What is coagulation/flocculation primarily used for?

Coagulation and flocculation are processes primarily aimed at improving water clarity by removing suspended particles. During coagulation, chemicals known as coagulants are added to the water, which destabilize the charged particles, allowing them to clump together. This process facilitates the formation of larger aggregates known as flocs during the subsequent flocculation phase. The clumping of these smaller particles into larger aggregates makes it significantly easier to remove them from the water through sedimentation or filtration.

This mechanism is essential in water treatment processes, especially in situations where turbidity must be reduced to meet safety and aesthetic standards for drinking water. While other processes like disinfection, membrane filtration, and cooling can play critical roles in water treatment, they do not serve the primary function of coagulation and flocculation, which focuses on the aggregation of particles for their effective removal.