EFFECT OF CATIONIC POLYACRYLAMIDE ON THE SEEDED AGGLOMERATION PROCESS OF SODIUM ALUMINATE LIQUORS

Effect of cationic polyacrylamide (PAM) on the seeded agglomeration process of sodium aluminate liquors was investigated, conclusions were drawn as follows. Cationic PAM can increase precipitation ratio of sodium aluminate liquors and it is 2.5% higher than the blank at the dosage of 2.5 ppm. It can also improve particle size distribution (PSD) of gibbsite products. Average size of the products is 4.6 mu m larger and particles less than 45 gm is 21% less than the blank at the dosage of 10 ppm. Gibbsite agglomerates with the addition of cationic PAM are made up of median size crystallines which are filled with many crystallines of 5 mu m or so, and there fill with even less ones among 5 mu m crystallines. That is to say, cationic PAM is beneficial to get products of higher intensity. Cationic PAM is expected to be a crystal growth modifier (CGM) or be one component of CGM.