ABSTRACT
To study the effect of different cationic polyacrylamide organic dehydrating agents on sludge dewatering performance, eight commercially available cationic polyacrylamides of the same series with different properties were used. Based on the different cationic degree, they were named 9101, 9102, 9103, 9104, 9106, 9108, 9110, and 9112, respectively. Their properties were characterized by instruments and chemical analysis, and the indexes of sludge after treatment were also measured. The results showed that the properties of the eight organic dehydrants were different, among which the charge density, cationicity, viscosity, and Zeta potential had homologous trends, which all increased gradually from 9101 to 9112. The four indexes of 9112 were as high as 2.98 meq·L-1, 17.42%, 85.07 mPa·s, and 67.10 mV, respectively. The dewatering performance of sludge was improved by improving the specific resistance of filtration (SRF), floc properties, viscosity, Zeta potential, the bound water content, and the distribution of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) after dosing organic dewatering agents. The results showed that the viscosity, charge density, cationic degree, and Zeta potential of the dewatering agents had a great influence on the sludge dewatering performance. The SRF of sludge was negatively correlated with the viscosity of the organic dewatering agent, and the correlation coefficient was as high as 0.92025, indicating that the sludge dewatering performance was improved mainly through the adsorption bridging effect of the organic dewatering agent in sludge dewatering.
