Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2025
Procedure to Evaluate the Efficiency of Flocculants for the Removal of Dispersed Particles from Plant Extracts
Published on: April 9, 2016
Full biomass-based multifunctional flocculant from lignin and cationic starch
Danting Sun1, Jia Zeng1, Dongjie Yang1
1State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Green Chemical Product Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Wushan Road 381, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510640, China.
Researchers developed a novel, eco-friendly flocculant from lignin and cationic starch. This biomass-based material effectively removes turbidity and heavy metals from wastewater, offering a sustainable alternative to synthetic options.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Conventional flocculants like polyacrylamide are petroleum-based, posing environmental concerns.
- There is a need for sustainable and cost-effective alternatives in wastewater treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize a novel, multifunctional flocculant from biomass components: lignin and cationic starch.
- To evaluate the efficacy of the synthesized flocculant in removing turbidity and heavy metals from water.
Main Methods:
- Grafting lignin with cationic starch using a ring-opening reaction with epichlorohydrin.
- Characterization of the synthesized hyperbranched multifunctional lignin-grafted cationic starch flocculant (CS-L).
- Testing the flocculant's performance in removing kaolin suspension (turbidity) and Cu2+ (heavy metal).
Main Results:
- The synthesized CS-L flocculant contained 16.6%–70.1% lignin by mass.
- Achieved over 97% turbidity removal from kaolin suspension at dosages of 4.0–7.5 mg/l.
- Demonstrated 85.7% removal of Cu2+ at 24 mg/l and simultaneous removal of kaolin (90%) and Cu2+ (72%) at 8.0–12.0 mg/l.
Conclusions:
- Lignin-grafted cationic starch is a promising, low-cost, and green multifunctional flocculant.
- The synthesized flocculant offers an effective and sustainable solution for simultaneous removal of suspended solids and heavy metals in wastewater treatment.
