ABSTRACT
Sometimes there is no theoretical stoichiometry. The design problem in such a situation is to discover a useful empirical stoichiometry for a complex chemical mixture so that the necessary quantities may be calculated. Empirical chemistry is used when actual wastewater obtained from an existing system can be used in experiments that are designed to simulate the full-scale process. The most widely used method for learning the empirical chemistry is the jar test. This is a simple but powerful tool. Jar tests are used to investigate turbidity, color, and solids removal, precipitation, emulsion breaking, and neutralization. The process of neutralizing ionic charges is called coagulation, and the process of gentle mixing to form a large floc is called flocculation. An emulsion is a stable mixture of oil and water. Emulsions are ideal for lubrication in machining because they have better cooling properties than liquid oil.
