1.

0 INTRODUCTION

Jar testing is a method of simulating a full-scale water treatment process, providing

system operators a reasonable idea of the way a treatment chemical will behave and operate with
a particular type of raw water. Because it mimics full-scale operation, system operators can use
jar testing to help determine which treatment chemical will work best with their systems raw
water.

Jar testing entails adjusting the amount of treatment chemicals and the sequence in which
they are added to samples of raw water held in jars or beakers. The sample is then stirred so that
the formation, development, and settlement of floc can be watched just as it would be in the full-
scale treatment plant. (Floc forms when treatment chemicals react with material in the raw water
and clump together.)

The operator then performs a series of tests to compare the effects of different amounts of
flocculation agents at different pH values to determine the right size floc for a particular plant.
(The right size of floc depends upon the systems filter dimensions and other considerations.)

Jar testing should be done seasonally (temperature), monthly, weekly, daily, or whenever
a chemical is being changed, or new pumps, rapid mix motors, new floc motors, or new chemical
feeders are installed. There is no set requirement for how often jar testing should be conducted,
but the more its done the better the plant will operate. Optimization is the key to running the
plant more efficiently.

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2.0 OBJECTIVE

To determine the optimum coagulant dose which will produce the highest removal of a water
turbidity.

3.0 LEARNING OUTCOME

1. To identify the most common coagulant used in the coagulant process.

2. To determine the most effective and optimum dosage of coagulant for a particular mixing
intensity and duration.
3. To understand the complex interrelationships that exists between the chemicals and the
constituents of the water being treated, as well as other factors such as pH, temperature, the
intensity and duration of mixing.

4.0 THEORY

Raw water and wastewater are normally turbid containing solid particles of varying sizes.
Particles with sizes greater than 50 m settle fairly rapidly. The settling velocities of colloidal
particles of sizes less than 50 m are very slow. Thus, these particles are encouraged to collide
leading to coalescence of particle to form flocs particles, which are bigger and heavier. These
particles will have higher settling velocities and easily settle out. Colloidal particles do not
agglomerate by itself due to the presence of repulsive surface forces. A process is needed to
suppress these forces so as to allow flocs formation. This process is called coagulation process. It
is actually the addiction of chemical coagulant to the raw water or wastewater.

Coagulant that normally used are salts of aluminium namely aluminium sulphate and
ferric salts namely ferrous sulphate and ferric chloride. The next process that follows the
coagulation process is flocculation. It is the process that promotes particles collision due to
gentle agitation resulting in agglomeration of smaller non-settleable particles into flocs (bigger
particles) which settles easily to produce clarified water. Addition of coagulant aid such as
synthetic polymer will accelerate settling.

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5.0 EQUIPMENTS AND MATERIALS

1. Jar test apparatus with six rotating paddles blade.

2. Six (6) beakers.

3. pH and temperature meter.

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4. Turbidity meter and apparatus.

5. Pipette

Reagent

Aluminum sulfate (alum) with a known concentration or anionic/cationic coagulant such as

ferrous sulfate and ferric chloride.

Sample Aluminium sulfate (Alum)

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6.0 PROCEDURES

1. The wastewater sample was prepared. Premix samples to obtain consistent conditions in
all jars. The bottle of sample was wrapped completely, to make sure no light can enter the
bottle and enable algae trapped in the water sample to carry out photosynthesis. This can
be done most easily by wrapping the bottle in aluminum foil. This will enable bacteria in
the river water to metabolize normally, using up dissolved oxygen in the process.

2. The temperature, pH and turbidity of the water sample measured.

3. The prepared wastewater placed from (1) into six (6) different beakers (plexiglass
graduated beakers) with one litter for each.

a. Add 1 - 5 ml of coagulant (alum/ferrous sulfate/ferric chloride/natural coagulant)

by using a measuring pipette into beaker 1,2,3,4 and 5 while in beaker 6, no alum
was added as it acts as a control sample.

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 b. Measure the pH and turbidity of each beaker by using pH and turbidity meter.

4. Stirring rapidly (60 to 80 rpm) for 3 minutes was started.

5. The speed (30 rpm) reduced for about 20 minutes.

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6. The flocculation process was observed and the flocs formation was recorded in final 10
minutes by referring to the chart of particle sizes provided as in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Jar test apparatus

Note: The qualitative characteristics of floc were recorded as bad, moderate, good and
very good. Cloudy samples indicate bad coagulation while good coagulation refers to
rapid floc formation resulting in clear water formation on the upper portion of the beaker.

7. After the stirring period is over, the stirrer was stopped and allows the flocs to settle for
about 5 minutes.

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8. 500 mL of settled water was separated out into another beaker.

9. The temperature, pH and turbidity of the clarified water were determined.

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7.0 RESULT AND CALCULATION

7.1 BEFORE TEST

Initial turbidity : 29 NTU
Initial pH : 6.18
Temperature : 27.6C

7.2 AFTER TEST

Jar No. 1 2 3 4 5 6
pH 6.38 5.17 5.05 4.73 4.24 3.83
Temperature (C) 27.6 27.5 27.6 27.5 27.4 27.8

Coagulant dose (mg/L) Control 1 2 3 4 5

Agitate (minute) 23 23 23 23 23 23

Fast ( rpm ) 80 80 80 80 80 80

Slow ( rpm) 30 30 30 30 30 30

Settling
5 15 20 30 40 50
Depth (mm)
Turbidity
29 11 2 2 1 1
(NTU)

Moderately Very
Floc formation Very fine Very fine Moderate Fine
fine fine/fine
( final 10 minutes ) (A) (A) (E) (C)
(D) (B)

Table 1:Jar test result

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Figure 2: Scale of floc size

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8.0 DATA ANALYSIS

8.1 Compare the level of turbidity in each sample.

Jar no. Turbidity (NTU) Ranking

1 29 Good (3)
2 11 Good (3)
3 2 Excellent (4)
4 2 Excellent (4)
5 1 Excellent (4)
6 1 Excellent (4)

8.2 With the aid of the graph, show the relationship between pH and turbidity with
respect to coagulant dosage.

Graph 1: Turbidity(NTU) vs pH

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 Graph 2: Turbidity (NTU) value vs Cougulant dosage(mg/L)

8.3 From the graph, get the optimum value for pH and coagulant dose of the
coagulation process.

The optimal pH chosen as 5.05 and the optimal dose was about 2mg/L.

8.4 Explain the implications of using different dosage of aluminium sulphate in the
treatment process.
Aluminium Sulphate have been developed to significantly enhance the treatment of water,
wastewater, sewage and industrial effluents, potable and process waters across various industry
sectors including the pulp and paper, food, dairy, oil, textile and chemical industries. Two factors
in coagulant addition are pH and dose. The optimum dose is approximately 5.5 to 6.5 with
adequate coagulation possible between pH 5 to pH 8 under some conditions. When the alum is
added to the water, it immediately dissociates, resulting in the release of an aluminium ion
surrounded by six water molecules. The aluminium ion immediately start reacting with the
water, forming large Al . OH . H2O complexes. Regardless of the actual species produced, the
complex is a very large precipitate that removes many of the colloids by enmeshment as it falls
through the water. This precipitate is referred to as a floc. Floc formation is one of the important
properties of coagulation for efficient colloid removal.

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9.0 DISCUSSION

9.1 By using aluminium sulphate, the mechanism is:

Al3+ + 3H2O Al (OH) 3 + 3H

Describe the mechanism of reaction if the aluminium sulphate is replaced by ferum

chloride (FeCl3).

Ferric coagulant reacts in water with hydroxide alkalinity to form various hydrolysis products
that incorporate Fe (OH) 3. These compounds possess high cationic charge which allows them to
neutralize the electrostatic charges found on colloidal compounds and also to bind to negatively
charged particles, including the ferric hydroxide itself. This ability to bind to itself is the
mechanism for the formation of floc aggregates and the basis for ferric chlorides flocculation
abilities.

FeCI3 + 3 HCO3 = Fe (OH) 3 + 3CO2 + 3CI-

In the case of alum coagulants, these reactions can be represented as follows:

Al2(SO4)3 + 3 Ca(HCO3)2 = 2 Al(OH)3 + 3 CaSO4 + 6 CO2

Al2(SO4)3 + 3 Ca(OH)2 = 2 Al(OH)3 + 3 CaSO4

Al2(SO4)3 + 3 Na2CO3 + 3 H2O = 2 Al(OH)3 + 3 Na2SO4 + 3 CO2

The alum reacts rapidly with compounds in the water that contain carbonates, bicarbonates and
hydroxides to produce a jelly-like substance that absorbs impurities. At the same time, alum,
with a positive charge, neutralizes the negative charge common to natural particles, which draws
them together. Small particles microfloc is formed.

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An example of the reaction of FeCl3 in the presence of alkalinity is :
_ _
FeCl3 + 3HCO 3 + 3H2O Fe(OH)3 . 3H2O(s) + 3CO2 + 3CL

And without alkalinity:

FeCl3 + 6H2O Fe(OH)3 . 3H2O(s) + 3HCL

forming hydrochloric acid which in turn lowers the pH. Ferric salts generally have a wider pH
range for effective coagulation than aluminium, that is, pH range from 4 to 9.

9.2 How the coagulants work?

Coagulation/flocculation is the process of binding small particles in the water together

into larger, heavier clumps which settle out relatively quickly. The larger particles are known as
floc. Properly formed floc will settle out of water quickly in the sedimentation basin, removing
the majority of the water's turbidity.

In many plants, changing water characteristics require the operator to adjust coagulant
dosages at intervals to achieve optimal coagulation. Different dosages of coagulants are tested
using a jar test, which mimics the conditions found in the treatment plant. The first step of the
jar test involves adding coagulant to the source water and mixing the water rapidly (as it would
be mixed in the flash mix chamber) to completely dissolve the coagulant in the water. Then the
water is mixed more slowly for a longer time period, mimicking the flocculation basin conditions
and allowing the forming floc particles to cluster together. Finally, the mixer is stopped and the
floc is allowed to settle out, as it would in the sedimentation basin.

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 The type of source water will have a large impact on how often jar tests are performed.
Plants which treat groundwater may have very little turbidity to remove are unlikely to be
affected by weather-related changes in water conditions. As a result, groundwater plants may
perform jar tests seldom, if at all, although they can have problems with removing the more
difficult small suspended particles typically found in groundwater. Surface water plants, in
contrast, tend to treat water with a high turbidity which is susceptible to sudden changes in water
quality. Operators at these plants will perform jar tests frequently, especially after rains, to
adjust the coagulant dosage and deal with the changing source water turbidity.

9.3 Name three types of acid and base which are suitables for pH neutralization.

a. HCl + NaOH --> NaCl + HOH

b. H2SO4 + 2 NH4OH --> (NH4)2SO4 + 2 HOH

c. 2 NaOH + H2CO3 --> N2CO3 + 2 NaOH

d. Lime water: Ca(OH)2 + H2CO3 --> CaCO3 + 2 HOH

9.4 What are the benefits of using coagulant aids?

Coagulant aids like alum, ferrous sulfate, ferric chloride and natural coagulant are use to
accelerate settling, minimum the usage of chemical in treatment and adjusted the pH of the water
into the optimal range for coagulation. Coagulation process is often enhanced through the use of
coagulant aids. Sometimes, excess primary coagulant is added to promote large floc sizes and
rapid settling rates.

Coagulants are used to allow tiny colloidal particles to settle out of water, thus reducing
the turbidity of the water. These tiny particles are too small to settle out on their own, so
coagulants help to reduce the turbidity of water by causing the particles to form groups and settle
out. Polymetric coagulant aid can be added after the coagulant, to hasten reactions and produce a
denser floc to reduce the amount of primary coagulant. High turbidity and high alkalinity water
are easy to treat, as flocs form readily. We can throw out the particle in the waste water with
quick and fast. We dont need a large space for particle to be filtered from waste water. We can
also throw out the small particle. Reduce in waste water treatment.
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9.5 In what way the dosage of aluminum sulfate in the treatment process can be
reduced?

In this experiment, we know that, the two important factors in coagulant addition are pH
and dose. Therefore to reduce the dosage of alum, we can add in coagulant aids such as pH
adjust like lime or sulfuric acid, activated silica, clay (bentonite montmorilionite) and polymers
to the water. Cationic polymers are charge neutralizing coagulant acids. They can reduce the
alum or ferric dose while simultaneously increasing floc size and tightening it. They also reduce
the effect of substances that interfere with metal coagulants. The addition of activated silica and
clays will be very useful for treating highly colored, low turbidity waters as it add weight to the
floc

Furthermore, we also can reduce the dosage of aluminium sulfate in the treatment process
by adding the speed of rotation at water treatment places. It was because we can add the reaction
process by stirring or force the liquid to be react. The rotation will force the particle out from the
waste water to form a clean water in water treatment. Others, we can form the heat to the waste
water during the coagulant process. It was because heating process also we increase the reaction
process but at water treatment process there is a big problem to form the heat at a large places
like that. If we wish to make it, it will take the big cost and not practical in water treatment use
because the water user have to pay a big cost for water usage.

9.6 Instead of Al2(SO4)3, name another three coagulant that can be used as coagulant
aid.

a) Ferric Chloride

b) Ferrous sulfate

c) Natural coagulant

d) Polyaluminum Chloride

e) Anionic Polyacrylamide

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10.0 CONCLUSION

Figure 3: The chemistry of coagulation/flocculation consists of three processes - flash mix,

coagulation, and flocculation.

Based on the objective for this experiment, we can conclude that the optimal dose which will
produce the highest removal of a given water turbidity. During coagulation a positive (+ve) ion is
added to water to reduce the surface charge to the point where the colloids are not repelled from
each other. A coagulant is the substance (chemical) that is added to the water to accomplish
coagulation. The four basic types of coagulant aid are pH adjusters, activated silica, clay and
polymers. Acid and alkalies are both used to adjust the pH of the water into the optimal range
coagulation. The acid most commonly used for lowering the pH is sulfuric acid. When activated
silica is added to water, it produces a stable solution that has a negative (-ve) surface charge. The
activated silica can unite with the positively (+ve) charged aluminium or with iron flocs,
resulting in a large, denser floc that settles faster and enhances enmeshment. The additional of
activated silica is especially useful for treating highly colored, low turbidity waters because it
add weight to the floc.

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