CHEMICAL ENGINEERING LABORATORY VII (EP 329)

NO. OF EXPERIMENT: 5

TITLE OF EXPERIMENT: JAR TEST

NAME: 1) MOHAMAD TASLIN SHAH BIN IBRAMSHAH

2) TAN CHIN YING
3) RESHNA KUMMARI A/P MOHAN
4) KAM JIA YAN
5) ABDIRAHMAN YASIN IBRAHIM

STUDENT ID: 1) 1001748107

2) 1001851476
3) 1001643817
4) 1001954749
5) 1001852370

GROUP: 1

DATE OF EXPERIMENT: 22 FEB 2021

TUTOR: MS. RAFIZAH BINTI ZAITON

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY & BUILT ENVIRONMENT

2021
EXPERIMENT 5 : JAR TEST

TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENTS PAGE

1. Problem Statement 1

2. Hypothesis 1

3. Objectives 1

4. Introduction 1

5. Material and Apparatus 3

6. Procedures 3

7. Results and Calculations 3

8. Discussion 4

9. Limitation 5

10. Conclusion 5

11. Reference 6

12. Rubric 7
PROBLEM STATEMENT

1. What is the relationship between coagulant dosage and turbidity level?

2. How much alum (Aluminium Sulphate) is required to remove all suspended solid in
the waster sample?
3. What other coagulant can replace alum?

HYPOTHESIS

 The relationship between the dosage of coagulant and turbidity removal is directly
proportional.

OBJECTIVES

 To conduct a jar test by using aluminum sulphate for turbidity removal in tap water
samples.
 To plot a graph and determine the relationship between dosage of coagulant and
turbidity removal.
 To understand the importance of coagulant in wastewater treatment.

INTRODUCTION

Jar testing is a pilot-scale test of the treatment chemicals used in a particular water plant. It
simulates the coagulation and flocculation process in a water treatment plant and helps
operators determine if they are using the right amount of treatment chemicals, and, thus,
improves the plant’s performance. A jar test apparatus, used for this experiment, is
schematically shown in Figure 1.

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 It consists of six identical beakers and each equipped with a stirrer. The stirrers are driven
by one motor, thus giving each the same rotation velocity. Turbidity in water is caused by
suspended and colloidal matter such as clay, silt, finely divided organic and inorganic matter,
and plankton and other microscopic organisms. Particles with sizes greater than 50 𝜇m settle
fairly rapidly while the settling velocities of colloidal particles of sizes less than 50 𝜇m are very
slow. Thus, coagulation-flocculation process is a very important step in water and wastewater
treatment. Raw water, after screening, continues to have impurities in suspension and in
solution.

One of the objectives of water treatment is to promote the settling of suspended particulate
matter. The coagulation process utilizes what is known as a chemical coagulant (aluminium or
iron salts) to promote particle agglomeration. Most suspended particles carry a negative
electrostatic charge. This means that they repulse each other and thus stay in suspension. If
their electrostatic charge can be neutralized, they would become destabilized, attract each other,
agglomerate and settle. Chemical coagulants are added to the raw water and for a brief period
rapid mixing is carried out. Having produced the microfloc, the objective is then to produce a
floc of adequate size that will settle under gravity. The next process is to subject the microfloc
solution to a slow flocculation procedure. Removal of turbidity by coagulation depends on the
type of colloids in suspension, the temperature, pH, and chemical composition of the water, the
type and dosage of coagulants, and the degree and time of mixing provided for chemical
dispersion and floc formation.

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MATERIAL AND APPARATUS

Aluminium Sulphate (Alum), cement, tap water sample, jar test apparatus, six beakers, stirring
rod, analytical weighing scale, turbidity meter.

PROCEDURE

1. 500ml of tap water sample was filled into 6 beakers.

2. 3g of cement were added into each of the beakers.
3. Specific masses of alum were added to each beaker as shown below:
Beakers Mass of Alum (mg)

1 0

2 10

3 15

4 20

5 25

6 30

4. The mixtures in each beaker were placed in the jar test apparatus and stirred at 200rpm
speed for 5 minutes.
5. The beakers were removed from the jar test apparatus and mixtures in the beaker were
allowed to settle down.
6. The sample of mixture from all 6 beakers were measured for turbidity using a turbidity
meter.

RESULT & CALCULATION

Aluminum Sulphate added

(mg) Final turbidity (NTU) Turbidity removal (NTU)
0 77 0
10 25.7 51.3
15 22.9 54.1
20 22.6 54.4
25 22.1 54.9
30 14.5 62.5

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 Aluminum Sulphate added (mg) vs Turbidity removal (NTU)
70

60
Turbidity removal (NTU)

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Aluminum Sulphate added (mg)

DISCUSSION

In this experiment, aluminium sulphate was used to determine the removal of turbidity
in the water sample. First, 500ml of tap water sample was filled to the 6 beakers each. Then,
3g of cement added to each of the beakers. Cement contained lime compound which is act as
coagulant aid in the coagulation process. Cement was used as coagulant aid because it is easily
accessible and widely used in water treatment plant. The coagulation efficiency and turbidity
removal greater when using it in accompany with alum. The masses of alum were added to the
mixture as per table shown in the procedure. The breakers were placed in the jar test apparatus
and stirred at 200rpm speed for 5 minutes. Then, reduced in the speed of stirring and allowed
for micro floc settlement by gravity. At last, the final turbidity level in the beakers was
measured using turbidity meter. The optimum dosage of alum for turbidity removal in tap water
was determined by graph plotting, dosage of alum vs the final turbidity of tap water sample.

From the graph plotted, it shows that highest turbidity removal when the dosage of
alum was 30mg. The lower the pH of the water sample, the greater the amount of alum
dosage will be required to get a clearer solution. Since, in the experiment same type of tap
water was used for the 6 beakers, the pH was same and didn’t affect the alum of dosage. The
graph also shown, the turbidity removal in tap water not vary much, when the dosage of alum

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added 15mg, 20mg and 25mg. An overdose of alum in effluent poses threat to both
ecosystem and human health such as intestinal constipation, abdomen colic and spasms. In
conclusion, the optimum dosage of alum for higher turbidity removal was 15mg.

Apart from alum, ferric chloride also can be used as coagulant in wastewater treatment
process. Ferric chloride produced positive charges to neutralize the negative charges on the
particles. The particles stick together, forming larger particles which more easily to remove.
Ferric chloride able to function efficiently over wide ranges of pH and raw water
temperatures. It is less sensitive to low water temperatures; lower dosages are required to
achieve water treatment goals. It also produced lower metal residuals. Ferric chloride
produced less chemical and chloride residuals, resulting in lower final turbidity in tap water.

LIMITATION

The limitations of the experiment are the turbidity meter must be calibrated with the
standard solution before using. It may affect the result if the turbidity meter has not been
calibrated. Besides, the limitations of experiment are, must wipe sample bottle dry. This is
because if no wipe dry, the distilled water or other chemical will mix into the water sample and
affect the results incorrect. In addition, the limitations of experiment are, should let the floc of
the sample settle down for 10 to 15 minutes before take the sample to measure the turbidity.
This is because the floc will stay in suspension and floats after stir. This will affect the result
incorrect if no settle down the sample. When taking the sample to measure the turbidity, the
sample must be taken from the top of each beaker and do not stirring or disturbing the sample
because it will also affect the result. Furthermore, when put in the sample bottle into the
turbidity meter, the mark of the bottle and the turbidity meter must be in same direction.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, this experiment was carried out and the objective of this experiment
which is to determine the relationship between the coagulant dosage and turbidity level has
also achieved. The Jar Test experiment is actually a small-scale preliminary test of the
treatment chemicals used in water plant. This test mimics the condition and processes that take
place in the clarification portion of water and wastewater treatment plants. It helps to determine
if the appropriate dosage of treatment chemicals are used in the water plant to achieve the best

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result. After the experiment, the results obtained are plotted a graph of turbidity removal versus
coagulation dosage. From the graph, the highest dosage of Aluminium Sulphate which is 30mg
can reduce the turbidity level of water sample from 77 NTU to 14.5 NTU. As conclusion, the
experiment can be concluded as the higher the dosage of coagulant, the lower the turbidity
level.

REFERENCE

1. Hudson, Herbert E., and E.G. Wagner. “Conduct and Uses of Jar Tests.” Journal

(American Water Works Association), vol. 73, no. 4, 1981, pp. 218–223,

www.jstor.org/stable/41271157?seq=1.

2. Saritha, V., et al. “Analysis and Optimization of Coagulation and Flocculation

Process.” Applied Water Science, vol. 7, no. 1, 1 Feb. 2015, pp. 451–460,

10.1007/s13201-014-0262-y.

3. Haghiri, Sadaf, et al. “Optimum Coagulant Forecasting by Modeling Jar Test

Experiments Using ANNs.” Drinking Water Engineering and Science, vol. 11, no. 1,

29 Jan. 2018, pp. 1–8, 10.5194/dwes-11-1-2018.

4. Asrafuzzaman, Md, et al. “Reduction of Turbidity of Water Using Locally Available

Natural Coagulants.” ISRN Microbiology, 19 Dec. 2011,

www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2011/632189/.

5. Griffith, J. David, and Robert G. Williams. “Application of Jar-Test Analysis at

Phoenix, Ariz.” Journal (American Water Works Association), vol. 64, no. 12, 1972,

pp. 825–830, www.jstor.org/stable/41266624?seq=1.

6. Wikipedia Contributors. “Coagulation (Water Treatment).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia

Foundation, 28 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coagulation_(water_treatment).

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