[Study of ferric species distribution in polyferric silicate sulfate (PFSS) prepared from tetraethylorthosilicate...

In the present experiment, poly-ferric silicate sulfate flocculants were prepared by using tetraethylorthosilicate and poly-ferric sulfate as row materials. Because tetraethylorthosilicate has the characteristic of hydrolyzing very slowly, the hydrolyzing reaction was controlled easily. The products feature uniform distribution of ferric and silicate and good repeatability so that it is easy to study the ferric species. Ferric and silicon species distribution in PFSS was investigated by Fe-ferron complexation timed spectrophotometry method and infrared spectrum method. The experiment showed that the amount of Fe(a) in poly-ferric silicate sulfate flocculants was the most in the three species, while the amount of Fe(b) and Fe(c) was small. As the aging time increased, the amount of Fe(b) and Fe(a) would decrease while the amount of Fe(c) would increase for a certain time; But these three species in poly-ferric silicate sulfate flocculants would not change after 5 days of aging. The iron and silicon species in poly-ferric silicate sulfate flocculants were different between poly-ferric sulfate and poly-silicon. There was not simplicial compound but complex reaction between poly-ferric sulfate and poly-silicon. And a new type of inorganic polymer flocculants, i.e. poly-ferric silicate sulfate flocculants was prepared.