(102b) Multi-Functional Sorbent Technology (MUST) for the Recovery/Removal of Critical/Heavy Metals from Fossil-Related Wastewaters
AIChE Spring Meeting and Global Congress on Process Safety
2024
2024 Spring Meeting and 20th Global Congress on Process Safety
Environmental Division
Environmental Issues and Controls in Select Industrial Sectors I
Tuesday, March 26, 2024 - 2:00pm to 2:30pm
Ever-increasing contamination of Earthâs precious water systems with heavy and critical metals brings both a tremendous environmental burden to eliminate the toxic species and a golden opportunity to recover the most valuable elements. Fossil-related wastewaters like acid mine drainage (AMD), effluents from hydraulic fracturing processes (produced water), and flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater from coal-fired powerplants contribute significantly to stream and groundwater pollution. A collection of remediation and recovery technologies like those predicated on photocatalytic-, electric-, chemical-, membrane-, and adsorptive-based processes currently exists in different stages of development or deployment between these methods of water management. Among these technologies, solid sorbent processes embody an optimal balance between cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, and technological maturity. The U.S. Department of Energyâs National Energy Technology Laboratory developed a suit of cross-linked, functionalized silica sorbents tailored to eliminate the most toxic metals regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); critical metals identified by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); and harmful organics like the infamous perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). An array of laboratory and field tests proved that the MUST sorbents removed ppb-level lead from drinking water, selenium from FGD wastewater below EPA limits, aqueous dyes and PFAS; and fractionated low ppm-level critical metals (CM) from AMD and simulated produced water. Proof-of-concept for commercial CM recovery was verified through obtaining milligram-quantities of purified Al solids from a sorbent multi-bed AMD field-site test. Commercial efficacy was further supported by achieving purified fractions of adsorbed Mn upon treating both the AMD and synthetic produced water with the laboratory multi-bed test unit.