The Klearwater Oligomer.

Welcome to the web site for Klearwater Equipment & Technologies Corp.

Klearwater Equipment & Technologies Co,

28 Sunset Close SE

Calgary,

Alberta,

Canada,

T2X 3A8.

Telephone     403  254  4240.

Toll Free       888  696  6561.

Facsimile      403  254  5541.

E-mail           info@klearwater.ca

The Klearwater Equipment & Technologies Corp. Logo.

The Klearwater Equipment & Technologies Corp. logo is the schematic structure of the [Al12(OH)24AlO4(H2O)12]7+ polycation (often referred to more simply as Al13) that is the basis of polyaluminum chemistry as practiced in the water treatment industry.  This schematic structure was first characterized by Jean-Yues Bottero and Francois Fiessinger and publised in the Nordic Pulp and Paper Research Journal, Volume 4, No. 2, 1989.  The manuscript was first received in November 1988 and was accepted for publication, after peer review, in May 1989.

Aluminum salts have been used as coagulants in water and wastewater treament for many centuries.  In the 1970's the use of polyaluminum chloride salts was first investigated.  As aluminum chloride is progressively neutralized by sodium hydroxide, so the charactisterics of the resulting salts change.  More significantly, the ratio of the various salts in solution also changes, however, the most effective coagulants are those with the highest concentration of the polycation [Al12(OH)24AlO4(H2O)12]7+.  With increasing pH this oligomer forms aggregates whose size and structure depend on surface charge.  When the surface charge is high the aggregates are very open.  When the pH increases, the surface charge decreases and the number of anchoring sites on each Al13 oligomer increases leading to a more dense structure.

This dense structure allows for the relative stability of the [Al12(OH)24AlO4(H2O)12]7+ oligomer; it has been postulated that the structure of Al13 can remain stable within a 1 hour window of aging time.  This is a very significant, and beneficial, feature in water treatment.  All aluminum salts revert to the Al(OH)3 precipitate under hydrolysis conditions, but the longevity of this polycation, and it's 7+ charge make it a far more effective coagulant than the monomers and dimers associated with other aluminum salts.  By mainitaining a cationic charge for up to an hour, the polyaluminum chloride species can coagulate mineral turbidity and organic colour by direct charge neutralization mechanisms until all reactions reach completion.

The Klearwater Equipment & Technologies Corp. range of Isopac coagulants utilizes the [Al12(OH)24AlO4(H2O)12]7+ cation, indeed, Isopac contains one of the highest concentrations of Al13 available as a commercial product.