Thioguard...not just a brand name

When municipal customers hear the name Thioguard, they usually think of Premier’s product name for magnesium hydroxide, or milk of magnesia. However, since the creation of the first Thioguard applications, the Thioguard name has come to stand for so much more.

Since Thioguard’s early roots as a topical coating on concrete sewers to prevent corrosion, Premier’s R&D and field staff invested significant money and energy into the study of the role of magnesia in wastewater from collection systems to biological treatment and biosolids processing. During the course of this evolutionary learning process, Premier has extracted the resources necessary to successfully apply Thioguard to reduce odors and corrosion, improve biological treatment processes, improve effluent quality, improve digester performance and improve biosolids quality within the wastewater treatment system.

The key to the successful application of Thioguard is understanding the multifaceted chemistry that it contributes to the wastewater system.

1) Mg(OH)₂
2) MgOH⁺ + OH^-
3) Mg⁺² + 2OH^-

When magnesium hydroxide slurry is added to an aqueous system, the system receives 1) a high surface area, reactive, electrostatic particle, 2) a buffering cation MgOH⁺, 3) an acid neutralizing OH^– anion and 4) a divalent cation/ mineral nutrient. It can raise and buffer pH, stabilize CO₂/ HCO₃ ^– balance, shift the M/D ratio, and supplement mineral stores.

The Faces of Thioguard

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• Whole magnesium hydroxide particles Mg(OH)₂, with a net positive surface charge are adsorptive of CO₂, H₂S, and some light organics. In most instances, this adsorption is followed quickly by chemical reaction
• MgOH⁺ is a buffering cation. As pH of a system rises, MgOH⁺ can receive additional free OH^– to form Mg(OH)₂. This is basis for commercial production of magnesia from seawater or brines. MgOH⁺ can also neutralize acids with its remaining hydroxyl anion.
• Mg⁺² is a strong divalent cation that attracts nucleophilic anions like OH^-, HS^- and Thiolates (R-S^-) and bridges negatively charged sites on exocellular polymer (floc).
• OH^- hydroxyl anions neutralize acids and combine with CO₂ to form bicarbonates.

Thioguard TST is a nonhazardous application with no required reportable quantities (RQ = None)

Dave North - Webmaster