Water Treatment Chemicals PURE WATER

PURE WATER
REQUIRES PURE SOLUTIONS
Water
Treatment
Chemicals
Pure Water
Requires Pure Solutions
The Greenlandic language has at least ten words for snow. In western society, we have just as many
terms for water—drinking water, process water, cooling water, wastewater, and sewage water. All
these types of water have one thing in common. The quality has to meet high standards. Pure
drinking water is a basic necessity of life; wastewater has to comply with other-equally stringentcriteria before it can be discharged. Industrial processes require clean process and cooling water to
ensure expensive installations run smoothly. The quality requirements for all these types of water are
rigorous and will become even more so over time.
Even wastewater has
to meet high quality
requirements
Water purification depends on the quality of the
processes and the additives used. For a long time
Akzo Nobel has been a reliable supplier of
chemicals for water purification. We have been
producing these chemicals for years and our track
record on product quality and reliability of delivery
is second to none. We produce customized products
such as iron and aluminum chloride, and
Quadrofloc. When it comes to anticipating norms
and standards, we are always ahead of the game.
European governments, for instance, are planning
to introduce tougher thresholds for heavy metals
such as lead, arsenic, nickel and antimony in
drinking water. Long before they come into force,
we’ll be complying with these standards. Our aim is
to be a sustainable company and we are a leader in
the field. Around the world we embrace the
Responsible Care® principle—caring for people and
planet. Our water purification products are proof of
this.
Eco Chemicals
Akzo Nobel has an integrated product chain for its
raw materials. By using, for example, very pure iron
ore or aluminum hydroxide, it is possible to
guarantee a high standard of purity in the end
product. That is why the water purification
products we supply are known as eco chemicals—
they help to purify the water, do not impact on the
environment and, at the same time, comply with
government and industry quality requirements.
As a result, the sludge that remains after
purification contains less heavy metal and can be
processed far easier.
Together with our employees’ technical expertise,
our products ensure the best possible ecological
and micro-economic answer to the demands of
customers in the water sector for every given
situation.
Drinking water has to comply with very tough
health standards, both chemically and
bacteriologically, and rightly so. Water is literally
the source of life and is subject to the same quality
requirements as any food. Our products therefore
have to meet the same exacting requirements. As a
responsible company, we do not wait until the
government imposes new standards. We have our
own even tougher standards which anticipate future
legislation. Our products are already complying
with the even more stringent limits which will apply
for heavy metals in the future. We regard our
products as genuine eco chemicals which contribute
to sustainable solutions.
Key Operations in Water Treatment
Iron and aluminum ions are excellent flocculation
and coagulation agents for use in water treatment.
They are used in the preparation of drinking water,
the treatment of municipal and industrial wastewater and the processing of sludge. Because of
their reactive properties, these products are also
used in the electronic industry as an etching agent.
Akzo Nobel products—such as ferric chloride, ferric
chloride sulfate, ferrochloride, ferrosulfate, poly
aluminum chloride (PAC) and Quadroflocs—are key
to the water purification process.
There are three basic reactions in the process:
1. Precipitation
2. Coagulation
3. Flocculation
These reactions always occur simultaneously.
Akzo Nobel’s internal standards are
more stringent than those set by
authorities in anticipation of official
regulation.
“Approximately 25,000 liters of water
are required to keep a family
of four supplied with food for one day”
Examples of Precipitation:
1) The Removal of Phosphate
Phosphates are a persistent problem in
wastewater and act as nutrients for algae. Thus
the less phosphate there is in water, the less
algae grow. Phosphates can be effectively
removed from water flows by using chemical
precipitation. By adding iron or aluminum salts
to water, phosphates precipitate and settle
together with the biological sludge.
2) Removing Hydrogen Sulfide
The presence of sulfur in sewage water is a
potential risk and can lead to the formation of
highly toxic hydrogen sulfide gas. By adding iron
chloride, the sulfide precipitates thus eliminating
this potential danger. It is therefore essential in
occurring cases to test whether hydrogen sulfide
is present.
For every type of water,
our technical specialists
advice the optimum
combination of metal salts,
dosage and the pH-value
Examples of Coagulation and Flocculation:
1) Drinking Water Preparation
Floating particles—which do not settle of their
own accord—can be made to do so by
neutralizing the electrical charge. The specific
properties of iron and aluminum chlorides play a
decisive role in this process. Colloidal particles
have a negative charge which is neutralized by
the positive charge of the metal ions of iron and
aluminum. As a result, the particles coagulate to
form flocs which are big enough to settle. The
entire process is a combination of the right
metal salts, the precise dosage and the pH of
the water. Our technical specialists determine
the ideal composition of these factors for every
type of water, so that the water is purified
quickly and efficiently. This is particularly
important for the purification of drinking water.
“People in the western world use
approximately 125 liters of water
every day”
2) Avoiding Bulking Sludge
Bulking sludge is a serious problem in waste
water purification. If conditions allow, threadlike
micro-organisms—such as the frequently
occurring Microthrix Parvicella—can grow in
sludge. If this is the case, an intelligent response
is required as these bacteria can seriously
hamper the settling process, the sludge floats
and cannot settle. Quadrofloc—which is a
combination of salts containing aluminum or iron
or both—offers a solution and makes it possible
to treat the various forms of bulking sludge and
foam. Some bacteria are sensitive to aluminum,
and the iron salts then ensure that precipitation
occur, allowing the sludge to settle.
“An average of 36 liters of water
is used everyday
to flush the toilet”
Broad Expertise of all Water Types
Akzo Nobel supplies both chemicals for water
purification, and provides technical expertise on
water purification processes. Our specialists have a
long experience of dealing with every type of water
used in a wide variety of industries and
installations. They are able to provide the best
possible advice on all water purification issues and
can determine which chemicals will produce the
best results. They also have mobile pumps and
storage tanks on hand so that—on site and no
matter what the conditions—they can do full scale
tests in order to select the best method for a
particular type of water. They also think in terms of
the most ecological and economic solutions. As a
company, we attach great importance to
sustainability.
Transport
Akzo Nobel uses various means of transport. We
have special containers for transporting our eco
chemical solutions. For long distances, transport is
by rail. For short distance, road transport is used.
This keeps CO2 emissions from the transport of our
products to a minimum. Trained personnel and
expert supervision guarantee all safety
requirements are met during the loading and
unloading of the tankers.
Akzo Nobel
Akzo Nobel is a multicultural company. We are market-driven and technologybased, serving customers throughout the world with healthcare products,
coatings and chemicals.
Solutions
Serving the water sector optimally requires more
than the use of the right chemicals. It is a delicate
process in which all the links must work together in
unison—people, products and resources. For Akzo
Nobel, the quality of individual and combined
components is a top priority. This enables us to
offer solutions for all our customers’ many diverse
requirements.
Headquartered in Arnhem, the Netherlands, Akzo Nobel conducts its
diversified activities through decentralized business units. The company
embraces the Responsible Care® program and has a proactive environmental
policy with regard to both its products and its production processes.
“Forty percent of the water
used in the west
is in the bathroom”
Base Chemicals
Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals provides the basic products for many chemical
reactions. It produces raw materials and additives, including chlorine, sodium
hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite. A thorough knowledge of
these product’s properties and how to handle them is essential for optimal
application and to ensure the right safety measures are taken. Akzo Nobel
Base Chemicals makes its expertise available to its customers and thus
contributes to the responsible use and completion of the product cycle. Base
Chemicals’ headquarters are in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. It has production
sites in the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden.
Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals bv
Stationsstraat 77
3811 MH Amersfoort
P.O. Box 247
3800 AE Amersfoort
The Netherlands
Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals GmbH
Haupstrasse 47
D-49479 Ibbenbüren
Germany
Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals AB
P.O. Box 503
66329 Skoghall
Sweden
www.basechemicals.com