WO2013020564A2

WO2013020564A2 - The use of nano alloys in wastewater treatment

Info

Publication number: WO2013020564A2
Application number: PCT/EG2012/000027
Authority: WO
Inventors: Emad Azmy GIRGIS; Christen Tharwat AZIZ
Original assignee: Girgis Emad Azmy; Aziz Christen Tharwat
Priority date: 2011-08-09
Filing date: 2012-08-08
Publication date: 2013-02-14
Also published as: WO2013020564A3

Abstract

The world is facing formidable challenges in meeting rising demands of clean water as the available supplies of freshwater are depleting due to (i) extended droughts, (ii) population growth, (iii) more stringent health based regulations and (iv) competing demands from a variety of users [ 1,2,3]. The protection of water treatment systems against potential chemical and biological terrorist acts is also becoming a critical issue in water resources planning [3, 4]. Today a number of techniques are used for treatment of water i.e. chemical and physical agent such as chlorine and its derivatives, Ultraviolet light [5], Boiling, Low frequency ultrasonic irradiation [6]. Research is underway to use advance nanotechnology in water purification for safe drinking [7]. Nanotechnology used for detection of pesticides [8] chemical and biological substances including metals (e.g. Cadmium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, zinc), Nutrients (e.g. Phosphate, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite), Cyanide Organics, Algae (e.g. Cyanobacterial toxins) Viruses, Bacteria, Parasites, antibiotics and Biological agents are used for terrorism. Innovations in the development of novel technologies to desalinate water are among the most exciting and seem to be promising [9]. In this patent we introduce a new nanotechnology technique based on nanoparticles for waste water treatment with efficiency up to 94%. By adding thes Ίe Nanoparticles to the waste water, which adsorb all the dye and heavy metal elements. The Nanoparticles loaded with heavy metal elements were collecting using a powerful treatment unit within 10 minutes only. Most of the other waste water treatment techniques have problems in their recyclability and production cost on a large scale. However, we overcame these problems through these recyclable, low cost nanomaterials.

Description

The Use Of Nano Alloys In Wastewater Treatment

• Technical field:

This system can be used in all the factories and companies used hazardous heavy metals and get rid of them as residues in water, such as textile industry , battery industry, and cars manufacturer.

• Background Art:

1) The flying ash technique: where the flying ash was used to remove Nickel and Cadmium ions from waste water, using these metal ions with different concentrations, Sodium hydroxide, and hydrochloric acid, where ionic exchange occurs on the ash surface to remove all the heavy metals.

2) Zeolite method: where zeolite was added to 10 mgm/liter Aluminum sulfate ( as a precipitating agent ) to remove the heavy metals such as ( Cadmium, Copper, Chromium, and Lead ) from the textile industry waste water as an Aluminum hydroxide precipitate , where the percentage of heavy metals removal was 64.74% for Copper , 56.26 % for Chromium, 55.34 % for Lead.

3) Electrochemical method: it was used to remove the heavy metals as Nickel, Zinc, and Lead from the waste water, where the metal precipitate on the

, cathode to get rid of the metal as a solid precipitate waste .

) Alkaline chlorination method: used to remove Cyanide metal from waste water , where oxidation of Cyanide to Cyanates occurs using Chlorine and caustic soda to keep the pH value between 9.5 - 10.0 , then the Cyanates were oxidized to C0₂ and N₂ .

) Hollow filter membrane method: where Sodium bisulfate was added to the waste water before sending to the filter membrane to protect the membrane from oxidation, then Sodium hydroxide was added to adjust the pH value and get rid of the heavy metal ions as hydroxide precipitates.

) Removal of Mercury ions from waste water by using a mixed system from Filtration and absorption to remove all Mercury metal ions from waste water due to the natural gas industry, this system used to remove Arsenic and Selenium metal ions as well.

• Disclosure of The invention:

Nano alloys were used for waste water treatment using a new special unit designed for this purpose. The new in this topic is:

• First :

treatment with a new Nano alloys have not been used before, such as: MnFe₂0₄, ZnFe₂0₄, Co-Ni-B, ZnMn₂0₄ by adding this Nano alloys with high magnetic properties to waste water as a result of electrostatic properties of these alloys they are attracted to heavy metal elements.

This nano alloys were tested and the results were amazing where the removal percentage for Nickel metal was 94% , 75% for Chromium, and

50% for Lead.

• Second:

we can get rid of these Nano alloys loaded with heavy metal elements by a powerful electric magnet in the treatment unit in 10 minutes only .where 4 electric magnets were designed inside it was a mechanical stirrer used to mix the nano alloys with the waste water to remove all the heavy metals. This unit can be designed with different shapes and sizes starting from 50 liter/hr. to 500 liter/hr. , the nano alloys were added within 0.5 gm to 1 gm per liter and it depends on the heavy metal we want to remove.

After 50 min. of mixing of nano alloys with the waste water the electric magnetic inside the unit start working to attract the magnetic nano alloys loaded with the heavy metal ions this all happened within 10 min. then the magnet washed to get rid of the heavy metal ions. Then an electric magnet will be generated reverse to that magnet to generate an opposite magnetic field to get rid of the magnetic nano alloys from the magnet surface, then this magnetic nanoparticles were collected to be used again and the heavy metals also were collected to get rid of them in defined place where it were buried in a healthy burial place. • Brief Description of Drawing:

As shown in the figure there are four electric magnets (No. 1) were designed, inside was a mechanical stirrer motor ( No. 2,3 ) used to mix the nano alloys ( No. 4 ) with the waste water ( No. 5 ) to get rid of all the heavy metals.

After 50 minutes of mixing the nano alloys with the waste water the electric magnetic inside the unit start working to attract the magnetic nano alloys loaded with the heavy metal ions this process took only 10 min to get a pure clean water ( No. 6 ). then the magnet washed to get rid of the heavy metal ions. Then an electric magnet will be generated reverse to that magnet to generate an opposite magnetic field to get rid of the magnetic nano alloys from the magnet surface, then this magnetic nanoparticles were collected to be used again and the heavy metals also were collected to get rid of them in defined place where it were buried in a healthy burial place.

References:

[1] US Bureau of Reclamation and Sandia National Laboratories, 2003. Desalination and water purification technology roadmap a report of the executive committee Water Purification.

[2] US Environmental Protection Agency, 1998b.Microbial and disinfection byproduct rules.

Federal Register, 63: 69389-69476.

[3] US Environmental Protection Agency, 1999. Alternative disinfectants and oxidants guidance

manual. EPA Office of Water Report 815-R-99-014.

[4] US Environmental Protection Agency, 1998. Variance technology findings for contaminants regulated before 1996. EPA Opace of Water Report 815-R-98-003.

[5] Droste, R.L., 1997. Theory and practice of water and wastewater treatment. New York: Wiley (Book). [6] Gupta, S., J. Behari and K. Kesari, 2006. Low frequency ultrasonic treatment of sludge. Asian J.Wat, Envi and Pollu., 3-2: 101-105.

[7] Ichinose, N., Y. Ozaki and S. Kashu, 1992. Superfine particle technology. Springer, London, (Book).

[8] Nair, A.S. and T. Pradeep, 2004. Reactivity of Au and Ag nanoparticles with halocarbons. Applied Nanoscience, pp: 59-63.

[9] Diallo, M.S., S. Christie, P. Swaminathan, J.H. Johnson and W.A. Goddard, 2005. Dendrimer enhanced ultra-filtration recovery of Cu (II) from aqueous solutions using Gx-NH2-PAMAM dendrimers with ethylene diamine core. Environ. Sci. Technol., 39: 1366-1377.

Claims

1. Synthesis of ZnFe₂0₄ alloy: this was done using co-precipitate method , where Zinc nitrate was added to Ferric nitrate at 100° C , then Ammonium hydroxide was added to adjust pH value when the color turned brown , nanoparticles were collected and washed to get rid of the undesired ions then the sample were ignited at 300° C.

2. Synthesis of Co-Ni-B alloy: this alloy was synthesized using the reduction method, where Cobalt chloride was added to Nickel chloride, then Sodium borohydrite was added as a reducing agent until black precipitate were observed , the nanoparticles were collected and washed then ignited at 200° C.

3. Synthesis of MnFe₂0₄ alloy: this was done using co-precipitate method , where Manganese chloride was added to Ferric chloride, then Sodium hydroxide was added to adjust pH value when the color turned brown , nanoparticles were collected and washed to get rid of the undesired ions.

4. Synthesis of ZnMn₂0 alloy: this was done using co-precipitate method , where Zinc nitrate was added to Manganese nitrate at 100° C , then Ammonium hydroxide was added to adjust pH value, nanoparticles were collected and washed to get rid of the undesired ions then the sample were ignited at 300° C.