New wastewater treatment technology
- An affordable electric field-assisted membrane separation device that separates oily waste from water has been developed.
- This innovation is an economically feasible wastewater treatment technology (both in terms of capital and recurring investment) for low-scale and medium enterprises.
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The technology developed by Dr Chiranjib Bhattacharjee, Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department in Jadavpur University, Kolkata, uses a combination of Electrocoagulation and Electroflotation Enhanced Membrane Module (ECEFMM) techniques for wastewater treatment.
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Electrocoagulation is a wastewater treatment technique that uses electrical charge for changing the particle surface charge, allowing suspended matter to form aggregates.
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Electroflotation is the separation of suspended particles from water using hydrogen and oxygen bubbles generated by passing electricity through water.
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In the developed module, electrocoagulation and electrofloatation are adjoined with the membrane in a single indigenous setup.
- The turbulence created because of the hydrogen bubbling through the feed medium or the waste-water resists the deposition of oil over the membrane.
- The synergistic effect of hydrogen bubbling and rotation of the membrane module creates substantial turbulence within the solution and on the membrane surface.
- On application of electric field during membrane separation, membrane fouling is substantially reduced, and membrane longevity is also enhanced by restricting the membrane ageing for a prolonged time period.
- Thus, it requires less frequent membrane replacement, thereby reducing the maintenance costs to a great extent.