Tailored Materials

Relevant research activities

Depending on the intended use, the water quality of the available water resource is not sufficient and must be treated accordingly. With diminishing resource quality and rising requirements for process and drinking water the water treatment becomes more elaborate and expensive. Very promising treatment processes for the upcoming challenges are considered to be adsorption, oxidation, flocculation/precipitation, membrane filtration and hybrid combinations of the above mentioned processes. Process optimization includes also the tailored development of materials and treatment substances used during the processes. In the context of the intended faculty focus, the Chair of Mechanical Process Engineering / Water technology investigates within the research field “process optimization and simulation” the impact of targeted modifications of membrane materials and adsorbents on process parameters and water quality.

Projects and cooperation

Since 2016 the BMBF cooperation projects „Re-Salt“ and „Mabmem“ as well as the project “UF/PAK 4.0” funded by the LANUV are conducted. In 2017 starts the BMBF cooperation project UFO. The focus of the funded projects are the re-use of hyper-saline waste water for the electrolysis of chlorine (Re-Salt), the use of combined powder activated carbon/membranes as 4^th cleaning stage (UF/PAK 4.0), the manufacturing of high performance membranes for water treatment (Mabmem) and the removal of oil contaminants from pre-treated waste waters originated from oil delivery (UFO). In addition to that, smaller projects are conducted with industrial partners e.g. BASF inge, Pall and different municipal utilities, in general for process optimization. 

Equipment

Particle Analyzer (Polarization Intensity Differential Scatter LS 13320, Coulter Counter M4e, Zeta Sizer ZS nano), Fluorescence Spectroscopy RF-6000, TOC-Analyzer TOC-L, Algae Lab Analyzer ALA, UV-vis Spectroscopy DR-5000, full automatic testing device for porous and dense membranes. A bench-scale rotary furnace is used for activation and reactivation of carbon-based adsorbents. 

Chosen activities in specialist groups and journals

• IWA specialist group member “Particle separation”
• DVGW-working committee „Water treatment processes“
• ProcessNet specialist group member „Membrane technique“
• Technical/Scientific working committee German Desalination (DME Deutsche Meerwasserentsalzung e.V)
• Guest Editor Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology – AQUA 2010, 59 (2-3)