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questions about handling studio waste--settling solids

updated thu 22 jan 04

 

Dave Finkelnburg on wed 21 jan 04


Paulette Carr asked about settling the solids in her wash bucket. She was
using salt as a settling aid for clay and glaze wash water. She deserves a
pat on the back for testing something else and then reporting the result of
her test. Good job, Paulette! I sent her the note at the bottom below,
and she wrote back as follows.
Regards,
Dave Finkelnburg

>From:
> Thank you so much for answering my query! I tried your suggestion
yesterday: I
>added a tablespoon of vinegar to the bucket of low-fire clay waste, and
viola!
>-- within a couple hours the water above was clear and free of suspended
>materials. I will glaze later this week, and can hardly wait to try
vinegar
>(flocculant- NOW I understand) with the glaze-waste water. I appreciate
your
>warning about over-flocculating, and will add it cautiously and slowly to
the
>glaze-waste water to see if I can get the solids to sediment....

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Finkelnburg"
> Paulette,
> First, good for you for having a zero discharge studio!
> Second, you may test a flocculant to help settle the solids in the
glaze
> or clay wash water buckets faster. The salt is a deflocculant. Epsom
salts
> or vinegar, might be better, but you need to test
> this. Keep in mind you can overdose flocculants. If you do, you create
> loose, clumpy flocs that tend to never settle very hard. That leaves you
> extra water to evaporate.