NanoPurification

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NanoPurification – Development of advanced materials and methods for water and sewage treatment by means of functional nanocomposites

 

In Germany, tap water is still safe to drink and treated sewage is still released into waters in a clean and purified state. In our affluent society, however, water gets increasingly contaminated by toxic trace substances and drug residues. Multi-barrier systems which do not only clearly filter but also actively degrade the respective trace elements act as barriers both to solid and dissolved substances.

The NanoPurification project focused on developing a hybrid system, NanoPur, which in one process step mechanically retains particulate contaminants and microorganisms and degrades or destroys chemical and biological contaminants. For that specific purpose, composite microsieves (technol. nμ sieves) – i.e. surface-active metallic filters – were combined with a photocatalytic nano titanium dioxide coating and an UV-LED decontamination option. The project results were to intensify relevant processes in drinking water purification, sewage treatment, sewage purification, and product processing.

Wet-chemical coating has proved to be the most suitable among different physical and chemical titanium dioxide coating methods. Whereas maximum degrees of degradation of a test substance (methylene blue) were achieved, most of the investigated coatings proved to be permanently adhesive even under very abrasive conditions.

The composite microsieves were implemented in compact combined modules with a novel LED lighting system, integrated in pilot plants, and bypass-operated in a municipal sewage treatment plant and in waterworks. Although in both cases, good degrees of degradation were achieved for certain trace substances, other micropollutants were not or only insufficiently removed. NanoPur, hence, was not found suitable for trace substance elimination on a larger scale.

A comprehensive review of current studies has revealed that, in spite of its ecotoxicological potential in the aquatic environment, nano titanium dioxide, due to agglomeration and adsorption processes, is converted very rapidly into non-toxic, harmless macroparticles. One of the advantages of NanoPur over most photocatalytic reactors with nanoparticle suspensions is the immobilisation of the nanoparticles on a substrate. In laboratory analyses, no titanium dioxide was detected in the effluent of the pilot plant.

Grant Number: BMBF - FKZ 03X0083
Duration: 01.05.2010 - 30.04.2013 (extended to 31.10.2013)

Project Lead

Fraunhofer Umsicht Logo
Dipl.-Ing. Volkmar Keuter, Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology (UMSICHT)

Project Partners

Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology (UMSICHT)
Gelsenwasser AG
EnviroChemie GmbH
KRYSCHI Wasserhygiene
Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel (CAU)
Cornelsen Umwelttechnologie GmbH

Publications

2015

2012

  • Gehrke I., Keuter V., Gross F. (2012). Development of nanocomposite membranes with photocatalytic surfaces.J Nanosci Nanotechnol, 12(12): 9163-9168.
  • Mueller N.C., Van Der Bruggen B., Keuter V., Luis P., Melin T., Pronk W., Reisewitz R., Rickerby D., Rios G.M., Wennekes W., Nowack B. (2012). Nanofiltration and nanostructured membranes--should they be considered nanotechnology or not? J Hazard Mater, 211-212(0): 275-280.

2011

  • Keuter V., Gehrke I., Glaab J., Kneissl M., Strunskus T., Zaparojtchenko V., Hrkac T. (2011). Barrierensystem aus nanobeschichteten Mikrosieben und UV-Strahlungsquelle für die Wassertechnik. IN: Gewässerschutz, Wasser, Abwasser, Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Siedlungswasserwirtschaft an der RWTH Aachen e.V., Band 223, S. 10., 44. Essener Tagung für Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft.
  • Keuter V., Gehrke I., Glaab J., Kneissl M., Strunskus T., Zaparojtchenko V., Hrkac T., Gerard I., Kryschi R., Cornelsen M., Bohner C. (2011). Development of advanced nano-engineered membranes for multibarrier systems in water purification applications. IN: Logothetidis S., Giannelis E., Hadziioannou G. et al. (2011), Laboratory for Thin Films - Nanosystems & Nanometrology -LTFN-, S. 193, 8th International Conference on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies - NN11, Thessaloniki, Griechenland.

All available final scientific reports of the NanoPurification consortium can be accessed via the TIB Hannover website https://www.tib.eu/en/
  • nanoPurification Konsortium (2013). Entwicklung fortschrittlicher Materialien und Verfahren zur Wasser- und Abwasserbehandlung mittels funktioneller Nanokomposite : Ergebnisbericht des BMBF-Verbundprojekts nanoPurification ; C. Bohner, Fraunhofer-Institut für Umwelt-, Sicherheits- und Energietechnik UMSICHT, FKZ 03X0083A-F, TIB Hannover.

2013

  • Gehrke I. (2013). Wasser- und Abwasserbehandlung mittels funktioneller Nanokomposite – nanoPurification. 3. Clustertreffen NanoCare/NanoNature, 14.-15. Januar 2013, Frankfurt/Main, Deutschland
  • Gehrke I. (2013). Interview-Beitrag und Vorwort zur Beilage vom Mediaplanet für „Die Welt", 02. März 2013. [Interview & Vorwort]

2012

  • Keuter V. (2012). Wasser- und Abwasserbehandlung mittels funktioneller Nanokomposite – nanoPurification. Branchendialog – Nanotechnologie und neue Materialien für mehr Ressourceneffizienz, 06.12.12, Berlin, Deutschland.
  • Gehrke I., V. Keuter (2012). Ressourceneffiziente Verfahren der Wassertechnik mit nanostrukturierten Komponenten. nano meets water IV, 08. November 2012, Oberhausen, Deutschland.
  • Keuter V. (2012). Development of multi-barrier systems consisting of nano-enhanced membranes and UV-LEDs for water purification applications. EUROMEMBRANE 2012 Conference London, 23-27. Sept. 2012, London, UK.
  • Deerberg G., Bettermann I., Haep S., Ostendorf A., Schulte-Ebbert U., Staudt C., Wessling F. (2012). Nanotechnology: Opportunities for Water and Air, Expert Group for „Nanotechnology and Environment". 5. NRW-Nanokonferenz, 18.-19. September 2012, Dortmund, Deutschland.
  • Gehrke I., V. Keuter (2012). Development of nanocomposite membranes with photocatalytic surfaces for water purification. NANO 2012, 26-31.08.12, Rhodos, Griechenland.
  • Remmler F., I. Gerard, B. Wölfel, I. Gehrke, V. Keuter (2012). Elimination trinkwasserrelevanter Spurenstoffe in einem Barrierensystem aus nanobeschichteten Filtern und UV-Strahlungsquellen. 45. ESSENER TAGUNG für Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft, 14.-16. März 2012, Essen, Deutschland.

2011

  • Keuter V., Gehrke I. (2011). Hybride Wasserreinigung mit nano-optimierten Aufbereitungsverfahren. nANO meets water III: Nanotechnik für die Wasser-Praxis - Fachleute aus Industrie und Wissenschaft im Dialog, 10.11.2011, Oberhausen, Deutschland.
  • Gehrke I., Keuter V. (2011). Development of nano enhanced membranes for water purification. NANOSMAT 2011, 17.-20. Oktober 2011, Krakau, Polen.
  • Keuter V. (2011). nanoPurification: Entwicklung fortschrittlicher Materialien und Verfahren zur Wasser- und Abwasserbehandlung mittels funktioneller Nanokomposite. WING.de Tagung 2011, S. 87-89., 04.-06. Okt, Berlin, Deutschland.
  • Keuter V., Gehrke I., Glaab J., Kneissl M., Strunskus T., Zaparojtchenko V., Hrkac T., Gerard I., Kryschi R., Cornelsen M., Bohner C. (2011). Development of advanced nano-engineered membranes for multibarrier systems in water purification applications. 8th International Conference on Nanosciences & Nanotechnologies - NN11, Laboratory of Thin Films (LTFN), 12.-15. Jul 2011, Thessaloniki, Griechenland.
  • Keuter, V. (2011). NanoPurification - Multi-Barrierensystem aus nanobeschichteten Mikrosieben und UV-Strahlungsquellen für die Wasser- und Abwassertechnik. 1. Clustertreffen der BMBF-Fördermaßnahmen NanoCare und NanoNature, 10. - 11. Mai 2011, Frankfurt/Main, Deutschland.
  • Keuter V., Gehrke I., Glaab J., Kneissl M., Strunskus T., Zaparojtchenko V., Hrkac T. (2011). Barrierensystem aus nanobeschichteten Mikrosieben und UV-Strahlungsquelle für die Wassertechnik. 44. Essener Tagung für Wasser- und Abfallwirtschaft, 23.-25. März 2011, Aachen, Deutschland.
  • Keuter V., Gehrke I. (2011). Membranes with nano TiO2. Workshop on Nanofiltration and Nano-Enhanced Filtration, 18.-19.01.2011, Observatory Nano, Zürich, Schweiz.

2010

  • Gehrke I., Keuter, V. (2010). Development of advanced nano-coated membranes for water purification. MPA, 03.–05.Aug 2010, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
  • Gehrke I., Keuter, V. (2010). Mikrosiebe mit foulingabweisenden Nanobeschichtungen und UV-Entkeimung für die Mikrofiltration. nANO meets water II, 11.11.2010, Oberhausen, Deutschland.
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