Abstract A novel inorganic–organic composite flocculant was prepared with polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and poly(methacrylamido propyl trimethyl ammonium chloride) (PMAPTAC). To understand the physicochemical characterization of PAC/PMAPTAC and evaluate its flocculation efficiency, the interactions of PAC and cationic polymer were investigated, then the characterization and flocculation performance of PAC/PMAPTAC and PAC/Poly‐dimethyldiallylammonium chloride (PDMDAAC) were compared. The results showed that there were obvious interactions between PAC and cationic polymer in composite flocculant. The cationic polymer chain exhibited a coiled state in PAC solution, and the curly degree of PMAPTAC chain was lower than that of PDMDAAC due to the intermolecular association of methyl of PMAPTAC. The cationic polymer enhanced the charge neutralization ability of PAC and changed the aluminum hydrolysis polymerization species of PAC from low and medium polymeric species to high‐polymeric species. The flocculation sedimentation experiments turned out that the charge neutralization and bridging ability of PAC/PMAPTAC was higher than that of PAC/PDMDAAC, and the increase of molecular weight or content of PMAPTAC in PAC/PMAPTAC could enhance the charge neutralization and adsorption bridging ability simultaneously. The enhanced effects may come from the exist of polymer and the interactions between PAC and cationic polymer in composite flocculant.
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