Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Sedimentation, or clarification, is the processes of letting suspended material

settle by gravity. Suspended material may be particles, such as clay or silts, originally

present in the source water. Suspended material or floc is typically created from

materials in the water and chemicals used in coagulation or, in other treatment processes,

such as lime softening. Sedimentation is accomplished by decreasing the velocity of the

water to a point which the particles will no longer remain in suspension. When the

velocity no longer supports the particles, gravity will remove them from the water flow.

Depending on the concentration of solids and the tendency of particles to interact

the following four types of settling may occur:

Type 1 – Discrete settling

Type 2 – Flocculent settling

Type 3 – Hindered or zone settling

Type 4 – Compression settling

1. Type 1 – Discrete Settling:

In discrete settling, particles settle as individual entities, and there is no significant

interaction with neighboring particles. Discrete particles have little tendency to

flocculate or coalesce upon contact with each other and hence they do not change

their size, shape or mass during settling. Discrete settling refers to the sedimentation

of particles in a suspension of low solids concentration. Grit in sewage behave like

 discrete particles and hence their settling in grit chambers corresponds to discrete

settling.

2. Type 2 – Flocculent Settling:

In flocculent settling, particles flocculate or coalesce during settling. By

flocculation or coalescing, the particles increase in mass and thus settle at a faster rate.

Flocculent settling refers to the sedimentation of particles in a rather dilute suspension

with concentration of solids usually less than 1000 mg/l.

The degree of flocculation depends on the contact opportunities which in turn are

affected by the surface overflow rate, the depth of the basin, the concentration of the

particles, the range of particle sizes and the velocity gradient in the system. The removal

of organic suspended solids from raw or untreated sewage in primary settling tanks,

settling of chemical floes in settling tanks and of bioflocs in the upper portion of

secondary settling tanks are the examples of flocculent settling.

3. Type 3 – Hindered or Zone Settling:

When concentration of flocculent particles in in intermediate range, they are close

enough together so that inter-particle forces are sufficient to hinder the settling of

neighboring particles resulting in hindered settling. The particles maintain their relative

positions with respect to each other and the whole mass of particles settles as a unit or

zone.

This type of settling is applicable to concentrated suspensions such as are found

in secondary settling tanks used in conjunction with biological treatment units such as
trickling filters and activated sludge units. In the hindered settling zone, the

concentration of particles increases from top to bottom leading to thickening of sludge.

Such secondary clarifiers where zone settling occurs are designed on the basis of

solids loading or solid flux and checked for surface overflow rate, both of which can be

determined by conducting settling column analysis.

4. Type 4 – Compression Settling:

This refers to settling in which the concentration of particles is so high that

particles are in physical contact with each other resulting in the formation of a structure

with lower layers supporting the weight of upper layers. Consequently further settling

occurs due to compression of the whole structure of particles and accompanied by

squeezing out of water from the pores between the solid particles.

In this experiment, chalk is used as sediments present in the water with the

sedimentation process observed in a sedimentation apparatus while taking measurements

of solids height with each given time intervals. It should also be noted that this

experiment deals specifically with hindered settling.

References:

Minnesota Rural Water Association (2010). Sedimentation. Retrieved on February 15,

2020 from https://www.mrwa.com/WaterWorksMnl/Chapter%2013%20Sedmentation.pdf

V. Gautam (2012). Settling of Solids: Types and Analysis| Sedimentation| Waste

Management. Retrieved on February 15, 2020 from

http://www.engineeringenotes.com/waste-management/sedimentation/settling-of-solids-types-

and-analysis-sedimentation-waste-management/40310