Abstract
The Polyaluminium chloride solution, a complex, dynamic mixture of positively charged polynuclear aluminium species, is used as primary coagulant in drinking water treatment. In order to maximize the active species content and optimize the species distribution, the method of electrochemical synthesis of polyaluminium chloride (E-PAC) has been proposed and carried out extensively in our recent research.
For obtaining as much as Al13 polymer by electrolysis process, optimum preparation conditions was selected. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the aluminium species distribution for the laboratory scale prepared E-PAC, using two analytical methods, the time-developed Al–Ferron complex colorimetry and 27Al nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy method. The combined application of this methodesprovides a better approach to investigate Al species distribution in polyaluminium chloride E-PAC solutions quantitatively, helpful in obtaining later a better explanation of the coagulation mechanisms, when it will be applied in water treatment process.
