PVA-PAA hydrogel micro-carrier for the improvement of phase separation efficiency of biomass in wastewater treatment

Phase separation process is influenced by operational factors that can hardly be controlled. This paper demonstrates the results of a series of experiments aiming to solve these problems using polyvinyl-alcohol - poly-acrylic acid copolymer hydrogel micro-carrier for the adherence of microorganisms to achieve better settling properties of the biomass. The nitrification process was examined using hydrogel micro-carriers and conventional activated sludge flocks. The sedimentation properties of the two systems were compared indifferent conditions. Results show that the sedimentation properties of the immobilized system were more favorable than activated sludge flocks.