WATER REMOVAL FROM SLUDGE IN A HORIZONTAL ELECTRIC FIELD

A new method for sludge dewatering was proposed, in which a horizontal electric field was applied in order to facilitate the dissipation of gases produced at electrodes and to keep the anode soaked in water during the dewatering process. The effects of operation conditions such as the magnitude of electric field strength, pH of aqueous phase, the pretreatment procedures including flocculation, freezing and heating on the water removal were examined, respectively. The morphological difference between the concentrated sludge produced by electrodewatering and by vacuum filtration was revealed with scanning electron microscopy, which shown that electrodewatering was effective in removing the capillary water in the sludge floc. At electric field strength of 1200 V/m, the sludge concentration could be increased from 3 to 8%(w/w), indicating that over 60% of water was removed from the sludge. Compared to those operated in a vertical electric field, the method described in the present study has the advantages in ...