeps, and formation of high frequency moduli plateaus in frequency sweeps. Further increase of surfactant concentration appeared to disrupt the stable latex-HEUR network due to competitive adsorption of surfactant on latex particles, resulting in syneresis from bridging flocculation. Possible correlations between phase stability and high relaxation times were seen, although further analysis of relaxation time data and simulations will need to be carried out to better understand the behavior of HEUR in fully-formulated systems.

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Historically, the presence of microalgae (algae hereafter) in natural waters has been viewed as a nuisance due to its adverse impact on water quality. More recently, however, algae are being investigated as potential sources of biofuel and a range of natural products. These applications require the development of large-scale cultivation systems for mass production that include growth, harvesting, concentration, and product recovery components. While challenges still remain with respect to many of the processes involved in mass production, one of the most technically and economically challenging steps is harvesting the algae from dilute growth cultures, especially in systems where chemical additives are of concern either within the algae concentrate or the effluent water. For this reason, a pH-induced flocculation/deflocculation method using the hydroxides of alkali or alkaline earth metals (e.g., lime, caustic soda) is of particular interest for algae harvesting as Na, Ca and Mg are typically present in natural waters. The goal of this research was to determine the underlying mechanisms responsible for algae coagulation by magnesium and calcium and to evaluate the potential of these mechanisms for harvesting algae for a range of synthetic and field source water chemistries. In the first two phases of this research, the mechanisms for coagulation with magnesium and calcium were studied independently. A series of bench-scale experiments were designed to isolate the potential mechanisms of algae destabilization associated with each of these cations as a function of water chemistry, and microscopic analyses were performed to characterize the flocculated algae/precipitate mixtures. In the third phase of this research, removal of algae in field source waters was evaluated with respect to the underlying science elucidated in the previous phases. The results indicate that the dominant algae destabilization mechanism associated with magnesium shifts from Mg adsorption/charge neutralization to Mg(OH)2(S) precipitation-enhanced coagulation with increasing pH. Moreover, dissolved Mg2+ adsorption to the algae surface led to effective algae coagulation, while minimizing the mass of precipitated Mg(OH)2(S). For Ca, this research identified the importance of the nucleation process (heterogeneous vs. homogeneous nucleation) on algae removal efficiency. Heterogeneous nucleation is a key factor for optimizing algae removal; thus, the degree of oversaturation with respect to CaCO3(S) is a crucial operating parameter. This research demonstrated that the algae harvesting process using pH-induced flocculation/deflocculation method can be optimized for a wide range of source waters if the water chemistry (e.g. pH, ion concentration, alkalinity, ionic strength) is properly incorporated into the system design. / text