Advanced Treatment of Coking Wastewater by Polyaluminum Silicate Sulfate for Organic Compounds Removal

Coking wastewater is a typical high-strength organic wastewater, for which it is difficult to meet discharging standards with a single biological treatment. In this study, effective advanced treatment of coking wastewater was achieved by coagulation with freshly prepared polyaluminum silicate sulfate (PASS). The performance advantage was determined through comparison with commercial coagulants including ferric chloride, polyferric sulfate, aluminum sulfate and polyaluminum chloride. Both single-factor and Taguchi experiments were conducted to determine the optimal conditions for coagulation with COD Cr and UV 254 as indicators. A dosage of 7 mmol/L PASS, flocculation velocity of 75 r/min, flocculation time of 30 min, pH of 7, and temperature of 20 °C could decrease the COD Cr concentration from 196.67 mg/L to 59.94 mg/L. Enhanced coagulation could further help to remove the organic compounds, including pre-oxidation with ozonation, adsorption with activated carbon, assistant coagulation with polyacrylamide and secondary coagulation. UV spectrum scanning and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed that the coagulation process effectively removed the majority of organic compounds, especially the high molecular weight alkanes and heterocyclic compounds. Coagulation with PASS provides an effective alternative for the advanced treatment of coking wastewater.