Enhancement of Primary Sludge Sedimentation Using Polyelectrolytes
author:
NATALIA CHAŁUPKA, DARIA CŁAPA, KAMIL JANIAK, MATEUSZ MUSZYŃSKI-HUHAJŁO
ORCID ID:
0000-0001-5021-9084, 0000-0001-6639-8320
No:
10/2025 Instal pp.46-50
DOI:
10.36119/15.2025.10.7
This article presents the results of research on improving the efficiency of primary sludge sedimentation in gravity
thickeners through the use of cationic polyelectrolytes. Many wastewater treatment plants face the challenge of
undersized thickeners, which do not provide sufficient phase separation. This results in high solids content in the
supernatant stream and and its recirculation to the beginning of the treatment line. This leads to excess loading of
primary settling tanks, increases the risk of methanogen development in primary settling tanks and thickeners, and
often prevents the accurate determination of raw sewage composition.
This study utilizes a methodology for determining the limiting flux, a parameter characterizing the maximum separation
capacity of the sedimentation process. The evaluation was conducted on samples of raw sludge and sludge
conditioned with polyelectrolytes. The limiting flux for the primary sludge was 62.4 kg DS/m2·d, and for the
conditioned sludge, 170.4 kg DS/m2·d. The obtained results showed that the addition of polyelectrolytes significantly
increased the limiting flux, confirming improved sedimentation properties and the possibility of more efficient operation
of gravity thickeners. The research results can provide a basis for implementing optimized organic coagulant dosing in
engineering practice, as well as for the design and modernization of sedimentation facilities.
Keywords:
About Authors:
Natalia Chałupka, Daria Cłapa ‒ Politechnika Wrocławska dr inż. Kamil Janiak https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5021-9084 ‒ MPWiK S.A. we Wrocławiu, Politechnika Wrocławska, dr inż. Mateusz Muszyński-Huhajło ‒ https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6639-8320, Politechnika Wrocławska. Corresponding author: kamil.janiak@pwr.edu.pl
