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Updated: Dec 31, 2025
Procedure to Evaluate the Efficiency of Flocculants for the Removal of Dispersed Particles from Plant Extracts
Published on: April 9, 2016
Preparation of octopus-like lignin-grafted cationic polyacrylamide flocculant and its application for water
Nian Chen1, Weifeng Liu1, Jinhao Huang1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Green Fine Chemicals, South China University of Technology, Wushan Road 381, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China.
Abstract:
High efficiency lignin-grafted cationic polyacrylamide (L-CPA) flocculant was synthesized via "grafting to" method using acrylamide (AM), methylacryloyloxyethyltrimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC) and enzymatic hydrolysis lignin (EHL) as raw materials. The linear pre-polymer of cationic polyacrylamide (CPA) terminated with chlorine was first synthesized and then grafted onto EHL via reactions of chlorine with phenolic hydroxyl groups in lignin molecules. The synthesized L-CPA could self-assemble into octopus-like nanospheres with CPA segments dissolved in water and hydrophobic lignin skeletons concentrated in the core, which endowed the L-CPA with excellent flocculation efficiency for kaolin suspension under faintly acid, neutral or alkalescent conditions (pH = 5-9). Only a small dosage between 4.0-4.5 mg/L of L-CPA was needed for flocculation of the kaolin suspension. The charge neutralization and bridging effect was proposed for the flocculation mechanism of the lignin-grafted cationic polyacrylamide. The octopus-like L-CPA was cheap, environmentally friendly and technically feasible, showing a great prospect in wastewater treatment.
