TITLE:
Coag-Flocculation Kinetics and Functional Parameters Response of Mucuna Seed Coagulant to pH Variation in Organic Rich Coal Effluent Medium
AUTHORS:
M.C. Menkiti, P.C. Nnaji, C.I. Nwoye, O.D. Onukwuli
KEYWORDS:
Coag-flocculation, Kinetics, Coal effluent, Mucuna, Coagulation
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering,
Vol.9 No.2,
February
20,
2010
ABSTRACT: The coag-flocculation performance of Mucuna Seed Coagulant as affected by pH variation in
coal washery effluent has been investigated at room temperature using various dosages of
unblended Mucuna Seed Coagulant. In addition, coag-flocculation parameters such as Coagflocculation reaction order α, αth order coag-flocculation constant K, Collision factor for Brownian Transport βBr, Smoluchowski constant KR,, Collision Efficiency εp, and Coagulation Period τ1/2 were determined. Turbidity measurement was employed using the nephelometric (turbidimetric) standard method while Mucuna Seed Coagulant preparation was adopted from the works of Adebowale and Adebowale (2007). The maximum Mucuna Seed Coagulant parameter performance is recorded at α of 2, K of 8.3334 x 10-3 m3/kg.s, dosages of (0.15 kg/m3; 0.2 kg/m3 ; 0.25 kg/m3); pH of 6 and τ1/2 of 1.7339 sec while the minimum parametric performance is recorded at α of 1; K of 6.3001 x 10-4 s-1; dosage of 0.2kg/m3; pH of 8 and τ1/2 of 1100.2161seconds. The minimum value of coag-flocculation efficiency E (%) recorded is greater than 88.00 %. Conclusively; Mucuna Seed Coagulant is an effective coagulant obeying the theory of fast coagulation at the conditions of the experiment.