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Our biobased products are available as aqueous solutions or as solids |
A flocculant is typically a very high Mw, linear polymer with binding affinity
for particulates that may be dispersed in water for one reason or another. The particulates tend to very small, easily
stirred, and slow to settle, making them difficult to remove from the water.
The flocculant may
be partially anionic or cationic, or even neutral in charge in some cases. A typical anionic residue is acrylate,
although there are other types. The cationic residues normally are quaternized ones.
Sometimes, the charge
is there simply to make the very large molecule soluble enough for use in an aqueous system. The binding part of the
flocculant typically is a polar residue, like acrylamide, that is inherently "sticky". The idea is that the flocculant
can bridge the gap between the small particulates, forming them together into larger "flocs" and change their attibutes.
Hopefully, the flocs will sink or maybe float and thus become easier to separate from the water. In any case, being
larger, they can be more easily removed by various methods.
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Clarified produced water with flocculated solids |
Depending on the type of particulates that are encountered, often
all that is needed is a small dose of flocculant to tie them together so that the floculated solids can be removed.
This is not the case in the intractable, reverse emulsions of oily produced water, but that is another story. Proper
use of flocculants for clarification of these difficult emulsions of oil and oily solids in water not only call for the
right chemistry but also Aquial treatment protocols and strategies.
One type of Aquero flocculant is
designed for use with soil particles and other agricultural particulates. This is the SoilSentry™ product.
Another class of Aquero flocculants is
being used for water clarification in oilfield applications.
The Aquero flocculants are based on biological feedstocks.