Search results for "WASTE"
showing 10 items of 2580 documents
A brine evaporative cooler/concentrator for autonomous thermal desalination units
2011
In recent years growing attention has been paid to the problem of brine disposal due to the raising awareness of significant environmental issues related to the use of desalination processes for fresh water production. This is particularly relevant when desalination units are located in remote sites, characterised by major complexity in the construction and management of intake and outfall structures. In the present work a novel device, named brine evaporative cooler/concentrator (BECC, patent pending), has been developed for coupling with small-scale thermal desalination plants in order to reduce the problem of brine disposal. Such device fulfils two different functions: i) cooling of the …
Combined membrane and thermal desalination processes for the treatment of ion exchange resins spent brine
2019
Abstract The disposal of industrial wastewater effluents represents a critical environmental issue. This work focuses on the treatment of the spent brine produced by the regeneration of ion exchange resins employed for water softening. For the first time, a comprehensive techno-economic assessment and an analysis of the energy requirements of the treatment chain are carried out, via the simulation of ad hoc implemented models. The chain is composed of nanofiltration, double-stage crystallization and multi-effect distillation. The valuable product is the brine produced by the multi-effect distillation, which can be re-used for the regeneration. Therefore, the treatment chain’s economic feasi…
Towards the implementation of circular economy in the water softening industry: A technical, economic and environmental analysis
2020
Abstract To reduce the environmental impact of the industrial sectors, circular strategies should be implemented to purify the effluents and recover raw materials. In this context, a novel integrated methodological approach is proposed to identify the most suitable strategy to improve the sustainability of the water softening industry via the treatment and recycling of the produced wastewater. Different concentration technologies and energy supply systems are compared to find economically feasible and environmentally friendly treatment systems. The investigated chains present the same pre-treatment step (nanofiltration and crystallization) and different concentration technologies: Multi-Eff…
Techno-economic assessment of multi-effect distillation process for the treatment and recycling of ion exchange resin spent brines
2019
Abstract A treatment chain including nanofiltration, crystallization and multi-effect distillation (MED) is for the first time proposed for the treatment of an effluent produced during the regeneration of Ion Exchange resins employed for water softening. The goal is to recover the minerals and to restore the regenerant solution to be reused in the next regeneration cycle. MED is the most crucial unit of the treatment chain from an economic point of view. A techno-economic analysis on the MED unit was performed and a novel performance indicator, named Levelized Brine Cost, was introduced as a measure of the economic feasibility of the process. Different scenarios were analysed, assuming diff…
Application of diffusion dialysis in separation of sulfuric acid and copper from electroplating wastewater
Electroplating industry creates large volumes of wastewater that contain acids and heavy metallic ions which are toxic but valuable. Diffusion dialysis (DD) can be used to separate acids from heavy metals. In this work, two single-cell DD modules equipped with Fumasep FAD membranes were used for the first time for the separation of sulfuric acid from copper. The first module consisted of a laboratory-scale DD unit operated in a batch configuration to study the effect of process parameters on the efficiency of sulfuric acid recovery. The latter one was a large-scale DD unit operated in a continuous configuration to simulate the process operation at the industrial scale. Results showed that F…
EXPERIMENTAL CHARACTERIZATION OF ELECTRO-MEMBRANE PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION AND STORAGE OF ENERGY
2022
An integrated approach for the HCl and metals recovery from waste pickling solutions: pilot plant and design operations
2021
Abstract Continuous regeneration of industrial pickling solutions and recovery of valuable materials are implemented in a pilot-scale plant including diffusion dialysis (DD), where HCl is recovered, membrane distillation (MD), where HCl is concentrated, and reactive precipitation (CSTR), where metal ions are recovered in different forms. The integration of the three processes allows to minimize waste streams generation and to accomplish a closed-loop process, thus increasing the environmental sustainability and economic impact of the galvanizing industry. Process reliability was proved through the operation of a demonstrator in the real industrial environment of the Tecnozinco SrL hot-dip g…
A pilot-plant for the selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from waste brines
2021
Abstract The problem of brines disposal has raised great interest towards new strategies for their valorisation through the recovery of minerals or energy. As an example, the spent brine from ion exchange resins regeneration is often discharged into rivers or lakes, thus impacting on the process sustainability. However, such brines can be effectively reconcentrated, after removal of bivalent cations, and reused for the resins regeneration. This work focuses on developing and testing a pilot plant for selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from spent brines exploiting a novel proprietary crystallization unit. This is part of a larger treatment chain for the complete regeneration of the …
Operational analysis of a novel reactive crystallizer for the production of Magnesium Hydroxide from waste brines
SELECTIVE CRYSTALLISATION OF MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM HYDROXIDES FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTE BRINES: A PILOT STUDY
2021
In the last years, a rising interest has been focused on the valorization of waste brines from industrial processes, such as desalination plants. In most current scenarios, waste brines are disposed directly, or after being treated, into a receiving water bodies, often causing environmental concerns and, more importantly, renouncing to the possibility of using such a waste as source of valuable raw materials. In fact, these brines are typically rich in useful salts and minerals, whose recovery can increase the environmental and economical sustainability of the industrial process [1-2]. The ZERO BRINE EU-H2020 project aims at the development of technologies for the recovery of salts, mineral…