| Funding period: | June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2027 |
| Agency: | SAB |
We acknowledge funding by the SAB project "Fundamentals of the combination of upconversion microcrystals (UPMKs) with metallic foams for low-energy photocatalytic-based wastewater treatment" (KoMMet, grant agreement ID: 100715133)
The reprocessing of wastewater containing organic compounds (phenol compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, colourants, antibiotics/metab. hydrocarbons, colourants, antibiotics/metab. antibiotics/metab. antibiotics) is a global challenge. Although most of these organic compounds are REACH compliant, they are genotoxic, mutagenic and cytotoxic in waste form. The situation is often exacerbated if the wastewater is discharged into the sewerage system with inadequate pre-treatment. The improper disposal of municipal wastewater poses a major threat to the environment and public health worldwide. Appropriate wastewater management is therefore essential. Act. However, wastewater treatment processes consume enormous amounts of energy and therefore lead to very high CO2 emissions, which are caused by the energy required to operate water treatment plants, the consumption of chemicals and the disposal of unwanted wastewater. Water treatment currently accounts for around 3% of electricity consumption in industrialised countries, whereby the typical energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in Europe is below the average. The typical energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in Europe is less than 50%. Municipal wastewater treatment plants in Germany require almost 3,400-4,400 GWh of electricity and produce around 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year. 67% of the energy is used for biolog. purification and secondary clarification. The "KoMMet" project aims at the basic development and laboratory realisation of a new technology for sustainable and low-energy water remediation based on photocatalysis stimulated by daylight. Translucent and translucent metal foams with defined porosity and specific surface area are coated with lanthanide-based upconversion microcrystals (UCMKs) with a high specific surface area (~1000 m²/g) as part of the project. This new type. This new type of coating is able to convert the photons of daylight into high-energy short-wave UV photons, which form hydroxyl radicals on the UCMKs when they come into contact with water. These can photocatalytically degrade the organic compounds in the wastewater with high efficiency (>95%). The project aims to reduce the energy required for wastewater treatment and water purification and thus reduce the CO2 equivalent of water purification by up to 90% compared to conventional techniques. In close co-operation between the Prof. of Materials Science and Nanotechnology at the TU Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM Dresden, a new type of long-term water treatment is being developed. IFAM Dresden, a new type of long-term UV and wastewater-resistant platform is being developed. The expected fundamental results can be used directly for the further scaling of low-energy water treatment processes and indirectly for the development of further processes.
| Funding period: | June 1, 2024 to May 31, 2027 |
| Agency: | SAB |
We acknowledge funding by the SAB project "Fundamentals of the combination of upconversion microcrystals (UPMKs) with metallic foams for low-energy photocatalytic-based wastewater treatment" (KoMMet, grant agreement ID: 100715133)
The reprocessing of wastewater containing organic compounds (phenol compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, colourants, antibiotics/metab. hydrocarbons, colourants, antibiotics/metab. antibiotics/metab. antibiotics) is a global challenge. Although most of these organic compounds are REACH compliant, they are genotoxic, mutagenic and cytotoxic in waste form. The situation is often exacerbated if the wastewater is discharged into the sewerage system with inadequate pre-treatment. The improper disposal of municipal wastewater poses a major threat to the environment and public health worldwide. Appropriate wastewater management is therefore essential. Act. However, wastewater treatment processes consume enormous amounts of energy and therefore lead to very high CO2 emissions, which are caused by the energy required to operate water treatment plants, the consumption of chemicals and the disposal of unwanted wastewater. Water treatment currently accounts for around 3% of electricity consumption in industrialised countries, whereby the typical energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in Europe is below the average. The typical energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants in Europe is less than 50%. Municipal wastewater treatment plants in Germany require almost 3,400-4,400 GWh of electricity and produce around 3 million tonnes of CO2 per year. 67% of the energy is used for biolog. purification and secondary clarification. The "KoMMet" project aims at the basic development and laboratory realisation of a new technology for sustainable and low-energy water remediation based on photocatalysis stimulated by daylight. Translucent and translucent metal foams with defined porosity and specific surface area are coated with lanthanide-based upconversion microcrystals (UCMKs) with a high specific surface area (~1000 m²/g) as part of the project. This new type. This new type of coating is able to convert the photons of daylight into high-energy short-wave UV photons, which form hydroxyl radicals on the UCMKs when they come into contact with water. These can photocatalytically degrade the organic compounds in the wastewater with high efficiency (>95%). The project aims to reduce the energy required for wastewater treatment and water purification and thus reduce the CO2 equivalent of water purification by up to 90% compared to conventional techniques. In close co-operation between the Prof. of Materials Science and Nanotechnology at the TU Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM Dresden, a new type of long-term water treatment is being developed. IFAM Dresden, a new type of long-term UV and wastewater-resistant platform is being developed. The expected fundamental results can be used directly for the further scaling of low-energy water treatment processes and indirectly for the development of further processes.
