The application research and development condition of polyacrylamide flocculants in recent ten years at home and abroad were introduced,and a simple overview of polyacrylamide flocculants' treatment characteristics and treatment effect in various kinds of wastewater treatment process was proposed from its molecular design and flocculation mechanism.The flocculation effect of the function units in the molecular structure was discussed by synthesis or modification.The development characteristics of polyacrylamide flocculants in future were prospected.