Technical chemistry

Plant Chemical Guide

Typical chemical programmes for common industrial water and wastewater treatment systems. Use this as a selection framework, not as a dosing prescription.

Engineering note: Chemical selection and dosage must be finalized from actual water analysis, process load, jar tests or pilot data where appropriate, equipment/OEM limits, discharge/reuse targets and operator safety requirements. Product names are intentionally kept generic; the technical team can recommend a product and dosing programme after reviewing the application.

ETP

Effluent Treatment Plant

  • Coagulant: PAC, alum or ferric-based chemistry
  • Polymer/flocculant selected from jar testing
  • pH/alkalinity adjustment as required
  • Antifoam where process foam interferes with treatment
  • Biological nutrients/culture when the biological stage needs support

Monitor COD, BOD, TSS, pH, MLSS/biological health and sludge characteristics before changing chemical dose.

ETP technical page

STP

Sewage Treatment Plant

  • Biological culture support where commissioning or upset recovery requires it
  • Alkalinity/pH correction where biological activity needs support
  • Disinfection chemistry such as sodium hypochlorite where chlorine is selected
  • Dechlorination chemistry when downstream reuse equipment requires low residual chlorine

Dose according to treated-water target, chlorine demand and biological process stability.

STP technical page

RO

Reverse Osmosis Plant

  • RO antiscalant selected from feed-water chemistry
  • Sodium metabisulfite or another dechlorination approach where chlorine protection is required
  • pH adjustment when required by membrane chemistry and pretreatment
  • CIP acid, alkaline and specialty cleaners selected for the actual foulant

Membrane chemistry depends on feed TDS, hardness, silica, iron, manganese, SDI, oxidant exposure and recovery.

RO technical page

Boiler

Boiler Water Treatment

  • Phosphate/polymer scale and deposit control
  • Oxygen-scavenger chemistry selected for feedwater conditions
  • Alkalinity and pH control
  • Condensate/amine treatment where applicable

Control should be tied to boiler pressure, feedwater quality, blowdown, cycles and OEM water chemistry limits.

Boiler technical page

Cooling Tower

Cooling Water Treatment

  • Scale/corrosion inhibitor programme
  • Oxidizing and/or non-oxidizing biocide programme
  • Biodispersant where deposits support microbiological fouling
  • pH and cycles-of-concentration control

The programme should consider makeup-water chemistry, metallurgy, cycles, temperature, microbiological monitoring and discharge constraints.

Cooling tower page

Softener

Water Softener Plant

  • Sodium chloride brine for resin regeneration
  • Resin cleaner or iron-fouling treatment when justified by service history
  • Pre-treatment chemistry where raw-water iron, organics or oxidants threaten resin life

Regeneration dosage should follow resin capacity, hardness leakage, vessel design and brine system settings.

Softener technical page

DM

Demineralisation Plant

  • Hydrochloric or sulfuric acid for cation regeneration, as designed
  • Sodium hydroxide for anion regeneration
  • Mixed-bed regeneration chemistry for polishing service
  • Optional cleaning chemistry only when resin fouling is diagnosed

Acid concentration and caustic strength depend on resin type, exchange capacity, equipment design and regeneration method.

DM technical page

DI & EDI

Deionization and Continuous Electrodeionization

  • Conventional DI: acid and caustic regeneration chemistry
  • EDI: conditioned feedwater with chemistry controlled to OEM limits
  • Electrode/rinse streams should follow the EDI equipment supplier's operating envelope

EDI is not a simple drop-in replacement for conventional resin regeneration; pretreatment and feed conductivity/silica/CO2 control are critical.

DI/EDI reference page

ZLD

Zero Liquid Discharge

  • Coagulant/polymer for pretreatment where required
  • pH-control chemistry
  • Antiscalant for membrane or concentration stages when appropriate
  • Antifoam and thermal scale-control chemistry where required

Concentrate chemistry, silica, hardness and thermal operating conditions must be reviewed before selecting the final programme.

ZLD technical page

Filtration

Filtration & Clarification

  • Coagulant/polymer when filtration follows chemical clarification
  • Disinfection chemistry where microbial control is required
  • Media-cleaning chemistry selected for the contaminant and media type
  • Cartridge/bag filtration normally relies on correct pretreatment rather than routine chemical dosing

Backwash frequency, turbidity breakthrough and pressure drop should drive operational decisions.

Filtration technical page

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