Why are rare earth elements so effective for achieving an ultra-low phosphorus limit?
When’s the last time you thought about the strength of the chemical bonds in your clarifier? Today’s the day — because strong bonds are the reason that the rare earth technology in ClariPhos™ outperforms aluminum- and iron-based coagulants to achieve phosphorus levels as low as 0.07 mg/L in treated effluent.
How does it work?
ClariPhos incorporates rare-earth metals lanthanum and cerium that have a high affinity for phosphorus and form a strong, insoluble crystalline ionic bond. By comparison, conventional metal salts cannot form a tight bond with phosphorus. Instead, they form intermediates to which phosphate adsorbs to the surface.
Denser, heavier compound settles faster.
This tight bond, combined with the heavier atomic weight of lanthanum and cerium, means the precipitate is denser, more stable and settles about two times faster than conventional floc.
Another benefit of ClariPhos’s affinity for phosphorus and the tight bond is that far less of the chemical is needed to achieve excellent phosphorus reduction. ClariPhos binds to phosphorus at a 1:1 molar ratio, whereas Fe/Al coagulants bind at a ratio of approximately 5:2. Research data also shows that the ratio of Al/Fe coagulant to phosphorus increases significantly to achieve higher levels of phosphorus reduction and that tertiary filtration is often needed. ClariPhos, on the other hand, maintains the 1:1 ratio and does not require additional filtration equipment.
CeCl3 (Rare Earth Salt) requires a much lower dosage to achieve low phosphorus concentrations, even at P levels <0.1 mg/L.
Watch a video to see how ClariPhos rare earth coagulant achieves an ultra-low phosphorus level in treated effluent without tertiary filtration.
Learn more about ClariPhos rare earth coagulant.
Contact us to discuss a trial of ClariPhosat your treatment plant.