Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) – Industrial Coagulant, Specifications & Bulk Supply

Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC) is a high-performance water treatment chemical that removes suspended solids, reduces turbidity, and improves wastewater clarification. Municipal treatment plants, industrial manufacturers, and environmental service providers use this inorganic polymer coagulant to improve solid-liquid separation and maintain consistent water quality. Compared with conventional aluminum-based coagulants, PAC can offer faster floc formation, lower alkalinity consumption, and more efficient chemical dosing under suitable operating conditions.

Basekim supplies Poly Aluminum Chloride for industrial applications, supporting international buyers with bulk quantities, export packaging, technical documentation, and shipment coordination.

What Is Poly Aluminum Chloride (PAC)?

Poly Aluminum Chloride, also known as Polyaluminium Chloride, Polyaluminum Chloride, or PAC chemical, belongs to a family of pre-hydrolyzed aluminum salts. Water treatment facilities use these compounds to destabilize fine particles and improve clarification.

Unlike conventional aluminum chloride, PAC contains polymerized aluminum species. These species help neutralize negatively charged particles and encourage them to form larger aggregates.

Manufacturers produce different Poly Aluminum Chloride formulations to meet specific water treatment requirements. Consequently, chemical buyers can select products according to aluminum oxide content, basicity, physical form, and impurity limits.

Key product information:

• Chemical name: Poly Aluminum Chloride

• Common abbreviation: PAC

• CAS number: 1327-41-9

• General formula: Alₙ(OH)ₘCl₍₃ₙ₋ₘ₎

• Product category: Inorganic polymer coagulant

• Appearance: White, cream, or yellow powder; yellow to amber liquid

• Main function: Coagulation and water clarification

• Available forms: Powder, granular, and liquid grades

PAC represents a family of compositions rather than one pure compound. Therefore, the product has no single fixed molecular weight or universal purity percentage.

How Does Poly Aluminum Chloride Work in Water Treatment?

Industrial wastewater often contains fine particles that remain suspended because their surface charges prevent aggregation. Conventional sedimentation cannot easily separate these stable particles.

PAC changes their behavior through a controlled coagulation process.

First, operators introduce the chemical into the water through a dosing system. Positively charged aluminum species then interact with negatively charged colloids.

Next, the destabilized particles collide and form larger flocs. Aluminum hydroxide precipitates can also capture impurities through sweep flocculation.

Finally, sedimentation tanks, dissolved air flotation equipment, or filtration systems separate the flocs from the treated water.

This process helps facilities:

• Reduce turbidity and suspended solids.

• Improve clarification and settling efficiency.

• Remove portions of natural organic matter and color.

• Support phosphorus removal under suitable conditions.

• Reduce downstream filtration loading.

• Improve industrial water reuse operations.

However, PAC does not replace disinfection or complete water purification. Treatment plants must combine coagulation with the other processes their water quality objectives require.

Technical Specifications of Poly Aluminum Chloride

Industrial buyers should examine the aluminum oxide concentration, basicity, pH, and insoluble matter before selecting a Poly Aluminum Chloride grade.

The following table presents typical commercial ranges rather than guaranteed specifications for every available product.

Technical note: These values illustrate common market grades. The approved Technical Data Sheet (TDS) and batch Certificate of Analysis (COA) must establish the final purchase specification.

Why Al₂O₃ Content Matters

Many importers search for PAC 28%, PAC 30%, or liquid PAC 10%.

These percentages normally describe the product’s aluminum content expressed as equivalent aluminum oxide, not the percentage of pure Poly Aluminum Chloride molecules.

Higher Al₂O₃ content can reduce the quantity of commercial product required to deliver a particular aluminum dose. Nevertheless, concentration alone does not determine treatment performance.

Buyers should also compare basicity, impurity levels, dissolution behavior, and results from actual water samples.

Available Grades of Polyaluminium Chloride

Industrial Grade PAC 28%

Industrial PAC with approximately 28% Al₂O₃ content serves many wastewater treatment applications.

Facilities commonly select this grade for textile effluent, industrial clarification, mining wastewater, and general solid-liquid separation.

Depending on its manufacturing process and basicity, the product may offer a useful balance between concentration, dissolution performance, and operating cost.

PAC 30% Powder

PAC 30% provides a higher nominal aluminum oxide concentration and suits applications that require concentrated solid coagulants.

Powder grades support bulk purchasing and containerized export because customers can transport more aluminum oxide per tonne than with many liquid formulations.

However, operators must account for on-site dissolution equipment, preparation time, and powder-handling requirements.

White Poly Aluminum Chloride

White PAC products often serve applications where buyers need low iron content, low insoluble matter, or tighter impurity controls.

Nevertheless, color alone cannot establish drinking-water suitability. Procurement teams must verify the relevant chemical specification, trace contaminants, and required certifications.

Liquid Poly Aluminum Chloride

Liquid PAC allows treatment plants to feed coagulant directly through compatible chemical dosing systems.

Operators can avoid powder dissolution and reduce manual preparation work.

Commercial liquid formulations vary considerably in concentration. Therefore, purchasers should request the Al₂O₃ percentage, basicity, density, stability information, and storage requirements before ordering.

Industrial Applications of Poly Aluminum Chloride

1. Municipal Water Treatment

Municipal water treatment facilities use PAC to control turbidity, improve particle removal, and prepare raw water for filtration.

Water characteristics frequently change during rainfall, seasonal temperature fluctuations, and variations in source-water quality.

A suitable PAC formulation can help operators maintain stable coagulation during these changes.

For potable water applications, buyers must select a grade that meets the applicable drinking-water chemical standards and local regulatory requirements.

2. Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Industrial wastewater may contain suspended particles, emulsified contaminants, organic compounds, and other pollutants.

PAC supports clarification across several manufacturing sectors, including:

• Chemical processing

• Textile manufacturing

• Food processing

• Metal finishing

• Petroleum and petrochemical operations

• Mining and mineral processing

Operators can combine coagulation with sedimentation, flotation, or filtration according to the characteristics of their wastewater.

3. Textile Wastewater and Color Removal

Textile dyeing processes generate effluent with variable color, suspended solids, surfactants, and dissolved chemicals.

PAC helps destabilize certain dye-associated particles and colloidal contaminants.

As a result, treatment facilities may improve color reduction and downstream filtration performance.

However, some dissolved dyes resist conventional coagulation. In those cases, operators may need biological treatment, adsorption, oxidation, or other additional processes.

4. Paper and Pulp Manufacturing

Paper mills use selected aluminum-based coagulants to manage wet-end chemistry, control anionic contaminants, and support retention systems.

PAC can contribute to fiber and filler retention when mill operators match the formulation to their process chemistry.

Furthermore, appropriate coagulation control may improve drainage behavior and reduce undesirable deposits.

Paper manufacturers should assess the coagulant alongside existing retention aids and other additives.

5. Mining and Mineral Processing

Mining operations produce process water containing fine mineral particles and suspended solids.

PAC can assist aggregation and clarification, allowing settling and filtration systems to remove particulate material more efficiently.

However, mineral composition, dissolved salts, and water pH strongly influence performance. Operators should test the selected formulation before full-scale use.

6. Municipal Sewage and Phosphorus Removal

Wastewater treatment facilities also use aluminum-based coagulants to support chemical phosphorus removal.

PAC can react with phosphate-containing wastewater and promote the formation of solids that clarification systems can separate.

For effective treatment, engineers must account for phosphorus concentration, competing reactions, alkalinity, and the desired effluent limits.

PAC vs Aluminum Sulfate: Which Coagulant Should You Choose?

PAC and aluminum sulfate both support water clarification, but they differ in their chemical behavior and operating requirements.

PAC contains partially hydrolyzed aluminum species. As a result, suitable formulations may require less alkalinity and produce a smaller pH reduction than conventional alum.

Aluminum sulfate remains a practical and economical choice for many treatment facilities, especially when operators already maintain the necessary pH and alkalinity control.

Buyers who evaluate conventional alum alongside PAC can review the Aluminum Sulfate product specifications before selecting a treatment chemical.

The lowest purchase price does not always deliver the lowest treatment cost. Engineers should compare chemical consumption, sludge disposal, pH correction, and filtration performance during trials.

PAC vs Ferric Chloride in Wastewater Treatment

Ferric chloride offers another established option for industrial and municipal wastewater clarification.

Both chemicals destabilize suspended particles and support phosphorus removal. However, their different metal chemistry can produce different results in the same wastewater.

PAC may offer advantages where operators need lower alkalinity consumption or prefer an aluminum-based treatment program.

Ferric chloride can perform particularly well in certain phosphorus-removal and industrial effluent applications, although operators must carefully manage corrosion, dosage, and pH.

Facilities comparing iron-based treatment chemicals can also examine Ferric Chloride for water treatment as an alternative coagulant.

Ultimately, laboratory and plant trials provide stronger selection evidence than general product comparisons.

Advantages of PAC Coagulant for Industrial Buyers

Efficient Particle Removal

The chemical destabilizes suspended particles and encourages floc formation. This process can improve sedimentation and filtration performance.

Operational Flexibility

Different Poly Aluminum Chloride basicity levels allow engineers to select formulations for specific raw-water conditions.

Potential Reduction in Alkali Consumption

Pre-hydrolyzed aluminum species can reduce the amount of alkalinity the coagulation process consumes compared with some conventional aluminum salts.

Flexible Supply Forms

Powder grades support long-distance transportation and warehouse storage. Meanwhile, liquid grades help facilities simplify continuous chemical dosing.

Process Optimization Opportunities

A properly selected grade can reduce total treatment costs when it improves dosing efficiency, sludge handling, or downstream separation.

These benefits depend on the selected grade and actual operating conditions. Facilities should confirm performance through controlled testing.

Poly Aluminum Chloride Dosage for Water Treatment

PAC dosage depends on the water’s turbidity, pH, alkalinity, organic content, and treatment objectives.

No single dosage provides optimal results for every municipal or industrial application.

Operators normally establish the appropriate concentration through jar testing.

A practical dosage evaluation follows four steps:

1. Collect representative water samples. Include samples that reflect normal and challenging operating conditions.

2. Test several coagulant concentrations. Use controlled rapid mixing, flocculation, and settling conditions.

3. Measure treatment performance. Examine residual turbidity, pH, settling behavior, sludge formation, and relevant contaminants.

4. Optimize the plant setting. Confirm the laboratory result through a controlled operational trial.

Engineers should also measure residual aluminum where the treatment objective requires it.

Why PAC Concentration Changes the Dosage Calculation

Consider two products with different aluminum oxide contents.

A powder contains 30% Al₂O₃, while a liquid grade contains 10% Al₂O₃.

To deliver 3 kg of Al₂O₃ equivalent, a facility would theoretically need:

• 10 kg of the 30% powder.

• 30 kg of the 10% liquid product.

This example compares chemical concentration only. It does not establish an actual plant dosage or guarantee equal treatment performance.

Basicity, chemical species, and water conditions may lead operators to choose different effective aluminum doses.

Poly Aluminum Chloride Price Per Ton

The commercial PAC price depends on product concentration, manufacturing method, basicity, impurity limits, packaging, order volume, and freight costs.

For example, PAC 30% powder and liquid Poly Aluminum Chloride can have substantially different quoted prices per metric tonne because they contain different quantities of water and aluminum oxide equivalent.

Major pricing factors include:

• Al₂O₃ concentration and product basicity

• Industrial or drinking-water grade requirements

• Powder versus liquid product form

• Minimum order quantity and contract volume

• Packaging and palletization requirements

• Origin, destination, and freight costs

• Shipment terms such as FOB, CFR, or CIF

• Required analytical testing and documentation

Buyers should avoid comparing quotations solely by the delivered price per tonne.

Instead, calculate the delivered cost per kilogram of Al₂O₃ equivalent and combine that result with actual treatment performance.

For instance, a low-cost product with a higher effective dosage may create more operating expenses than a more concentrated formulation.

Request a quotation with the required grade, volume, and delivery destination to evaluate current commercial offers.

PAC Packaging and International Bulk Supply

Commercial PAC powder commonly comes in 25 kg moisture-protected bags, while large-volume buyers may request jumbo bags or palletized packaging.

Liquid PAC requires chemically compatible containers and transfer equipment.

Depending on product form, volume, and supplier availability, industrial packaging options may include:

International buyers should confirm the approved loading weight, container requirements, and packaging dimensions before shipment.

Storage and Handling

Store powder PAC in sealed packaging inside a dry, ventilated warehouse. Protect the product from rain, humidity, and damaged bags.

For liquid formulations, use compatible tanks, valves, pumps, and piping. Follow the supplier’s recommendations for storage temperature and materials of construction.

Workers should wear appropriate chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection, and other personal protective equipment according to the Safety Data Sheet.

Avoid uncontrolled chemical mixing, particularly with incompatible alkaline chemicals.

How to Choose a Reliable PAC Supplier

Consistent product quality matters more than the lowest initial quotation, particularly for treatment facilities that operate continuously.

Before placing a purchase order, industrial buyers should verify:

• The complete product grade and specification

• Aluminum oxide concentration and basicity

• Water-insoluble matter and impurity limits

• Batch traceability and Certificate of Analysis

• Technical Data Sheet and Safety Data Sheet

• Packaging and shipment availability

• Commercial terms and inspection requirements

For drinking-water treatment, the buyer should also verify the relevant approval, certification, or conformity evidence for the exact formulation.

Request a Bulk PAC Quotation

We support industrial procurement requirements, including technical specification reviews, export packaging coordination, and international shipment planning.

Contact our commercial team with the following details:

• Required grade: 28%, 30%, or liquid PAC

• Intended application and water treatment process

• Quantity in metric tonnes

• Preferred packaging

• Destination country or discharge port

• Required Incoterm

• Documentation or certification requirements

Our team can review your requirements and provide available product specifications, pricing information, and delivery options.

Frequently Asked Questions About Poly Aluminum Chloride

1. What is Poly Aluminum Chloride mainly used for?

Water treatment facilities use PAC to remove suspended particles, reduce turbidity, improve clarification, and support certain phosphorus and color removal applications. Paper mills, textile manufacturers, and industrial wastewater facilities also use selected grades.

2. What is the CAS number of PAC?

The common CAS number for Poly Aluminum Chloride is 1327-41-9. Commercial formulations may contain different aluminum hydroxide chloride species and concentrations.

3. What is the difference between PAC 28% and PAC 30%?

The percentages generally describe the aluminum oxide equivalent content. A 30% product contains more Al₂O₃ per unit mass, but the grade’s basicity and impurity profile also influence treatment performance.

4. Is PAC suitable for drinking water treatment?

Certain formulations meet applicable drinking-water chemical requirements. Buyers must verify the exact grade, relevant certification, impurity limits, and local regulations before using the chemical in potable-water systems.

5. What is the difference between powder PAC and liquid PAC?

Powder PAC usually offers a higher concentration of aluminum oxide equivalent and requires dissolution before dosing. Liquid PAC simplifies direct dosing but contains more water and requires suitable liquid storage systems.

6. What is the correct PAC dosage for wastewater?

The optimum dosage varies with water chemistry and treatment objectives. Engineers should perform jar tests and confirm the results during plant operation instead of relying on a universal dosing rate.

7. What is the price of Poly Aluminum Chloride per ton?

Pricing varies according to grade, basicity, concentration, packaging, quantity, and delivery destination. Buyers should request current quotations and compare the cost on a consistent concentration basis.

8. Does PAC reduce water pH?

PAC can reduce pH during coagulation. However, suitable high-basicity formulations often consume less alkalinity than conventional alum. The actual pH change depends on the water and dosage.

9. Can PAC remove phosphorus from wastewater?

Yes. PAC can support chemical phosphorus removal through aluminum-phosphate interactions and coagulation. Treatment results depend on phosphate concentration, water chemistry, and solid-liquid separation efficiency.

10. What is the minimum order quantity for bulk PAC?

Minimum order quantities depend on the requested grade, packaging, available inventory, and delivery destination. Buyers should confirm MOQ and loading details during quotation.