TechConnect Spotlight: Industrial Wastewater Purification

Koch Modular Process Engineers, Kyle Parkinson and William Gallei, to present “Strategies for Effective Industrial Wastewater Purification” on Monday, June 17, at 4:00 pm EST at the 2024 TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Exposition.

Ensuring the effective removal of contaminants from wastewater has become imperative, especially with the proliferation of ammonia-intensive decarbonization methods. Mining operations, spurred by the need for critical minerals and metals in energy production and storage, have heightened ammonia content in wastewater streams. Likewise, converting livestock waste into renewable fuels contributes to elevated ammonia levels in wastewater. Rising operational expenses, aging infrastructure, the emergence of contaminants such as PFAS, and stringent regulatory standards compound this challenge.

Steam stripping and solvent extraction are two technologies that can be used for efficiently removing challenging contaminants from wastewater across diverse conditions to achieve tangible operational and cost benefits

Understanding Steam Stripping

Steam stripping, alternatively referred to as steam distillation, presents an economically viable approach to eliminating volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from wastewater. Compounds amenable to stripping typically exhibit lower boiling points than water, form azeotropes with water, or demonstrate partial solubility in water. These contaminants encompass a range of substances, including alcohols, dioxane, chlorinated hydrocarbons, BTX aromatics (benzene-toluene-xylene), aliphatics, acetates, THF, ethers, ketones, acetonitrile, and ammonia. However, for more complex containments, other separation methods must be explored.

Exploring Solvent Extraction

Solvent extraction offers an effective and economically viable approach for eliminating stubborn wastewater contaminants with boiling points higher than water or without volatility. This method proves especially advantageous in scenarios where the energy expenses linked with distillation or evaporation are considerable. Contaminants conducive to extraction cover a broad spectrum, including carboxylic acids, metal ions, quaternary ammonium cations, phenolic compounds, DMF, DMAC, pyridines, aniline, nitrotoluenes, and organofluorines such as PFAS.

Join William and Kyle for their poster session, “Strategies for Effective Industrial Wastewater Purification,” on Monday, June 17, at 4:00 pm EST at the 2024 TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Exposition. And, visit Koch Modular at booth #606 to connect with our team of engineers.

Koch Modular will be presenting on a variety of topics at this year's event. Explore more of our TechConnect presentations HERE.

Can’t make it to the conference? Join our on-demand webinar.

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William Gallei, Process Engineer

Kyle Parkinson, Process Engineer