Removal of aluminum from drinking water treatment sludge using vacuum electrokinetic technology

A vacuum electrokinetic apparatus was operated at a municipal water supply plant in Wuxi, China to study the removal of aluminum from the plant's drinking water treatment sludge, high in trivalent aluminum content. The effect of several experimental variables (initial pH, potential gradient, and zone in the sludge tank) and the trivalent aluminum removal mechanism were analyzed. The speciation of trivalent aluminum mainly depends on the initial pH of drinking water treatment sludge, and more fractions of trivalent aluminum were migrated at pH 4 than at higher or lower pH. The application of high voltage can enhance the removal efficiency of aluminum. A three-dimensional electric field analysis explained the difference in the removal efficiency at different zones in the sludge tank. In view of energy consumption, when the initial pH was 4 and a potential gradient of 2 V cm−1 was applied, achieving a final aluminum concentration of 30 g kg−1 after 120 h. The specific energy consumption was 11.7 kWh kg−1 of Al removed. •Vacuum electrokinetic technology enhance the removal efficiency of Al.•The speciation of trivalent Al mainly depends on the initial pH.•The application of high voltage can enhance the removal efficiency of Al.•Three-dimensional electric field used to study the Al removal at different zones.