Concepts for Efficient Liquid-Solid Separation – The Key to Successful Pretreatment of Industrial Wastewaters

The interactions of specifically coagulated suspensions under defined chemical and physical boundary conditions with various separation reactors of different geometry were investigated. One was short in length but deep, the other long and shallow. The tanks were also adapted for flotation. The geometry of the tank had a significant effect on removal efficiency. A heterodispersed floc size distribution was always deleterious to the sedimentation process, but could be compensated for in flotation. Generally, long shallow tanks were more tolerant of non-optimal coagulation and floc formation.