The Centre for Environmental Technology.
Cement Pellets that Remove Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solutions.
(U.K. Patent Application GB 2 343 674 A . ANDERSON A., JACKSON A.R.W. and SKERRATT
G. Dated 17.05.2000.)
At Staffordshire University, researchers Andrew Jackson, Glynn Skerratt
and Mike Anderson have produced a pelletised cement-based product that will
remove heavy metals from aqueous solution. This material is capable of reducing
the concentration of a variety of metals (including copper, zinc and lead) in
solution to less than 1 ppm. At this concentration, there is unlikely to be
a problem in disposing of the effluent to either surface water or sewers within
the U.K.
Data based on the treatment of acidic water containing 5 ppm of each of zinc(II),
lead(II), nickel(II), copper(II) and chromium(III) has demonstrated that one
volume of the pelletised material is capable of treating at least 350 times
that volume of waste (see figure below).
"These results are most encouraging and we anticipate that the utility
of this product could be further enhanced by incorporating, for example, activated
charcoal or calcium sulphite, within the pellets." said Andrew Jackson.
"Such amendments to the basic product could allow it to be tailor-made
to a particular situation."
This product has a variety of potential applications. Not only can it purify
wastewaters prior to discharge, but it could also be used to clean up contaminated
sites or act as an underground barrier within landfill installations. Furthermore,
it may prove very useful in the mining industry where it could be used to concentrate
target metals from heap leach liquors.
Once the product has become saturated with metals, and will no longer reduce
the concentration of the target elements to desired levels, it can be safely
disposed of. This can be done by sending it to landfill, or, possibly by using
it as aggregate in non load-bearing concrete. Alternatively, the metals can
be recovered for recycling by treating the spent product with acid.
This material is now the subject of both UK and European patent applications
and Staffordshire University wishes to develop the idea further. ‘We are keen
to hear from companies that believe that they have a potential application for
this product’ said Glynn Skerratt, Director of the Centre for Environmental
Technology.
For more information.
E-mail:
a.r.jackson@staffs.ac.uk or
rgs1@staffs.ac.uk
Details of the patent can be downloaded
here
Word97 document :
patent.doc
(50.5K)
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The pelletised product
Performance data
If you have any queries regarding this page, please contact:
Dr. Dave Moreman
tel: 00 44 (1)782 294776
email : dave.moreman@staffs.ac.uk
The pelletised product
Performance data