Novel flocculating agent based on sodium alginate and acrylamide

Graft copolymers of sodium alginate with polyacrylamide were synthesized using a ceric ion initiated solutionn polymerization technique at 27+1oC. Six graft copolymers have been synthesized with a variation in the number and length of grafted polyacrylamide chains. The graft copolymers have been characterized by viscometry, IR spectroscopy, SEM and XRD study. The flocculation chara-cteristics were evaluated in 0.25 et% kaokin and 10 wt% iron ore suspensions. The flocculation behaviour of one
of the above grades has been studied on a 1 wt% coal suspension. The flocculation characteristics of these grafted polymers were also compared with various comm-ercially available polymeric flocculants. Among the grafted alginates, it was observed that, the graft copolymers containing longer polyacrylamide chains were the most efficient.