Grantee Research Project Results
Innovating Complexing Agents for Recovery of Heavy Metals in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
EPA Contract Number: 68D70048Title: Innovating Complexing Agents for Recovery of Heavy Metals in Municipal and Industrial Wastewater
Investigators: Damle, Ashok S.
Small Business: Technochem Company
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: September 1, 1997 through March 1, 1999
Project Amount: $225,000
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (1997) Recipients Lists
Research Category: SBIR - Water and Wastewater , Watersheds , Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)
Description:
Efficient removal and recovery of toxic heavy metals from industrial wastewater streams is a major challenge. The increasing cost of landfilling as well as valuable metal resources make removal and recovery of heavy metals from wastewater potentially economically attractive. During the Phase I effort, the feasibility of recovering toxic metals, such as cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury, was demonstrated using metal complexing agents with appropriate solvents in an uphill facilitated transport mode in microporous hollow fiber membrane contactors. Depending upon the complexation chemistry and wastewater composition, this approach may be tailored to a specific heavy metal or may be used for simultaneous removal/recovery of multiple metals. During the Phase II efforts, this novel concept will be demonstrated for treating wastewater streams from metal finishing industries with recovery and recycling of the metal values. The proposed approach will first be scaled up by an order of magnitude in bench-scale experiments with simulated wastewater compositions. The novel process will then be demonstrated with a pilot-scale, skid-mounted system at a metal finishing facility. If successful, this recovery system will address an urgent need in industrial wastewater treatment and will provide a cost-effective method to recover the toxic metals.Supplemental Keywords:
Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Waste, Water, Toxics, Hazardous, National Recommended Water Quality, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Engineering, Mercury, Civil Engineering, Civil/Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, Sustainable Environment, Municipal, Environmental Chemistry, 33/50, Wastewater, Hazardous Waste, Environmental Engineering, chromium & chromium compounds, heavy metals, mercury & mercury compounds, municipal waste, waste recovery, Chromium, industrial waste, lead, lead & lead compounds, treatment, cadmium, industrial wastewater, complexing agents, cadmium & cadmium compounds, aqueous waste stream, activated carbon, metal recovery, meal complexing agents, metal complexes, waste recycling, wastewater treatment, extraction of metals, metal complexing agent, metal finishing, hazardous liquid waste, heavy metals removal, metals removal, metal complexing agentsProgress and Final Reports:
SBIR Phase I:
Innovative Complexing Agents for Recovery of Heavy Metals in Municipal and Industrial WastewaterThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.