Differences in Applications of Cationic, Anionic, and Nonionic Polyacrylamide Flocculants

The polyacrylamide flocculant (PAM) is a linear water-soluble polymer and is one of the most widely used types of water-soluble polymers. PAM and its derivatives can be used as efficient flocculants, thickeners, paper strengtheners, and liquid drag reducers, and are widely used in various industrial sectors such as water treatment, papermaking, petroleum, coal, metallurgy, geology, textiles, and construction. Usage differences are as follows:

Non-ionic polyacrylamide flocculant applications

Sewage treatment agent

When the suspended sewage is acidic, the use of non-ionic polyacrylamide as a flocculant is more suitable. This is because PAM has an adsorption bridging effect, which makes the suspended particles produce flocculation and precipitation, thus achieving the purpose of purifying sewage. It can also be used for the purification of tap water, especially when used in conjunction with inorganic flocculants, the effect is better in water treatment.

Textile industry additives

Adding some chemicals can be made into chemical materials for sizing textiles.

Sand control and consolidation

Dissolving non-ionic polyacrylamide flocculant into a concentration of 0.3% and adding it to a crosslinking agent can play a role in sand control and consolidation when sprayed on the desert.

Soil moisturizing agent

It used as a soil moisturizing agent and the basic raw material for various modified polyacrylamide flocculants.

Polyacrylamide cationic flocculant applications

Sludge dewatering

according to the nature of the pollution, the corresponding model of this product can be selected, which can effectively dewater the gravity sludge before entering the press filter. During dewatering, the flocs produced are large, not sticky to the filter cloth, do not scatter during filtration, the dosage is small, the dewatering efficiency is high, and the moisture content of the mud cake is less than 80%.

Wastewater and organic wastewater treatment

This product exhibits cationic properties in acidic or alkaline media, which is extremely efficient for flocculating and sedimenting suspended particles in wastewater with negatively charged particles, such as alcohol plant wastewater, beer plant wastewater, monosodium glutamate plant wastewater, sugar factory wastewater, meat processing plant wastewater, beverage plant wastewater, and textile printing and dyeing plant wastewater, and the use of cationic polyacrylamide flocculant is several or tens of times higher than that of anionic polyacrylamide flocculant, non-ionic polyacrylamide flocculant or inorganic salt, because this type of wastewater generally has a negative charge.

Drinking water treatment flocculant

This product has the characteristics of small dosage, good effect, and low cost, especially when used in conjunction with inorganic flocculants, the effect is better.

Oilfield chemicals

such as clay anti-swelling agents, thickening agents for oilfield acidification, etc.

Papermaking additives

cationic PAM paper strengthener is a water-soluble cationic polymer containing aminoformyl groups, which has functions such as strengthening, retention, and filtration assistance, and can effectively improve the strength of paper. At the same time, this product is also a highly efficient dispersant.

Flocculant anionic polyacrylamide applications

Industrial wastewater treatment

For suspended particles, higher concentrations, positively charged particles, and neutral or alkaline pH wastewater, steel plant wastewater, electroplating plant wastewater, metallurgical wastewater, coal washing wastewater, etc., the treatment effect is good.

Drinking water treatment

The source of water in many water plants comes from rivers, with high levels of sediment and mineral content, which is more turbid. Although it has undergone sedimentation and filtration, it still cannot meet the requirements and needs to add flocculants. The amount of flocculant added is 1/50 of that of inorganic flocculants, but the effect is several times higher than that of inorganic flocculants. For river water with severe organic pollution, it is better to use inorganic flocculants in conjunction with cationic polyacrylamide flocculants.

Recovery of lost starch and grains from starch and alcohol plants

Many wastewater from starch plants contains a lot of starch. Now, anionic polyacrylamide flocculant is added to the wastewater, which makes the starch particles flocculate and settle, and then the precipitated material is filtered by a press filter and turned into a cake-shaped feed. The alcohol from the alcohol plant can also be dehydrated using an anionic polyacrylamide flocculant, which is then filtered and recovered.