Intensification of flotation treatment by exposure to vibration

In this paper, an intensification of wastewater flotation treatment by exposure to vibration is studied. Exposure to vibration results in the decrease of air bubble size, increase of air flow through the aerator and more even dispersion of air bubbles in water. This intensifies the aeration process, thus significantly improving the treatment efficiency. A multistage model of flotation kinetics has been applied in order to take into consideration the effects of vibration. The model gives a thorough explanation of the flotation process with consideration of ‘air bubble – contaminant particle’ aggregate formation. A large series of experiments was conducted with paint and varnish industry wastewaters. It is shown that vibroflotation results in an increase of treatment efficiency by up to three times. A comparison of the experimental data with the results of mathematical modeling is presented, showing a good correlation of theoretical and experimental results.