TURBIDITY AND SUSPENDED SOLID REMOVAL FROM BORON INDUSTRY WASTEWATER BY COAGULATION

Turkey has the richest boron reserve in the world. Colemanite, Tincal and Ulexite are used in the production of Boric acid, Sodium borates and Sodium Perborates, respectively. As a result of these production processes, the amount of solid waste and wastewater is quite high and in order for these wastes not to cause different environmental problems, they must either be disposed in some way or the boron contain must be removed. Wastewater, used in the study, was taken from Bandirma Boron and Acid Works. Boron concentration, suspended solids and turbidity values of this wastewater are approximately 2750 mg/L, 530 mg/L and 900 NTU, respectively. While it was being attempted to drop the turbidity or suspended solids value of wastewater, the amount of boron was also controlled simultaneously. Coagulation and flocculation processes were used to reduce turbidity and suspended solids, and these processes were optimized by jar test. Al(2)(SO(4))(3) and FeCl(3), as coagulant agents and nonionic flocculent, polyethylene oxide and anionic flocculent, taken from Bandirma Boron and Acid Works as flocculent agents, were used. Consequently, turbidity and suspended solids concentration of wastewater was reduced from 900 to 2 NTU and from 530 to >1 mg/L, respectively, giving a clear treated water. Although turbidity and suspended solids were decreasing, boron concentration was not significantly decreased. Since optimum coagulation and flocculation efficiencies were achieved with original pH value of the wastewater (7.83), it was chosen as the optimum pH value for coagulation and flocculation process.