Conditioning aggregates sludge particles and releases bound water so that mechanical dewatering can work. Getting the polymer type and dose right is the single biggest lever on cake dryness and capture rate.
Much of a sludge's water is bound to particles and biofloc and will not release under pressure without conditioning.
Charged fines stabilise the sludge and blind filter media, lowering capture and cake dryness.
Sludge character varies with origin and age, so conditioning must be tuned, not fixed.
Streaming-current titration quantifies the cationic polymer demand to neutralise the sludge charge.
CST measures how readily a conditioned sludge releases water, guiding polymer type and dose.
High-molecular-weight polymers bridge particles into strong, shear-resistant flocs that dewater cleanly.
Capillary Suction Time (CST) measures the time for filtrate to travel a set distance through filter paper under capillary suction. A well-conditioned sludge releases water quickly and shows a low CST; over- or under-dosing raises it. Plotting CST against polymer dose reveals the optimum, the point of minimum CST, which transfers directly to the dewatering plant's polymer set-point and is re-checked as sludge character changes.
Automatic preparation and ageing of emulsion or powder polymer to full activity.
Metered dosing with controlled flocculation mixing ahead of the dewatering unit.
Streaming-current control optimises dose in real time as sludge varies.
Reynolds & Bauhm engineers complete sludge treatment trains — thickening, conditioning, dewatering, stabilisation and drying — matched to your solids and disposal route.
Our expertise spans multiple industries with sector-specific water treatment solutions.