If you are new to water treatment, Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC) is the coagulant most plants reach for first. It is fast, flexible, and works across drinking water, municipal wastewater, and most industrial streams.
How It Works in One Paragraph
Untreated water carries tiny, negatively charged particles that repel each other and never settle. PAC releases positively charged polymeric aluminum species that neutralize those charges. The particles then collide, grow into flocs, and settle or float out. That is coagulation in a nutshell.
Where PAC Is Used
| Application | What PAC removes |
|---|---|
| Drinking water | Turbidity, suspended solids, algae, part of NOM |
| Municipal wastewater | SS, colloids, particulate COD, color |
| Industrial wastewater | Depends on industry — textile color, mining fines, food solids, paper-mill white water |
| Process water recycling | SS before filtration or membranes |
Why PAC Beat Traditional Alum
- Faster floc formation
- Works across a wider pH window
- Consumes less alkalinity
- Denser flocs = shorter clarifier retention
- Available in powder, granular, and liquid forms
Grades at a Glance
PAC is sold by Al₂O₃ content — commonly 22%, 26%, 28%, 30%. Higher number is not automatically better. Match the grade to the water (see our PAC basicity deep-dive for the technical reasoning).
Selecting a Supplier
Look for:
- Consistent Al₂O₃ and basicity batch-to-batch
- Low insoluble matter
- COA, SDS, TDS
- Drinking-water certification where required
- Reliable export supply
FAQ
No. PAC is the coagulant. PAM is usually the flocculant that follows.
No. It removes particles and colloids. Dissolved salts need membranes or ion exchange.
By jar test. Raw-water pH, alkalinity, and turbidity all change the answer.
Conclusion
PAC is the workhorse coagulant of modern water treatment. Fast, flexible, and well-documented — but always matched to the water by jar test, not by price tag.
*KolinSC supplies PAC in 22–30% Al₂O₃ grades. Request a quote with your water analysis →
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