Abstract

INIGUEZ, Gilberto  and  HERNANDEZ, Rosaura. Study for rehabilitation of a vinasses treatment plant using a polyacrylamide (PAM) polymer flocculant. Rev. Int. Contam. Ambient [online]. 2010, vol.26, n.4, pp.299-311. ISSN 0188-4999.

This paper reports the results of a coagulation/flocculation study for the primary treatment of tequila vinasse, with the intention of rehabilitating a treatment plant using a cationic polyacrylamide (PAM) polymer flocculant. The PAM concentration required to obtain the required floc formation was determined with seven different flocculant concentrations (200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700 y 800 mg/L). In a second experiment, six pilot-scale batch runs were conducted in a 798-liter container using PAM concentrations of between 400 and 800 mg/L of vinasse. The flocculated solids were separated in a rotating screen separator and the treated vinasse collected in a 327-liter stainless steel tank. For each batch run, the parameters pH-value, settleable solids, total solids, total suspended solids, total dissolved solids and chemical oxygen demand were evaluated for both treated and non-treated vinasse. In addition, the balance between the untreated vinasse volume as related to the recovered flocculated solids and the residual liquid vinasse was determined. Based on the observed parameters within the range of the PAM concentrations used, it was concluded that the higher the floculant dose, the higher the removal of vinasse pollutants, recovering up to 43.7 L of flocs/100 L of treated vinasse when 700 mg of PAM/L of vinasse was used. These results proved very useful for optimizing the operational condition of the vinasse treatment plant.

Keywords : tequila vinasses; polyacrylamide; flocculation; solids separation.

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