• Neat polymer is the concentrated form as delivered (liquid emulsion or dry).
• Made-down (or activated) polymer is the resulting solution after it has been mixed with dilution water to a specific concentration, typically 0.25% to 0.5% for dewatering.

It should be kept in high-density cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) tanks to prevent stress cracking. Storage areas must be kept dry; even small amounts of moisture can cause "gelling" in neat emulsion tanks. 

• Emulsion polymers: 4–6 months.
• Solution polymers (polyamines): Short shelf life; vary by manufacturer.
• Mannich polymers: Only several weeks.

Because neat polymer is highly viscous, systems should use flooded suction (placing the source above the pump centerline) rather than suction lift. 

Soft water is preferred. Hardness over 400 ppm or chlorine levels over 4 ppm can hinder activation or break polymer chains. 

Never use water first. Water makes the polymer extremely slippery and dangerous. Use absorbent materials like cat litter or sand, then follow the manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for final cleanup.  

Common causes include insufficient aging time, high-shear mixing that breaks chains, or incorrect dilution ratios. Mechanical systems often use static mixers to ensure strands expand fully without damage. 

Most systems require an auto-flush cycle before a hard shutdown to prevent concentrated polymer from drying and plugging the lines.  

Active Concentration by Polymer Type:

Dry Polymers: These are the most concentrated form, typically containing greater than 90% active content. For process design calculations, they are often treated as 100% active.

Emulsion Polymers: These are liquid oil-based products with an active content ranging from 20% to 55%. On average, they are considered roughly 30% to 40% active.

Solution Polymers (Polyamines): These water-based liquids used primarily for coagulation have lower active contents, typically around 10% to 20%.

Mannich Polymers: Specialized liquid products that are highly viscous and have very low active concentrations, usually between 4% and 6%.  

Understanding the active content is essential for calculating accurate dosage rates and ensuring proper polymer make-down.

• Dosage Accuracy: Treating a 30% active emulsion as 100% active will result in under-dosing the system by 70%.
• Activation: Regardless of the "neat" concentration, most polymers must be diluted to an active solution strength of 0.25% to 0.5% for optimal performance. Concentrations higher than 1.0% during make-down can cause inefficient activation and equipment failure.

Yes, hardness, chlorine residual, solids concentration and temperature can all affect activation of polymer.

In general, hardness level below 400 mg/L is suggested.

Chlorine residual should be less than 3 mg/L or the chlorine will cause the polymer molecules to break down.

Solids concentration below 10 mg/L is preferable so particulates in the water don’t plug solenoid valve pilots, gauges, etc.

Increased water temperature will generally improve performance. Water temperature above 100 degrees F should be avoided since it will cause polymer molecules to break down.

Low water temperatures near freezing will reduce the activation of polymer and in some cases a water heater may be required to get adequate floc formation.

In all cases, water temperature must be above freezing to prevent equipment damage. 

Typical city water pressure is usually sufficient, 45-60 psi. The incoming water pressure is the motive force pushing the polymer solution into process. In general, water pressure should be regulated if greater than 100 psi. For feed systems supplying solution multiple stories above the feed equipment, long piping runs, etc need to be evaluated to ensure city water pressure is adequate. 

These systems are designed to properly activate polymers used in water and wastewater treatment. Proper activation improves settling, sludge dewatering, and overall process efficiency—while reducing polymer consumption and operating costs.

Polymer costs are one of the largest operating expenses at treatment plants. Even small improvements in activation efficiency can lead to significant savings. Proper activation ensures polymer chains fully “uncoil” without being damaged, maximizing performance.

Polyblend® and Dynablend™ systems follow the science of efficient polymer activation, using a two-stage mixing process:

• High energy at the Moment of Initial Wetting (MOIW) to prevent agglomeration
• Low-energy (quiescent) mixing to complete activation without damaging polymer chains

This approach is widely recognized by polymer manufacturers and experts as best practice.

• Polyblend® uses mechanical mixing and is ideal when precise energy control and quantification (G-value) are required—especially for high molecular weight polymers.
• Dynablend™ uses hydraulic mixing with no moving parts in the mixing chamber, offering high reliability, low maintenance, and low operating cost.

Both deliver high activation levels and excellent polymer efficiency.

Dynajet™ is a dry polymer activation system that uses pneumatic conveyance to transfer polymer to a high-energy wetting head. It is well-suited for:

• High-capacity dry polymer applications
• Systems requiring up to 12 lbs/min of polymer (higher with custom designs)

Applications needing excellent polymer-particle wetting before aging 

Yes. The systems are designed to perform consistently across:

• Emulsion and dry polymers
• Ultra-high molecular weight polymers
• Varying charge densities and chemistries

Two-stage mixing allows the systems to adapt to new polymer developments. 

By optimizing mixing energy and activation time, the systems:

• Reduce polymer waste caused by agglomeration or chain damage
• Produce higher viscosity, fully activated polymer solutions
• Deliver consistent performance at lower polymer dosages

Many installations report measurable reductions in polymer consumption.

No. The systems feature:

• Compact footprints
• Open-frame designs for easy access
• Low maintenance requirements
• Options with no moving parts in the mixing chamber (Dynablend™)

They are well suited for both new installations and retrofits in confined spaces. 

Control options range from:

• Simple manual controls
• Semi-automatic systems
• Full PLC-based automation with SCADA integration

This allows operators to match the system to their operational and automation needs. 

Polyblend® tanks use a uniform low-energy mixing design featuring a “hollow wing” impeller:

• Provides consistent mixing throughout the tank
• Minimizes agglomeration and polymer chain damage
• Eliminates vortex formation with a square tank design

This improves activation quality and reduces wasted polymer. 

Common applications include:

• Drinking water treatment
• Wastewater treatment
• Industrial process water
• Groundwater remediation
• Water reuse and recycling 

Yes. cleanwater1 offers an on-site demo program that allows customers to compare performance side-by-side using their actual process conditions. Demonstrations are available for Polyblend®, Dynablend™, and Dynajet™ systems and provide direct evidence of polymer savings.

cleanwater1 provides custom solutions based on factors such as:

• Polymer type and concentration
• Desired throughput
• Available space
• Automation requirements
• Process objectives

Our experts evaluate your application to recommend the most effective technology.

Yes. With thousands of installations worldwide, Polyblend® and Dynablend™ systems are considered the de-facto standard for water and wastewater professionals focused on polymer efficiency.