Effect of sludge conditioning temperature on the thickening and dewatering performance of polymers

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of sludge conditioning temperature on the optimum polymer dose, and thickening and dewatering performance of polymers used for sludge conditioning. Thickening and dewatering performance was investigated at 10°C, 35°C, 50°C, 60°C, and 100°C using filtration, capillary suction time (CST), and settling tests and zeta potential measurements. A high molecular weight and medium-high cationic charge polyacrylamide polymer (Zetag 8160) was used to condition sludge. Results showed that 50°C was the sludge temperature that resulted in the best settling, thickening and dewatering using the least amount of polymer, and 35°C was also effective