Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

An established method of removing pollutants from wastewaters ranging from industrial process waters to municipal wastewater is the use of coagulants and flocculents. Current flocculent technology focuses on ionic attraction to get suspended solids and other pollutants to stick together allowing them to form larger ""flocs"" which can be filtered out. As flocculants attract suspended solids, they often trap excessive moisture in these structures. By developing a reagent with the appropriate polymers and clays, the same particulate attraction can occur while trapping less moisture. This process can reduce the need for expensive, high maintenance equipment like filter presses or centrifuges which is the common methodology for separating high water content flocculated waste. This project will develop the ability of current flocculants to release water from flocculated refinery waste. This research will assist companies that treat or generate this waste to reduce the amount of waste and return clean water back for industrial processes. This has valuable economic and environmental benefits for Canadian companies in the sector. The outcomes of this research can then be applied to various other waste streams.