Lower dose, less sludge, more savings with ClariPhos™ coagulant
DATE POSTED: April 27, 2023
How much money could your wastewater treatment plant save if you could reduce the amount of coagulant you’re using for phosphorus removal by 35%? What about 50%?
It may sound impossible, but a new rare earth coagulant can help dramatically reduce annual coagulant consumption and add many other benefits such as lower sludge production, better sludge dewaterability and improved clarifier performance.
Why does ClariPhos work so well to remove phosphorus?
ClariPhos is made with the rare earth elements lanthanum and cerium, which have a very high affinity for phosphorus. These elements form a tight ionic bond with phosphorus to create rhabdophane, a dense and insoluble precipitate that settles up to two times faster than conventional Al- or Fe- based coagulants. The results are improved clarifier performance and reduced risk of carryover of suspended solids.
Up to 50% less sludge with improved dewaterability
ClariPhos forms a tight preferential bond with phosphorus, which means far less coagulant is needed to achieve regulatory requirements—typically 30 to 70% dose reduction over alternatives. This lower dose rate results in significant reductions in sludge volume; as much as 34% less sludge than alum and 50% less sludge than ferric coagulants. ClariPhos also helps improve sludge dewaterability, enabling up to 40% increase in attained solids.
Reports have estimated some wastewater plants may spend up to 40% of their operating budget on sludge management, so reduced sludge production and improved dewaterability can help significantly reduce sludge management costs.
Watch the video to see the faster settling and reduced sludge volume from ClariPhos compared to alum and ferric to remove an equivalent amount of phosphorus.
ClariPhos provides several other benefits that improve other aspects of plant operation and provide additional savings. These include:
Low acidity – reduced impact on pH
ClariPhos is 100 times less acidic than alum- or ferric-based coagulants and is typically dosed at a much lower rate. That means it is far less likely to lower pH of the wastewater system and require pH adjustment with alkaline chemicals.
Extensive operational and economic benefits
Wastewater treatment plants throughout the US and Canada have switched to ClariPhos or are evaluating its ability to comply with stringent phosphorus discharge limits. In addition to the advantages above, ClariPhos also provides many more operational benefits that include:
- Low freeze temperature (-40°C); eliminating the need for heated storage and pipe heat tracing
- Safer to handle than alum- or ferric-based coagulants
- Inhibits struvite buildup
- Repeatedly passes whole effluent toxicity testing at 100% effluent concentration
- Doesn’t stain or discolour structures and equipment
- Sludge is suitable for land application – rare earth elements have low toxicity and are not bioavailable to plants
Learn more about the operational advantages of ClariPhos Rare Earth Coagulant
Contact us and we’ll show you how much less coagulant and pH adjustment chemical you’ll use by switching to ClariPhos.