Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences
Title : | Zeolite-based Low-cost Hybrid Membrane Photo-Bioreactor System for Treating and Recycling of High Strength Industrial Wastewater |
Area of research : | Earth, Atmosphere & Environment Sciences |
Focus area : | Wastewater Treatment |
Principal Investigator : | Prof. Sujit Sen, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela |
Timeline Start Year : | 2019 |
Contact info : | sensujit@nitrkl.ac.in |
Details
Executive Summary : | With shrinking water resources on one hand and increased demand for fresh water on the other, the need of water conservation and recycling has attained a new dimension. This has enhanced the demand for recycling and reuse of wastewater of all kinds. Since industrial wastewater is more difficult to treat in order to make it fit for reuse and recycling, the associated challenges become more demanding. Waste water of this kind has a spectrum of contaminants and many of them defy biological treatment. An attractive alternative route is to remove the degradable organics by membrane bioreactor (that has since attained a considerable degree of maturity) in the first step and a stronger chemical decontamination step to follow. An MBR consists of a tubular membrane with an immobilized slimy layer of microbes that consumes much of the organics as the water passes through the membrane. The membrane pores also do the job of filtration to some extent but are not capable of holding the residual non-degradable organics back. A second or even third stage of treatment depending upon the nature of the contaminants may be necessary. It will be technically and perhaps economically more attractive to do the job in one step by a suitable hybrid configuration integrating a few established techniques like membrane separation, microbial treatment, and advanced oxidation process. Investigators propose to develop a hybrid membrane device – bacterial membrane bioreactor (MBR) and a zeolite-membrane based photocatalytic reactor (MPCR) assembly which can treat a broad range of of industrial wastewater containing both biodegradable as well as non-biodegradable organic contaminants in a single step, making the process more economical, compact and effective. The configuration of the hybrid reactor is not unique. It may be a multi-tube “shell and tube” type hybrid set-up on a ceramic support, the shell side of the device acting like an MBR where bacteria will be immobilized on ceramic support and tube side will act a MPCR where a zeolite based photocatalytic membrane layer will be irradiated by UV/VIS light and ozone or air will be passed through tube-side annular space. Feasible alternative configuration including the sidestream arrangement will be tested. This two-step hybrid system will be tuned to produce cleaned water fit for recycling in the process or for any other use. The process parameters and the configuration will be optimized to yield the best results by theoretical analysis and mathematical modeling of the assembly as well as the experimental results generated by varying the major parameters. A modular device for field demonstration will be developed. Investigators have teamed up with two collaborators from two industries that will provide us with the opportunity for demonstration and refinement and modification of the device depending upon the characteristics of the wastewater and its performance. |
Co-PI: | Dr Surajit Das, Associate Professor, National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela, Prof. Binay Kanti Dutta, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur, Prof. Papita Das
Jadavpur University, Prof. Anand Vinayak Patwardhan
Institute of Chemical Technology, Maharashtra |
Total Budget (INR): | 88,21,120 |
Achievements : | 1) Low-cost zeolite photocatalysts have been developed. 2) Real wastewater from nearby steel plant has been collected and characterized. 3) Process diagram for the overall treatment process has been developed. 4) One of the proposed prototype has been developed and soon to be used for treatment of wastewater. 1. Zeolite of different types (NaY, NaX) have been developed from industry waste Fly ash, and red mud. 2. Photoactive zeolite-based materials (Cd-exchanged) have been developed for treating industry waste water. 3. Trial run with synthesized zeolite has been successfully done using specific organic contaminants. 4. A Hybrid Membrane photobioreactor has been developed. |
Organizations involved