Abstract:Microbial flocculant (MBF) extraction from excess sludge by ultrasonic method was systematically studied. The MBF extracted from excess sludge showed higher flocculating activity under acidic conditions and 35-40 oC. The optimum ultrasonic time and the optimum ultrasonic power were 1-3 min and 210-270 W, respectively. The concentration of the extracted MBF from the sludge by ultrasonic method increased with the rising sludge concentration. To get the best flocculation efficiency, MBF dosage can be decreased with the rising sludge concentration. The main components of MBF consisted of proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids. According to the results, ultrasonic method was feasible to extract MBF from excess sludge, which could not only save the cost of MBF production, but also realize the resource reuse of excess sludge.