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Recovery and Reuse of Alum Sludge at Tampa
Author(s) -
Roberts J. Moran,
Roddy Charles P.
Publication year - 1960
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1960.tb00564.x
Subject(s) - alum , pilot plant , reuse , waste management , process (computing) , sulfuric acid , environmental science , process engineering , engineering , computer science , materials science , metallurgy , operating system
In 1956, Tampa, Florida, started investigating the feasibility of the alum sludge recovery process. Facilities for acid storage and handling were available at the treatment plant, and concentrated sulfuric acid could be purchased locally, making the process particularly suitable. Laboratory tests indicated that the chemistry and control of the process would be rather simple. The major problem was to determine what method of liquid‐solid separation would be most practical for thickening the alum sludge, for it is a difficult material to concentrate. The preliminary work indicated the need for additional testing in a pilot plant. Although some difficulties may develop in the recovery process described and in the mechanical methods employed, laboratory and plant scale tests fully prove that the process is practical. Refinements and automatic control features may be added later if a need for them is demonstrated. It should be noted that when the plant is operating principally as a softening plant, aluminum hydroxide sludge is not available for the recovery process.