%0 Journal Article
%T The performance of quaternary-ammonium chitosan in wastewater treatment: The overlooked role of solubility.
%A Hua F
%A Zhang Z
%A Zhao Z
%A Hou X
%A Qu J
%A Lv C
%A Hu Q
%J Int J Biol Macromol
%V 272
%N 0
%D 2024 Jun 10
%M 38862322
%F 8.025
%R 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132933
%X Quaternary-ammonium chitosan (CT-CTA) is a popular water treatment agent, and its electropositivity and cation strength are improved compared with chitosan. The use of CT-CTA is widely advocated to remove suspended particles and organic matter from wastewater. However, the solubility of CT-CTA is an important factor affecting the performance of CT-CTA, which is a neglected problem in previous studies. In the study, CT-CTA with different solubilities were prepared by adjusting pH from 2 to 7 in preparation, and their applications were explored in wastewater. When the pH was 2, 2.5, or 3, the obtained CT-CTA was a dissolved state. The turbidity and color removal were 95 % - 98 % and 60 % - 74 %, respectively. When the pH was 4, 5, 6, or 7, the obtained CT-CTA was a solid state. The turbidity and color removal were 30 % - 63 % and 90 % - 97 %, respectively. For domestic-wastewater treatment, CT-CTA in a dissolved state removed 92 % of turbidity and 50 % of chemical oxygen demand (COD). CT-CTA in a solid state removed 86 % of turbidity and 64 % of COD with poly aluminum chloride (PAC). The results illustrated the performance of CT-CTA with different solubilities, which can broaden its application in wastewater treatment.