Aluminium Chlorohydrate (ACH) Flocculant

Aluminium chlorohydrate (ACH) is a flocculant in municipal water, drinking water purification and treatment as well as in urban sewage and industrial wastewater also in the paper industry, casting, printing, etc.

Aluminium chlorohydrate is a group of water-soluble, specific aluminum salts having the general formula AlnCl(3n-m)(OH)m. It is used in cosmetics as an antiperspirant and as a coagulant in water purification. Aluminium chlorohydrate is included in up to 25% of over-the-counter hygiene products as an active antiperspirant agent. The primary site of action of aluminum chlorohydrate is at the level of the stratum corneum layer, which is relatively near the skin surface. It is also used as a coagulant in the water purification process.

In water purification, this compound is preferred in some cases because of its high charge, which makes it more effective at destabilizing and removing suspended materials than other aluminum salts such as aluminium sulfate, aluminium chloride and various forms of polyaluminium chloride (PAC) and polyaluminium chlorisulfate, in which the aluminum structure results in a lower net charge than aluminium chlorohydrate. Further, the high degree of neutralization of the HCl results in minimal impact on treated water pH when compared to other aluminium and iron salts.