Water is essential for both industrial and municipal use. In some cases, the chemicals and technology used for water treatment in municipal and industrial sectors differs fundamentally as functions vary as per specific needs of each sector. However, water clarifiers are vital water treatment chemicals for both municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment applications. Water clarifiers are chemical compounds used in water and wastewater treatment processes to remove impurities, which may be metallic, organic, or non-organic in nature. Water clarifiers includes coagulants, flocculants, and pH stabilizers. Coagulants are used to destabilize the suspended particles through chemical reaction, while flocculants are responsible for the transportation of the destabilized particles that cause collisions. pH stabilizers are chemicals that stabilize the pH of water before the coagulation and flocculation processes.
Water Clarifiers
According to MarketsandMarkets The market for water clarifiers is projected to grow from USD 4.89 billion in 2016 to reach USD 7.43 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 6.6%. Mega trends such as shortage of water resources, climate change, higher water consumption due to population growth, and growing importance on environment protection are driving the market for water clarifiers.
Future trends in water clarifiers:
Future trends in water clarifiers would generally include efficient and effective treatment of waste water.
Smart management systems are methods through which effective control of water distribution can be achieved. This process controls distribution and use of water with due consideration of technical and natural water networks and cycles. Wastewater is directed toward municipal waste water treatment plants in due consideration of the infrastructural capacity of the establishment and also focusing on circumventing damage to natural water bodies and shifts into other environmental compartments. These systems are mainly smart networks, which help in managing water requirement and treatment.
Optimization of production process using production-integrated processes enables requirement of less water, reduced contaminant loads, and increase in economical recycling of wastewater. In addition, this process maintains the quality of water.
Water environment should be considered as an important factor while taping natural resources as well as artificial. Areas with rich water resources do not need the same technological input as areas with low water resources. Use of proper tools should be inculcated for determining availability of water. Zero liquid discharge is likely to remain a major trend in water conservation efforts.
Use of alternative water resources such as storm water, treated (municipal) waste water, and condensate are expected to gain acceptance in the near future. Improved analytical methods, including biological effects analysis is likely to supplement chemical analysis in the next five years.
Energy efficiency of water treatment processes needs to be considered as a major factor. Evaluation of energy efficiency of each and every treatment process needs to be achieved. Development and commercialization of high-temperature processes to treat water such as membranes and sorbents are required to be driven forward to avoid heat transfer losses.
Technological advancements such as high-temperature processes, contamination-controlled treatment of suds, selective separation techniques, salt separation through non-toxic extraction agent, removal of refractory materials through process optimization, new catalysts and process integration, new environmentally-sound materials for process intensification and efficiency enhancement such as hybrid materials, catalysts, sorbents, membranes, auxiliary materials (green flocculants, antiscalants, biocides), and improvement in technology through development of demo plants and facilities which can also launch new products will further provide scope for improvement in the field of water treatment and meet demand, globally.
Conclusion:
Water treatment plays an important role in day-to-day life of every individual, and water clarifiers are the crucial water treatment chemicals. In future, shortage of resources and population growth will be the major concern areas for the water industry. As per the United Nations, more than 5 billion people would be effected owing to water shortages by 2050. Demand for water is expected to be the largest in the developing countries. In the meantime, adverse climatic conditions are likely to put an added stress on supplies. The above-mentioned technologies and treatment processes would help in minimizing wastage of water and support timely renewal and use of water resources. In addition, water recycling would help in sustaining required water levels in industrial as well as municipal sectors.
