High Coagulant Consumption in Dairy Industry

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I currently have a problem with the use of coagulants in a dairy industry (its pH ranges from 4.35 to 11) and drinks as juices.

The current process involves the use of a dissolved air flotation system, as well as the application of coagulants and flocculants. I currently use an iron salt with ACH and the costs have risen almost 10 times due to large dosages at high pH (up to 1200 ppm).

I need a product to reformulate the said coagulant and reduce doses. I am open to your suggestions and products to be able to establish a business relationship that will support me and products to reduce doses in this and new projects that I am attending. Greetings. 

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20 Answers

  2. Dear Oscar,

    Thank you for your clarifications. I do agree that a DAF (with some flocculation if/as needed) is required to remove the FOG (fat oil grease) after screening, FOG trap and full equalisation.

    However coagulation-flocculation (consuming most chemicals and producing most chemical waste sludge) would not be required for biological treatment after a basic DAF unless an UASB is used and the TSS/COD ratio in the UASB feed would be higher than 0.2 at 35 - 38 °C. Only in that case coagulation-flocculation upstream of the DAF would be needed as to lower the TSS/COD ratio.

    As indicated by Don, coagulation would be most efficient with minimal chemicals at low pH. Of course this would also require a pH correction after the DAF. The use of hydrogen peroxide (resulting in high ORP) as suggested by Sean is not recommended upstream of an UASB which operates at very low ORP.

  3. good morning,

    the  process is oil and greases remove +equalization(8 hours retention)+(coagulation and neutralization) + floculation+ daf+uasb+cas+ secondary decantation+ desinfection, the coagulation is used for control of SST and O&G previous UASB UNIT.

     

    thankyou for your anwers...

     

     

  4. I would only add that if you Are going to use a coagulant, then when you’re doing your Jarred testing definitely monitor the pH, but also the ORP. The ORP is significantly indicative as his pH of which Coagulants are going to work best. By changing the ORP to a higher value, you can get a better break with much less coagulant/flocculant.  The use of hydrogen peroxide to enhance coagulation has been used in many applications, Especially if you have some iron in the water to work with already. It may take 15 to 20 ppm of Ferric For the mechanism to work properly. Just a thought. I’ve only had experiences with Dairy waste in 5 facilities.  Also as mentioned below you do need a surge tank prior to your DAF to regulate organic loading, pH and hydraulic swings or you will be chasing your tail.  Lots of good comments though!

  5. I would only add that if you Are going to use a coagulant, then when you’re doing your Jarred testing definitely monitor the pH, but also the ORP. The ORP is significantly indicative as his pH of which Coagulants are going to work best. By changing the ORP to a higher value, you can get a better break with much less coagulant/flocculant.  The use of hydrogen peroxide to enhance coagulation has been used in many applications, Especially if you have some iron in the water to work with already. It may take 15 to 20 ppm of Ferric For the mechanism to work properly. Just a thought. I’ve only had experiences with Dairy waste in 5 facilities.  Also as mentioned below you do need a surge tank prior to your DAF to regulate organic loading, pH and hydraulic swings or you will be chasing your tail.  Lots of good comments though!

  6. Dear Oscar,

    I fully agree with Tom.

    Please clarify why you use coagulation upstream of a DAF on this dairy wastewater which would be completely biodegradable at very low OPEX (operating costs) based on my 40 years experience in advanced biological treatment.

  8. You really need to decide why you are using a coagulant at all. What is the purpose of the coagulant? Is it really needed?

    Generally sugars are readily biodegradable, and probably could be easily treated in a biological process at a much lesser cost than the use of a coagulant.

    Tom K

    1 Comment

    1. Dear tom, the process includes finally UASB and CAS, the coagulants only provide pretreatment for after the pulishment with biological process.

       

      Thanyou .... 

  9. Drinks based on juice are an issue because they will contain soluble sugars, organic and citric acids.  Unless you have pulp to remove, there is no point in sending this through a DAF unit.  Dairy waste will depend on the process you have afterwards and how effective the biology is.  If the material is based on cheese, then you may have to dose between 500-1000 ppm of ferric chloride and use a high dose of caustic to correct the acidity of the ferric chloride.  There is an organic coagulant produced by Suez Water Technologies (Old Betz Dearborn, GE Water) Klaraid 4000 which only needed 20-30 ppm with the correct pH correction which works well with cheese.  It was found that a different coagulant was needed for milk Klaraid 2700.  Dose rates were much lower. Also the ferric chloride produces 30-40 % sludge generated by its own solid content, which does not occur with organic coagulants.  There is no substitute for tests being carried out on your actual waste using different coagulants and most reputable companies will carry this work out for you.  The critical factor is the pH and each coagulant will work at an optimum pH.  Ferric chloride depresses the pH considerably.  Aluminium-based products are also pH sensitive and produce a lighter floc than ferric.  If PAC or ACH is used, then it is also pH sensitive and extremes of pH can cause the coagulant to break down before it has reacted with the material.

    If the dairy is liquid milk, then the pH can be dropped to pH 3, which causes the milk solids to coagulate.  In this case the pH needs to be corrected with caustic or lime after solids removal.

    On all plants, I have worked with, there has been a balance tank before the DAF plant.  If this does not occur, the dose rate constantly changes, so the only way forward is to provide a dose rate which always works and this will be higher than necessary.  A balance tank will cause a reduction in coagulant dosing by balancing flows and pH levels.

  10. Oscar,

    Te recomiendo que veas el proyecto integralmente. SI realizas una solucion rapida y cambias de cuagulante tendras el mismo problema. 

     

    SI tienes tantos solidos los puedes remover de otra manera y si tienes demasiada carga organiza la puedes utilizar para producir biogas (plata).

    Yo radico en Holanda, pero te puedo poner en contacto con alguien en Colombia.  

     

    Saludos

    Hector

    hector.nava@voltea.com

     

  11. Please write to pettman@soleco-technology.com

    1 Comment

    1. Dear Prosper Linus A ,

      Thank you for ​sharing your ​contact details ​with Mr. Parada. ​However, if you ​would share ​additional ​details about ​solutions (​products and ​services) for ​the issue, ​others who have ​similar problem ​could see it ​and benefit ​from it.  ​

      Best regards, 
      Duško

  14. estimado oscar.  :)

    with the right kind of bioaugmentation, you need not ever coagulate nor flocculate.  no sludge wasting.  you can borrow a lab unit for lab testing and you will love the convenience.

    abrazos

     

    eros

     

    2 Comments

    2. Eros!!! Best regards!! The process is run....and the Sistem have  flotation and their design is conventional...

      1 Comment reply

      1. even with DAF and all that, it can still be done.  you can eliminate the coagulant and the flocculant.  and the DAF will basically help with aeration.  you will love it.  and i can rent the  units out to your client and we do business together

  15. Oscar,

    I agree with Jesus below that equalization may be helpful.  I assume the high is from CIP cleaning with caustic.  Consider isolating that waste stream and pretreat to reduce pH to normal range, then bleed back in.

    Also, polyamine flocculants that use a tertiary amine group become non-ionic at high pH which may explain the performance drop at high pH.  Consider jar testing alternative flocculants that are based on quaternary amine groups, which do not lose their charge at high pH.  

    Ken Martins

    1 Comment

  16. Good day Oscar.

     

    it would be interesting to know the root causes for changes in the process. What volumes are you working with and where are you located? I would like to explore your needs further and acquire more data for an appropriate solution. Thanks

     

    tafadzwa.mariga@kemira.com

    1 Comment

  18. The behaviour of the coagulants is very affected by the pH. You must install a good equalization tank and one chamber with a fast mixer for the pH adjustment and coagulant dosage.

    You must try other coagulants or mixtures Al-polyamines, ...

    2 Comments

    2. dear jose good afternoon, the system have equalization tank, an camera and follow show the same problem, is necesary adjust the system but too the coagulant fisicochemical....

       

      thankyou for your answer...

  19. Dear Oscar,

    Our company AGES based in Chicago, USA and South Africa offers a range of wastewater treatments up to 16 now, and we look to assess your problem and then tailor a solution. Determining your needs at a high level, our technical solution design would probably incorporate advanced electrocoagulation which treats all pathogens achieving 99.99% eradication, it will also stabilise your pH level making salt, membranes and chemicals obsolete. You are familiar with coagulation and flocculation, the technology as I indicated introduces an electrical charge through which electrolysis 'cracks' the ionic bond facilitating an electrochemical reaction (flocculation).  Drop us a line on info@ages1.com and we'd be happy to assist you.

    Kindly

    Laura Hallam

    1 Comment

  20. Good day Oscar, 

    We can assist you with this issue. 

    Please contact rob@selectra.co.za and copy pieter@abrimix.co.za  I look forward to hearing from you. 

    Yours sincerely

    Rob

    1 Comment

    1. Rob Cloete please provide some details. This is a free knowledge sharing platform, not only for sales promotion. Thank you