Comparing the effectiveness of chitosan and conventional coagulants for coal wastewater treatment

Abstract

In this research, the potential of chitosan to be used as a coagulant to treat coal wastewater was investigated, in comparison to a conventional coagulant, i.e: Al2(SO4)3 or aluminum sulfate, and Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC). The parameters being studied were turbidity, pH, TDS, and TSS. The result of this research showed that chitosan worked as a more efficient coagulant to treat coal wastewater compared to alum and PAC, in terms of the needed dose of application. The optimum dose of chitosan was 20 mg/L that gave a 100% decrease in turbidity and TSS. On the other hand, a dose of 120 mg/L of alum was needed to have an optimum result, where the turbidity and TSS were decreased up to 100%. When PAC was used as a coagulant, the optimum dose was 120 ppm that reduced turbidity and TSS to 99.50% and 99.58%, respectively. Coagulation by chitosan, alum, and PAC were all influenced by pH, where the optimum pH for all three coagulants was within a range of neutral pH.