Microalgae are primary producers of aquatic ecosystems, securing biodiversity and health of the ecosystem and contributing to reducing the impact of climate change through carbon dioxide fixation. Also, they are useful biomass that can be used as biological resources for producing valuable industrial products. However, harvesting process, which is the separation of microalgal biomass from mixed liquor, is an important bottleneck in use of valorization of microalgae as a bioresource accounting for 20 to 30% of the total production cost. This study investigates the applicability of sewage sludge-derived extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) as bioflucculant for harvesting microalgae. We compared the flocculation characteristics of microalgae using EPSs extracted from sewage sludge by three methods. The flocculation efficiency of microalgae is closely related to the carbohydrate and protein concentrations of EPS. Heat-extracted EPS contains the highest carbohydrate and protein concentrations and can be a best-suited bioflocculant for microalgae recovery with 87.2% flocculation efficiency. Injection of bioflocculant improved the flocculation efficiency of all three different algal strains, Chlorella Vulgaris, Chlamydomonas Asymmetrica, Scenedesmus sp., however the improvement was more significant when it was used for flocculation of Chlamydomonas Asymmetrica with flagella.

하수슬러지의 열풍건조시 하수슬러지의 특성, 고분자 응집제의 종류 및 주입량 등에 의해 발생되는 점성으로 인해 타공판에 부착성이 상당히 증가하여 건조효율을 낮추는 원인이 되고 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 고분자 응집제로 인한 하수슬러지(생슬러지, 잉여슬러지, 혼합슬러지)의 부착특성을 평가하기 위하여 고분자 응집제 주입량에 따른 점도 변화를 측정하였으며, 또한 하수슬러지의 열풍건조시 부착성을 상당량 감소시킬 수 있도록 기존 타공판을 대체할 수 있는 다양한 타공판 종류별 부착특성을 평가하였다. 하수슬러지의 열풍건조시 기존 타공판(STS 304재질), 전해연마+티타늄코팅 타공판보다 크롬코팅된 타공판의 부착성이 가장 적게 발생되었으며, 또한 생슬러지 단독건조보다 잉여슬러지 단독건조시 부착성이 더 크게 나타났다.

This experiment was performed on three parts with prepared coagulants. (1) The characterization of coagulation for PACl coagulants. (2) Comparison of the characterization of coagulation with PAS and PACl coagulants. And (3) Comparison of the characterization of coagulation for the addition of calcium with PACl. Coagulation experiments were conducted with several dosages and pH for each coagulants. For the characterization of coagulation with PACl coagulants, coagulation of Nakdong river waters with three PACls (r=2.0, 2.2, 2.35) showed that the effectiveness of the three coagulants can be considered as r=2.2 > 2.0 > 2.35 which are also the order of higher polymeric aluminum contents. For the comparison of the characterization of coagulation for PAS and PACl coagulants, PAS (r=0.75) coagulants was more effective than other coagulant for the removal of organic matters by sweep floc mechanism with Al(OH)3(s). For comparison of the characterization of coagulation for the addition of calcium with PACl, the presence of divalent cation like Ca2+ was supposed to influence the complex formation of organic anions. From the result of test on coagulation at various pH ranges, the PACl was least affected by the coagulation pH, and the addition of calcium to PACl was very effective for the removal of turbidity and organic materials over broader pH range (pH 4-9).

This research explored the feasibility of preparing and utilizing a preformed polymeric solution of Al(Ⅲ) for coagulation in water treatment. Slow base(NaOH) injection into supersaturated aluminum chloride and aluminum sulfate solutions did produce high yields of Al polymers useful to water treatment applications. The method of characterization analysis was based on timed spectrophotometer with ferron as a color developing reagent. The hydrolytic Al species were divided into monomeric(Ala), polymeric(Alb), and precipitate(Alc) from the difference in reaction kinetics. The analysis of PACㅣ's characteristics showed that the quantity of polymeric Al produced at value of r(OHadded/Al) = 2.2 was 83% of the total aluminum in solution, as showing maximum contents and precipitated Al was dramatically increased when r was increased above 2.35. In addition, the characteristics of polyaluminum sulfate (PAS) showed that polymeric Al contained at r = 0.75 was 18% of the total aluminum in solution. The synthesized PACl and PAS were stable during storing period, as indicating negligible aging effect. The effect of sulfate ion on PACl was dependent on the concentration of sulfate ion. That is, polymeric species decrease and precipitate species increase as sulfate ion concentration increased. It can be concluded that the sulfate cause the formation of Al(OH)3(s) at low pH. However, The effect of calcium ion was negligible for distribution of Al species.

Poly(DADM) was synthesized for the drinking water treatment. Poly(DADM) was produced by the free radical polymerization of diallyldimethylammonium chloride(DADM) monomer and its properties were characterized. The effects of monomer concentration, initiator concentration and reaction time on synthesis of poly(DADM) were investigated. Poly(DADM) flocculant was applied to Nak-dong river water to examine its efficiency in reducing turbidity. The synthesized poly(DADM) was effective as flocculant for drinking water treatment. The addition of 1 ㎎/L.of poly(DADM) flocculant caused the reduction of 50 % PAC(polyaluminium chloride).

Polyamine was synthesized for the drinking water treatment. Polyamine was produced by the two step polycondensation of dimethylamine(DMA) and epichlorohydrin(EPI) and its properties were characterized. The effects of mole ratio of [DMA]/[EPI], reaction temperature and reaction time on synthesis of polyamine were investigated. Polyamine flocculant was applied to Nak-dong river raw water to examine its efficiency in reducing turbidity. The synthesized polyamine was effective as flocculant for drinking water treatment. The addition of 1 ㎎/L of polyamine flocculant caused the reduction of 50% PAC (polyaluminium chloride).

Because of varied functions and characteristics, water soluble polymers have long attracted much intrest in both academic and industrial fields, especially now in pollution problems such as wastewater treatment through ploymeric flocculants. In this regard, the main objective of this study is to synthesize polymeric floccuants containning hydrophobic group in presence of the potassium persulfate/sodium thiosulfate redox system and to estimate their flocculating ability on the kaolin suspension. In order to test the flocculating power of flocculant prepared on the kaolin suspension system, turbidity of the supernatant liquid, residence time, filtration rate of flocculated samples, have additionally been measured from the flocculation experiments and analysed in comparision with the theoretical background.