Ingeniería ambiental

 

Synthesis of flocculants based on responsive polymers and its use in solids removal from river water and wastewater

 

Síntesis de floculantes a base de polímeros sensibles y su uso en la remoción de sólidos en agua de río y aguas residuales

 

I. Contreras-Andrade¹, A. Licea-Claveríe², J.I. Sarmiento-Sánchez³, M.G. Aguilar-Aguirre¹, M.P. Quiñonez-Angulo¹ and L.A. Picos-Corrales¹*

 

¹ Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Blvd. Américas y Josefa Ortíz de Domínguez, Ciudad Universitaria, Culiacán, Sinaloa, 80013, México. *Corresponding author. E-mail: lorenzo.picos.c@uas.edu.mx, Tel. +52 (667) 713-78-60, Ext. 129.

² Centro de Graduados e Investigación en Química, Instituto Tecnológico de Tijuana, Apartado Postal 1166, Tijuana, B.C. 22510, México.

³ Facultad de Ingeniería Culiacán, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa, Culiacán, Sinaloa, 80013, México.

 

Received December 12, 2014
Accepted June 11, 2015

 

Abstract

Flocculants based on responsive polymers were synthesized by means of free radical polymerization in aqueous environment at 25 °C. Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), statistical copolymers from NIPAAm and either acrylamide (AAm) or acrylic acid (AAc), and a copolymer composed of the three different monomers were prepared. These materials were characterized by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). The polymer diameters in water were in the range from 22 to 42 nm. Copolymers containing acid units exhibit a sharp T/pH-responsive behavior. Polymeric flocculants were evaluated in the turbidity removal from high-turbidity river water and wastewater (urban and agricultural). Temperature and time of flocculation, as well as composition and dosage of polymer were tested. The most effective temperature and time of flocculation were found to be 40 °C and 15-25 min, respectively. Polymer dosage of 0.1 mg mL^-1 is sufficient for a high percentage of turbidity removal (~80%). At 1 mg mL^-1 of flocculant, turbidity removal from 23.9 to 99.2% depending on the polymer composition and water quality were reached.

Key words: water treatment, flocculation, turbidity removal, responsive polymers, PNIPAAm.

 

Resumen

Se sintetizaron floculantes, compuestos de polímeros sensibles, vía polimerización por radicales libres en medio acuoso a 25 °C. Se prepararon poli(N-isopropilacrilamida) (PNIPAAm), copolímeros estadísticos de NIPAAm con acrilamida (AAm) o ácido acrílico (AAc), y un copolímero compuesto de los tres diferentes monómeros. Estos materiales se caracterizaron por Dispersión de Luz Dinámica (DLS), Espectroscopía de Infrarrojo con Transformadas de Fourier (FT-IR) y Análisis Termogravimétrico (TGA). Los diámetros de los polímeros en agua estuvieron en un intervalo de 22 a 42 nm. Los copolímeros con unidades ácidas exhiben un comportamiento de respuesta a cambios de temperatura y pH. Los floculantes poliméricos fueron evaluados en la remoción de turbidez del agua de río con turbidez elevada y agua residual (urbana y agrícola). Se probaron la temperatura y el tiempo de floculación, así como la composición y dosis de polímero. La temperatura y el tiempo de floculación más efectivos fueron 40 °C y 15-25 min, respectivamente. La dosis de polímero de 0.1 mg mL^-1 es suficiente para lograr un porcentaje de remoción de turbidez elevado (~80%). A 1 mg mL^-1 de floculante, se alcanza una remoción de turbidez de 23.9 a 99.2%, dependiendo de la composición de polímero y la calidad del agua.

Palabras clave: tratamiento de aguas, floculación, remoción de turbidez, polímeros sensibles, PNIPAAm.

 

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Acknowledgement

This investigation was supported by SECRETARIA DE EDUCACION PUBLICA (MEXICO) through Grant PROMEP/103.5/13/7588. Technical support by M. A. Gonzalez-Ayón is gratefully acknowledged.

 

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