U NIVERSITI KUALA LUMPUR

MALAYSIAN INSTITUTE OF
CHEMICA L & BIOENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY

CBB 30204
BIOSEPARATIONS ENGINEERING

TECHNOLOGY

EXPERIMENT 3
JAR TEST (FLOCCULATION)

CBB 30204 Bioseparations Engineering Technology

2 Experiment 3 (Flocculation)

OBJECTIVES

1. To remove the turbidity of solution

2. To study the effect of flocculant concentration
3. To compare the effect of flocculating agents on flocs sedimentation

APPARATUS AND CHEMICAL REQUIRED

1. beakers (3 per group)
2. aluminium sulphate solution
3. ferric sulphate solution
4. stirrer
5. cheesecloth
6. acid/ base solution to adjust pH

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES

1. Prepare a turbid water sample by adding 500 mg of mud to 1 Lof tap water
and filter the natural sediment.
2. Determine turbidity of the sample and record by image. This is the stock
solution.
3. Fill each numbered beaker with sample.
4. Adjust stock solution to pH 8 with HCl/NaOH.
5. Add each alum and ferric to the stock by dissolving 10g powder in 1L
distilled water separately.
6. Repeat for 5g and 20g of alum and ferric.
7. Start the stirrers at 100 rpm and add quickly following doses of alum in each
beaker and keep rapid mixing for exactly 1 min.

Beaker #

Alum, g

10

20

Ferric, g

10

20

CBB 30204 Bioseparations Engineering Technology

8. Reduce the speed of stirrers to 40 rpm and continue for 40 minutes.

9. Stop and raise the paddles above water level and leave the beakers for flocs
to settle for 30 minutes.
10. Siphon out clear sample from each beaker without disturbing settled sludge.
11. Record the turbidity of each sample by image.

ASSIGNMENT

1. Determine and explain the principle of flocculation in the experiment.

CBB 30204 Bioseparations Engineering Technology