Isolation and Identification of Bioflocculant Producing Stain and Analysis on Its Flocculating Characteristics

[Objective] The aim was to indentify a bioflocculatnt producing strain W5 isolated from soil samples and analyze its flocculating characteristics. [Method] The universal primers of bacterial 16S rDNA were used for PCR amplification of its genome; effects of the medium pH,carbon and nitrogen sources on its flocculating activity were analyzed by using single factor method; and infrared spectroscopy was used for functional groups analysis. [Result] The results of homology comparison showed that strain W5 belonging to Gram-negative,long bacilli and had 98.34% of homology with Hymenobacter gelipurpurascens,. In addition,the optimum carbon source,nitrogen source,pH for fermentation condition were glucose,yeast extract and pH 7.04,respectively. Microbe flocculant produced by W5 strain （MBF-W5） was extracted and purified to obtain reddish and flocculent products. Fourier-transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy indicated that the major functional groups of MBF-W5 were hydroxyl,carboxyl and amino. [Conclusion] More than 85% of flocculating activity was achieved under the conditions of 150-500 μl bioflocculation dosage,5-65 ℃ temperature and pH 2-10.

Screening and flocculating properties of bioflocculant-producing microorganisms

Screening of bioflocculant-producing microorganisms was carded out. A strain that secreted excellent bioflocculant was isolated from municipal sewage using the spread plate technique, identified as Klebsiella sp. by the analytical profile index （API） identification system, and named A9. Several important factors that had an effect on A9＇s bioflocculant-producing and flocculating activity were studied. A total of 4 g/L Kaolin suspension was used to measure the flocculating activity of the bioflocculant from A9. It was found that maltose and urea were Ag＇s best carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively, and the flocculating activity of the flocculating agent from A9 was markedly increased by the addition of trivalent cations such as Fe^3＋ and Al^3＋; furthermore, the bioflocculant produced by A9 was most effective when the pH value was 6.0.

Screening of flocculant-producing microorganisms and flocculating activity

A strain saccharomycete STSM-1 with high flocculanting activity was isolated from activated sludge with conventional methods. The high production rate and the low cost STSM-1 medium was obtained by selecting different kinds of media, carbon source, nitrogen source and inorganic salt ion. The best flocculant-producing conditions were found by changing medium initial pH, culture temperature and ventilation flow. The best flocculating effect was obtained by changing positive ion types, density and concentration of flocculant.

Screening of Bioflocculant-Producing Strain by Ion Implantation and Flocculating Characteristics of Bioflocculants

A bioflocculant-producing mutator strain, NIM-192, was screened out through nitrogen ion implanting into F J-7 strain. The results showed that NIM-192 had good genetic stability and high flocculating activity, and the flocculating rate increased by 34.26% than that of the original. Sucrose, complex nitrogen source contained yeast extract, urea and pH 7.0～ 9.0 were chosen as the best carbon source, nitrogen source and initial solution pH for bioflocculant production, respectively. The bioflocculant kept high and stable flocculating activity at alkalinous reaction mixture with a pH beyond 7.0, while the flocculating activity was remarkably reduced when the reaction pH was lower than 7.0. Addition of many cations could obviously increase the flocculating rate, among which Ca^2＋ demonstrated the best effect. The bioflocculant had very strong acid-base stability and thermo-stability.The flocculating rate kept over 86% when pH of the bioflocculant was in a range of 3.0 ～ 12.0, and the change of flocculating activity was not great when heated at 100℃ for 60 rain.

Flocculating Properties and Production of the Compound Bioflocculant by Rhizobium Radiobacter F2 and Bacillus Sphaeicus F6

A compound bioflocculant CBF,produced by mixed culture of Rhizobium radiobacter F2 and Bacillus sphaeicus F6, was investigated with regard to its production and flocculating properties. The optimization of the culture medium constituents including carbon source,nitrogen source and C / N ratio,metal ions and ionic strength on CBF production were studied. Flocculating properties of CBF were examined by a series of experiments and CBF had good flocculating activities in kaolin suspension with divalent cations and stable over wide range of p H. Studies of the flocculating properties revealed that the flocculation could be stimulated by cations Ca2+,Mg2+,Fe2+,Al3+and Fe3+. In addition,it was stable at 4-30 ℃ in the presence of Ca Cl2. It was found to be effective for flocculation of a kaolin suspension under neutral and weak alkaline conditions( p H 7. 0- 9. 0),and flocculating activities of higher than 95% were obtained when the CBF concentrations among 6- 14 mg / L at p H 8. 0. The results of this study indicate that CBF is a potential replacement of conventional synthetic flocculants and is widely applied in water treatment and downstream processing of food and fermentation industries.

Study on Application of Novel Flocculating Agent in Treating Refinery Wastewater with High Concentration of Pollutants

After conducting a lot of screening experiments the appropriate flocculating formulations for treating high-concentration wastewater discharged from a certain refinery were selected. The oil removal rate and COD removal achieved by these flocculating formulations were better than that achieved by the conventional compound formulation consisting of polyaluminium chloride(PAC) and polyacrylamide(PAA) . Addition of an oil/water separating agent to the formulation could improve its oil removal performance to facilitate the oil/water separation of the oil-in-water emulsion in the high-concentration wastewater along with improved adaptability of the formulation to the wastewater containing high concentration of pollutants. This flocculating agent has promising prospects for commercial application.

THE MECHANISM STUDY OF EFFECT OF CALCIUM AND ALUMINIUM IONS ON FLOCCULATING PROCESS OF KAOLIN

The effects of Ca(2+) and Al(3+)ions on flocculating process of kaolin using plogycrylamide as flocculant was studied. Mechanism of the effects was investigated and discussed through molecularorbit(MO) theory , solution chemistry calculation and electronic probe examination in this article.

Bacillus Licheniformis Dhs-40, a Flocculating Active Strain and Its Flocculating Activity

Microbial flocculants have become a hot spot in recent years. A bacterial strain with high flocculating activity was isolated from seawater samples. The strain was defined as Bacillus licheniformis dhs-40 by 16S rDNA identification and Biolog test. Ultrasonication test confirmed the flocculating activity of the strain was both in fermentation supernatant and cell. According to flocculating activity curve, the ideal fermentation time for collecting flocculating active substances was two days. The flocculating activity of the strain was sensitive to pH. The strain could only preserve flocculating activity while pH varied from 7 to 11. However, it could preserve flocculating activity while temperature varied from -20℃to 100 ℃ Saccharide, protein, lipid, nucleic acids qualitative test and RNase, Proteinase K treatment confirmed the flocculating active substances were proteins. Their flocculating activities were insensitive to Proteinase K.

Study on graft copolymerization of chitosan with AA （acrylic acid） and flocculating ability of the product

Graft copolymerization is one of the most attractive methods to modify natural polymers. In this study, graft copolymerization of acylic acid onto chitosan in aqueous media by ceric ammonium nitrate was investigated. The graft copolymerization reaction was carried out in a three necked flask maintained at 70＋/-0.05 ℃ under nitrogen atmosphere in a homogeneous aqueous phase （containing a small potion of acetic acid） by using ceric ammonium nitrate as an initiator. Evidence of grafting was obtained. The synthetic conditions were systematically optimized through studying the influential factors on grafting. The effectiveness of each individual factor was investigated by calculating and monitoring the variations of the grafting parameters [like monomer conversation Cm, grafting efficiency （Ge） and viscosity]. Under optimum conditions monomer conversion of 100.5% and graft efficiency of 94% were obtained, at temperature of 70℃. Flocculating ability of the copolymerization product of chitosan was studied by using Kaolin suspension as the flocculating object. And the application of the product was applied in Huayue dyeing plant. The results indicate that the higher the viscosity is, the better the flocculating ability of the copolymerization product of chitosan will be. The flocculating percentage reaches 96.0%, when the concentration of the product is only 1.0 mg/L and pH fixed at 7.0. Suitable separating mixtures for the grafted copolymer were chosen and the investigation of flocculation ability of the grafted copolymer was carried out with the aim of developing a good flocculant for wastewater treatment. A test of treating dyeing wastewater with the grafted copolymer was carried out and showed that grafting of Acrylic Acid with chitosan has a high COD removal rate 75% to the dyeing wastewater when the concentration is only 6.0 mg/L.

Flocculating Properties of Water-Soluble Polymer-Colloid Complexes of Aluminoxane Particles with Weakly Charged Cationic Polyelectrolytes

The flocculating properties of polymer-colloid complexes (PCCs) formed via noncovalent interactions of positively charged aluminoxane particles (APs) with macromolecules of weakly charged cationic acrylamide copolymers from the Praestol and Organopol series have been studied. The PCCs that spontaneously formed during mixing of sols of a high-basicity aluminum polyhydroxochloride (APHC) with aqueous solutions of the copolymers exhibit high flocculating ability under the conditions of gravity sedimentation of the model kaolin dispersion with Сd = 8 g/dm3, and their efficiency exceeds both that of the copolymers and the earlier obtained PCCs with nonionogenic polyacrylamide (PAA). In contrast to weakly charged polycationites, the fully charged KF-99 polyelectrolyte does not form PCCs and the products of its mixing with APHC do not reveal an increased flocculating effect.

Recycling of Alum from Water Treatment Residue and Reuse It as a Flocculating Agent for Raw Water Treatment

The chemical coagulation-flocculation technology is touted as one of the valuable techniques and widely used for wastewater treatment because of its simplicity and effectiveness. So far, a number of flocculants have been fabricated to ameliorate the flocculation process in water treatment such as alum, polyaluminium chloride. Despite its broad application in water treatment, accumulation of alum in sludge has been reported as the main source of a disposal problem. Furthermore, recent studies suggested that the presence of alum in sludge may lead to human health problems. Here in, we have used alkalization method to recover alum present in sludge collected from Kimisagara water treatment plant located in Kigali capital city of Rwanda. The recovered alum was used more than one time and showed excellent flocculation efficiency. Some physical parameters such as pH, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Conductivity and Turbidity were systematically tested and compared with those of World Health Organization (WHO) and Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) standards for drinking water. The results showed that alum present in sludge can be recovered and reused for multiple times.

Synthesis and formation mechanism of HfB_(2) ultrafine powders with low oxygen via flocculating settling assisted process and carbo/borothermal reduction

In this study,ultrafine HfB_(2) powders with low oxygen were synthesized by a flocculating settling process which yielded ceramic precursors and subsequent carbo/borothermal reduction of the precursors.The liquid phase precursor method can achieve uniform mixing of components at the molecular level through multiple complexation reactions,and then realize the carbo/borothermal reduction reaction at a lower temperature to obtain ultrapure HfB2 powders.The as-resulted quasi-spherical HfB2 powders under the optimum conditions(atomic molar ratio M:B:C=1:2.8:10)calcined at 1500°C for 1 h have an average particle size of 205 nm and an oxygen content of 0.097 wt.%.Detailed analysis of the phase evolution of precursors shows that the formation of HfB2 particles is a mass diffusion mode from the external to internal HfO_(2)cores.We reveal that below 1300°C,HfC is not an intermediate product of HfB2 powder during the transition of precursors.Instead,HfC was formed as a by-product at high temperatures in the carbo/borothermal reduction process.The proposed formation mechanism of HfB_(2) is completely different from the traditional two-step transformation method.After the sintering of the ultrafine powders,the HfB_(2) ceramics show a relative density of 96.1%and superior mechanical properties compared to other works.Furthermore,by simply replacing the initial metal source,chlorinated group IV and V transitional metals(Ti,Zr,Ta,Nb)can also convert into high-purity and ultrafine diborides.This work shows that flocculating settling assisted carbo/borothermal reduction has potential in lot size production of various high-purity and ultrafine boride powders.

Experimental investigation of the inhibition of deep-sea mining sediment plumes by polyaluminum chloride

Deep-sea sediment disturbance may occur when collecting polymetallic nodules,resulting in the creation of plumes that could have a negative impact on the ecological environment.This study aims to investigate the potential solution of using polyaluminum chloride(PAC)in the water jet.The effects of PAC are examined through a self-designed simulation system for deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection and sediment samples from a potential deep-sea mining area.The experimental results showed that the optimal PAC dose was found to be 0.75 g/L.Compared with the test conditions without the addition of PAC,the presence of PAC leads to a reduction in volume,lower characteristic turbidity,smaller diffusion velocity,and shorter settling time of the plume.This indicates that PAC inhibits the entire development process of the plume.The addition of PAC leads to the flocculation of mm-sized particles,resulting in the formation of cm-sized flocs.The flocculation of particles decreases the rate of erosion on the seabed by around 30%.This reduction in erosion helps to decrease the formation of plumes.Additionally,when the size of suspended particles increases,it reduces the scale at which they diffuse.Furthermore,the settling velocity of flocs(around 10^(-2) m/s)is much higher that of compared to sediment particles(around 10^(-5) m/s),which effectively reduces the amount of time the plume remains in suspension.

Screening of a Novel Bioflocculant-producing Strain and Research on Its Flocculation

[Objective] This study aimed to screen a bacterial strain capable of producing bioflocculant. [Method] A bacterial strain T-11 capable of producing bioflocculant was isolated from activated sludge. Detailed tests on the morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics were carried out and identification was performed to identify the strain. Finally, the bioflocculant was isolated and purified, and the flocculating activity and chemical characteristics were measured. [Result] It was identified as Serratia plumuthica based on its morphological, physiological and biochemical characteristics. This strain secreted flocculant best in a culture medium which included sucrose and NaNO3. The maximal cell growth was achieved within 10 h and the flocculating activity paralleled to it. It was found to be effective for flocculation of kaolin suspension, when added at a final concentration of 0.7 mg/L, over a range of pHs （2-7）, and temperature （approximately 30-80 ℃）. Chemical analysis indicated that the bioflocculant was an acidic polysaccharide consisting of glucose, glucuronic acid and galactose, talose and altrose. Infrared spectrum analysis also revealed typical characteristics of polysaccharides. [Conclusion] The biofloccu- lants produced by strain T-11 can greatly improve the ability of activated sludge to settle.

Shear hydrophobic flocculation and flotation of ultrafine Anshan hematite using sodium oleate

Effects of stirring speed and time, pH and sodium oleate concentration on the shear hydrophobic flocculation of ultrafine Anshan hematite with sodium oleate as the surfactant were discussed. The results show that these parameters significantly affect the shear hydrophobic flocculation of ultrafine hematite. The optimum conditions for the flocculation are： stirring speed 1 400 r/min, flocculation time 20 min, pH 9 and sodium oleate concentration 3.94×10-4 mol/L; the flotation recovery of hematite flocs is remarkably high compared with non flocculated ultrafine hematite. According to the extended DLVO theory, the total interaction potential of Anshan ultrafine hematite was determined. The calculation results indicate that the hydrophobic flocculation state of the ultrafine hematite-sodium oleate system is mainly dominated by electric double layer repulsive interaction potential and hydrophobic interaction potential. A mechanical agitation is required to impart particles a kinetic energy to overcome potential barrier between them due to the existence of electric double layer repulsive interaction potential. Those particles further approach to form flocs due to the significant increase of the hydrophobic interaction potential.

Dynamic experiments on flocculation and sedimentation of argillized ultrafine tailings using fly-ash-based magnetic coagulant

In order to accelerate the sedimentation of super-large-scale argillized ultrafine tailings with bad features such as low settling velocity, muddy overflow water, and large flocculant dosage, a fly-ash-based magnetic coagulant （FAMC） was used in a dynamic experimental device. To obtain the best possible combination of the impact factors （magnetic intensity, FAMC dosage, flocculant dosage, and feed speed） for minimum overflow turbidity, a response surface methodology test coupled with a four-factor five-level central composite design was conducted. The synergy mechanism of FAMC and flocculant was analyzed based on the potential measurement and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the flocculant dosage, overflow turbidity, and solid content can be reduced by 50%, 90%, and 80%, while the handling capacity per unit and efficiency of backfill and dry stacking can be promoted by 20%, 17%, and 13%, respectively, with a magnetic intensity of 0.3 T, FAMC dosage of 200 mL/t, flocculant dosage of 30 g/t, and feed speed of 0.6 t/（m^2·h）. Therefore, synergy of FAMC and flocculant has obvious efficiency in saving energy and protecting the environment by allowing 70×10^6 t/a of argillized ultrafine tailings slurry to be disposed safely and efficiently with a cost saving of more than 53×106 Yuan/a, which gives it great promise for use in domestic and foreign mines.

Biological preparation and application of poly-ferric sulfate flocculant

A novel inorganic polymer flocculant,poly-ferric sulfate（BPFS） was prepared by oxidation of ferrous sulfate using domestic Thiobacillus ferrooxidans（T·f） under acid condition.The optimal conditions for the preparation were pH value of 1.5,（NH4）2SO4 dosage of 0.5 g/L,initial Fe2＋ concentration of 45g/L,inoculum 10%,rotating speed of 120 r/min,reaction time of 5-6 d and reaction temperature of 30 ℃.Under the optimal conditions,the BPFS product with pH value of 1.5-2.2,basicity of 17.5%-22.7% and total iron content of 43.87-45.24 g/L was obtained.The application of the BPFS to three wastewaters was carried out,and the removal efficiencies of COD,decolorization and Zn2＋ by BPFS can be reached 70%,90% and 99%,respectively.The result suggests that the BPFS is an excellent flocculant for water treatment.

Screening of One Microbial Flocculant for Treatment of Methyl Orange Wastewater and its Decolorization Effect

[Objective] To screen out a microbial flocculant with good decolorization effect on methyl orange wastewater,and study the effect of different cultural conditions on decolorization effect of methyl orange.[Method] Absorbance of methyl orange solution before and after decolorization was determined by spectrophotometer,and the decolorization rate was calculated to compare the effects of different cultural conditions on removal rate of methyl orange.[Result]An optimal actinomycete stain（F-1-2） was screened out,and the best cultural condition was as follows：with sucrose as carbon source and NaNO3 as nitrogen source,cultured in constant temperature oscillator at 150 r/min,30℃ for 72 h.Under the optimal condition,the removal rate against methyl orange could reach 68.4%.[Conclusion]Different culture conditions have great impact on decolorization effect of strain.

Effects of water hardness on selective flocculation of diasporic bauxite

The effect of electrolyte on settling behavior of kaolinite was studied. Effects of hard water on selective flocculation of diasporic bauxite was tested and the measures were taken to eliminate the effects of Ca2＋ and Mg2＋ in hard water. The results indicated that, not only the concentration of electrolyte ions but also the ionic valence of the electrolyte ions affects the settling behavior of kaolinite; hard water significantly affects its selective flocculation owing to Ca2＋ and Mg2＋; general dispersants could not eliminate the effects of Ca2＋ and Mg2＋. Self-made softening agent in our lab could weaken or eliminate the effects of hard water on flocculation processes. The results of molecular dynamics simulation show that softening agent molecules could restrict Ca2＋ and prevent them from playing their roles, so as to eliminate the effects. The continuous pilot experiment results of bauxite flocculation were even better than those obtained in laboratory.

Ability of Bacillus mucilaginosus GY03 Strain to Adsorb Chromium Ions

A research with Bacillus mucilaginosus cultured in nitrogen-free medium for forming a flocculant material to adsorb Cr+6 was conducted to determine the effects of different pH, volume, treatment time, and chromium (VI) concentrations on chromium (VI) adsorption by microbial flocculant (MBF), which was produced from the B. mucilaginosus GY03 strain. The results showed that MBF had outstanding flocculation on chromium (VI). Based on the results of a oneway experiment and actual wastewater treatment conditions, the optimum conditions, obtained by using orthogonal experiments, for chromium (VI) adsorption by MBF were: Cr6+ solution pH of 9, flocculant material volume of 15 mL, treatment time of 12 h and chromium ion concentration of 30 mg L-1. The results demonstrated that the MBF produced from GY03 could be used in the chromium-containing wastewater treatment. Meanwhile, after extraction and analysis of the MBF polysaccharides, it was found that MBF was mainly composed of glycoprotein. Analysis on constituents of monosaccharide showed that polysaccharides of B. mucilaginosus were composed of rhamnose, glucose etc. Thus, because it was applied over a wide range of pH, in small amounts and had a rapid flocculation speed the flocculant used in this experiment had a vast field of application potential.