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Chitosan as alternative to synthetic flocculants

The cationic polymer Chitosan is internationally already used for:

• for drinking water treatment,
• the separation of oil-water-mix,
• for borehole sealing,
• for waste water treatment from slaughterhouses,
• as flocculant for heavy metal separation and
• the accumulation of biomass (yeast, protein, algae)

In Germany flocculants based on chitosan are known as HEPPIX. These products are suitable for the flocculation of micro organisms with anionic surface charge, therefore also for municipal sludge, preferable for activated sludge thickening. The special advantages are:

• a good and fast dewatering
• a higher dry matter content and
• a highly reduced adhesive effect on filter tissues.

At the moment there are some disadvantages like the non sufficient floc stability for sludge dewatering in decanters and the higher price compared to the use of polyacrylamid.

That’s why BioLog is working on the development of combinations with other biopolymers to improve the shear stability of the flocs and reduce the treatment costs at the same time.

Technological trials are realised in 2011/12 on several dewatering aggregates in whole Germany.

It is BioLog’s target to offer from 2013 on for a large part of the automatic sludge dewatering biodegradable polymers, which have a good price/performance ratio and allow the agricultural use of municipal sludge as an economical alternative to the sludge incineration.