TY - JOUR EP - 623 PB - Taylor and Francis Ltd. SN - 00986445 TI - Valorization of conventional rice starch in drinking water treatment and optimization using response surface methodology (RSM) SP - 613 N1 - cited By 10 AV - none VL - 208 A1 - Chua, S.-C. A1 - Chong, F.-K. A1 - Yen, C.-H. A1 - Ho, Y.-C. JF - Chemical Engineering Communications UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85074868400&doi=10.1080%2f00986445.2019.1684269&partnerID=40&md5=9e09c095a5a7654fdaadac58f7b685b6 Y1 - 2021/// ID - scholars16042 KW - Chemical water treatment; Coagulation; Flocculation; Ostwald ripening; Polysaccharides; Starch; Surface properties; Turbidity; Water absorption KW - coagulant; flocculant; Flocculation mechanisms; Response surface methodology; Rice starch; River water; Statistical experimental design; Turbidity reduction KW - Potable water N2 - This paper aims to investigate the performance of the rice starch in potable water treatment and optimize the operating conditions to evaluate the feasibility of rice starch to be applied in the potable water treatment industry. Rice starch was found to be an anionic polymer and gelatinized at 83 °C in this study. Response Surface Methodology (RSM), a statistical experimental design was adopted to optimize the turbidity reduction with the dosage of rice starch, pH and settling time as control factors. The interaction between the factors was discussed. Maximum turbidity reduction (>89) can be achieved through optimum conditions of 9.64 mg/L dosage of conventional rice starch and 20 min of settling time at pH 3. Bridging and absorption was proposed as the flocculation mechanism of rice starch in drinking water treatment and have been preliminarily proven through the observation of floc under the microscope. Based on the results obtained, rice starch can be considered as a potential natural coagulant for potable water treatment. © 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. IS - 5 ER -