Abstract
The experimental design and response surface methodologies haven been applied to the investigation of the chemical coagulation of livestock wastewater. The chemical coagulation reactions were mathematically described as a function of parameters raping mixing (rpm) of chemical coagulation ($X_1$), slow mixing (rpm) of chemical coagulation ($X_2$), $FeCl_3 $ concentration (mg/L) ($X_3$) and pH ($X_4$) being modeled by use of the central composite design. Empirical models were developed to describe relationship between the experimental variables and response. Statistical analysis indicates that three factors ($X_1$: raping mixing (rpm), $X_2$: slow mixing (rpm), $X_3$: $FeCl_3 $ concentration (mg/L) on the linear term (main effect), slow mixing (rpm) (${X_2}^2$) on the non-linear term (quadratic), and two factors ($X_1-X_3$, $X_2-X_3$) on the non-linear term (cross-product) had significant effects, respectively. The estimated ridge of maximum responses and optimal conditions for CODcr using canonical analysis was 87.44% ($X_1$: 229 rpm, $X_2$: 51 rpm, $X_3$: 877 mg/L, $X_4$: 4.3). To confirm this optimum condition, three additional experiments were performed and the mean CODcr removal (%) and concentration (mg/L) with a standard deviation of $87{\pm}1.2%$ ($576{\pm}34ppm$) were obtained.
