Moisture Distribution in Sludge: Effects of Polymer Conditioning

Abstract

This work investigated the effects of cationic polymer flocculation on the continuous moisture distributions of two sludges by means of combined thermal gravitational analysis and differential thermal analysis tests. At a specific moisture content, the solid-water bond strength first decreases with increasing polymer dose, after it reaches a charge neutralization point, and then increases in the overdose regime. Effects of polymer conditioning on the moisture distribution in sludge, as well as the correlation with the bound water data measured by expression and drying, were discussed.