Developing novel anionic copolymers and investigation of the influence of water quality on their dissolution and performance

Wastewater may contain a large quantity of finely dispersed particles that take a significant amount of time to settle. ‘Flocculation’ is a process that rapidly separates these particles from the wastewater by the addition of a ‘clarifying agent’. This allows the fine solid particles to clump together into large solid clusters, which settle faster and can subsequently be removed. However, the performance of these clarifying agents deteriorate in wastewater with high quantities of calcium and magnesium salts. This research project explored the creation and testing of new clarifying agents that can address this problem, to further enhance capabilities in industry.