Brief description of the process
Iron can be contained in water as a dissolved matter or as a precipitate suspended.
Obviously, the removal of suspended iron, normally consisting of ferric hydroxide, is not
very complicated; it can be made by mean of a common mechanical filtration (mechanical
sediment filters, sand dual media filters).
The removal of the dissolved iron, normally consisting of ferrous ion, instead, means first of
all to oxidize it to ferric ion, then its precipitation, and at least the mechanical filtration of the
suspended form.
Indeed, the dissolved iron, as Fe++ can be converted, by chemical oxidation, to Fe+++
It is important to note that pH of raw water must be over than neutral (pH ≥ 7); indeed, if it
was acid, it makes difficult the precipitation of iron.
Treatment process
Some of the most used systems to remove iron from water are mentioned below:
1. Oxidation followed by filtration through quartz sand (dual media) filter
Whether the quantity of iron in water is almost low (0.5÷1.0 ppm) and raw water
alkaline (pH >7.5), it is possible to oxidize and make precipitate of dissolved iron by
the addiction of air in water inside a proper sized tank, upstream of a filtration stage.
This way of treatment can give good results only when the chemical conditions, as
above, are very favourable; the action can be improved by the addiction of a strong
oxidizing agent (like sodium hypochlorite) to the water, upstream of a tank (oxidation
tank). The capacity of this tank should be proper sized according to a proper oxidation
time.
Nobel dual media filters, series FCV and FCD are suitable to remove the suspended
solids produced by the oxidation.
2. Catalytic oxidation with addiction of permanganate
In most common cases, pH of raw water is around neutral and the quantity of iron is over
than 1 ppm. In these cases, it is preferable to make a catalytic oxidation in conjunction with
filtration. This process can be made by a special media filter, able to feature both oxidation
and filtration.
The media filter includes a supporting bottom layer of selected quartz-sand, a layer of the
special oxidizing media and a top layer of inert material to improve filtration.
The oxidizing capacity of the media filter is kept and/or re-built by injection of potassium
permanganate, which is a strong oxidizing agent.
The injection of potassium permanganate can be made continuously, by mean a proportional
dosing unit, upstream of the filter unit, or, otherwise, in a discontinuous way, usually
performed immediately after a backwashing of the filtering bed.
The correct choice of the continuous injection mode or, instead, the discontinuous one,
should be made according to several factors, i.e. the dimensions of the plant, the quality of
raw water, the presence in water of manganese, which is often contained in water together
with iron.
Whether the filtration by oxidizing media is used, the pH of raw water must be over than
neutral (pH ≥ 7) and it should not be too much free chlorine.
Catalytic oxidation WITHOUT addiction of permanganate
The availability of potassium permanganate is becoming very difficult in last time being, and
subject to restriction and limitation in many countries.
Hence, the utilization of a new filtering media, not requiring any regeneration with
permanganate, has been widely diffused.
The new media simply requires the dosing of chlorine upstream of the filter itself.
Since the chlorine addiction (normally dosed as sodium hypochlorite), is often used also for
disinfection of water, the iron removing process is very simple and inexpensive to be
handled.
The used filtering media is manganese dioxide (pyrolusite), made from natural mineral,
properly selected for this special application, activated in a special oven and screened at
correct size.
The standard composition of the filtering bed is a mixture of pyrolusite (approx 25 % in
volume) and quartz-sand.
Their grain sizes must be properly selected in order to obtain the best mixture and avoid the
separation during the backwashing.
During filtration, when the water gets in touch with catalytic media, the oxidation of iron and
manganese happens; they precipitate as insoluble compounds (Mn2+→ MnO2, Fe2+→
Fe(OH)3) and then are filtered by mean of the filtering action of the filtering bed itself.
The catalytic action of pyrolusite, supported by a strong chemical oxidizing agent (sodium
hypochlorite or oxygen) is self-regenerating.
The involved reactions are substantially the following:
NaClO + 2 Fe2+ → 2 Fe3+ + Cl– + NaOH
NaClO + 2 Fe(OH)2 + H2O → 2 Fe(OH)3 + NaCl
2 Fe2+ + ½ O2 + 5 H2O → 2 Fe(OH)3 + 4 H+
2 Mn2+ + ½ O2 + 3 H2O → 2 MnO(OH) + 4 H+
During backwashing the precipitates of iron hydroxides and exceeding quantity of manganese
dioxide are carried away to drain.
The value of pH of raw water is very important for the correct working of the process.
Indeed, with pH values Nobel iron removal filters series FFV and FFD, are designed to
work according to continuous injection of sodium hypochlorite.
