Cationic tamarind kernel polysaccharide (Cat TKP): A novel polymeric flocculant for the treatment of textile industry wastewater

Synthesis of cationic tamarind kernel polysaccharide (Cat TKP), its detailed physicochemical characterization and application as an efficient flocculant for the treatment of textile industry wastewater have been investigated. N-3-Chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (CHPTAC) was used as a cationic reagent to introduce quaternary amine groups onto the backbone of tamarind kernel polysaccharide (TKP). Various grades were synthesized to obtain the optimized one. Effect of reaction parameters onto the degree of cationization has also been investigated. The synthesized polymers were characterized by various macromolecular characterization techniques, which confirm that cationization does take place. Afterwards, the applicability of TKP and various grades of Cat TKP's as flocculants for the treatment of textile industry wastewater was investigated. The flocculation experiments showed that TKP alone contributes little to the flocculation. However, cationic TKP led to significant improvement as flocculant for the treatment of textile industry wastewater. The best performing Cat TKP (i.e. Cat TKP 3) was thereafter compared with a commercial flocculant, which is cationic in nature. It has been observed that Cat TKP 3 surpasses the flocculation efficiency over commercial flocculant.