Usage Methods of Anionic Polyacrylamide

The Difference Between Cationic Polyacrylamide and Anionic Polyacrylamide in Water Treatment

Anionic Polyacrylamide and Cationic Polyacrylamide have different applications and characteristics in water treatment. Both of these chemicals belong to the polyacrylamide (PAM) category, but their chemical structures and properties differ.

Chemical Structure

Polyacrylamide is a linear water-soluble polymer, which can be divided into cationic, anionic, and nonionic types.

Physical Properties

Cationic polyacrylamide is classified by ionicity, while the use of anionic polyacrylamide mainly depends on molecular weight. The longer the molecular weight chain, the higher the viscosity of the polyacrylamide solution.

Application Areas

Anionic Polyacrylamide

With high water absorption and hydrophobic properties, it is mainly suitable for fields such as dyeing.

Cationic Polyacrylamide

With cationic properties and suspension characteristics, it is suitable for water treatment, oil field development, and other fields.

Organic sludge treatment typically uses cationic polyacrylamide, while inorganic sludge treatment often uses anionic polyacrylamide.

Appearance

Anionic and cationic types both come in solid and liquid forms. Solid forms are hard to distinguish with the naked eye, but liquid forms are different. Anionic liquid is white, while cationic liquid has a slight blue tint.

There are significant differences in the application of anionic and cationic polyacrylamide in water treatment, and the appropriate type should be chosen based on specific treatment needs and conditions.

Five Uses of Anionic Polyacrylamide

Polyacrylamide and Anionic Polyacrylamide differ considerably in terms of molecular weight. Anionic polyacrylamide can be subdivided into many types, and each type has different uses. There are five main uses and methods for using anionic polyacrylamide. Do you understand them? Anionic polyacrylamide can be used in varying amounts based on the different functional requirements of the product and user needs.

• Anionic Polyacrylamide in industrial wastewater treatment mainly contains a large number of suspended particles and extremely high concentrations of positive charges. Neutral alkaline water has a certain pH value and is significantly effective in treating wastewater from steel plants, electroplating plants, metallurgical plants, and coal washing plants.

  
  

• Many of our water sources come from rivers with low mineral content, so it is necessary to add flocculants to clarify the water. However, many water plants use inorganic flocculants. Although it works quickly and causes no harm, the demand is too high. As a flocculant, anionic polyacrylamide has half the dosage of inorganic flocculants but more than ten times the effect.

  
  

• Anionic Polyacrylamide can also be used to recover starch and alcohol from plants and distiller grains. It is known that many starch factories discharge high levels of starch, which can affect the surrounding environment and waste unnecessary resources. With the addition of PAM, the precipitated starch can be filtered into cakes using filter presses. Breweries use this technology for processing and producing grains.

  
  

• It is the preferred water shutoff agent for profile control in oil fields and the preferred plug for using the third category of oil displacement agents.

  
  

• Paper mills use PAM for papermaking, including as a wet and dry strength agent, retention aid, filter aid, and flocculant.