Water Technologies

• Feasibility studies, market and technology analyses
• Scientific assessment, consulting, studies on various water treatment processes
• Comprehensive, modern analytics for the characterization of wastewater and process water
• Development of plant technology including automation up to industrial prototypes together with industrial partners
• Process design and technical/scientific project support by an interdisciplinary team from the fields of process engineering, mechanical engineering, environmental engineering, chemistry, biology and electrical engineering
  

Biological processes

• Development of biotechnical purification processes for industrial wastewater
• Development of reactor systems in modular design, testing possibilities (semi-technical)
• Design and optimization of industrial and municipal wastewater treatment plants based on experimentally determined design parameters
• Anaerobic and aerobic degradation tests

Oxidative and electrolytical processes

• Process optimization also for highly viscous media, for example cooling lubricants, foodstuffs, sludges and pastes
• Holistic solution approaches through combination with aerobic and anaerobic biological processes
• Combination with processes for desalination or recovery of acids and alkalis

We will be happy to work out an individual offer for you.

• Laboratory facilities for customer-specific tests
• Pilot plants for:
  • Electrophysical precipitation
  • Ozone treatment +/- hydrogen peroxide +/-catalyst
  • UV treatment
  • Ultrasonic treatment
  • Anodic oxidation (direct / indirect), cathode reactions
• Mobile prototype plants for on-site investigations

Biological processes

• Bioreactors of different types and sizes (laboratory, pilot and technical scale)
• Mobile membrane bioreactors for wastewater treatment
• Pilot plant for environmental and bioprocess engineering
• Test plants for various membrane processes, e.g. rotating disk filters
• Mobile pilot plants on a m³ scale to generate design data on site for the planning and construction of innovative demonstration plants

Oxidative raw- and process water treatment

AOP research facility for the development of oxidative processes for wastewater treatment:

• an ozone generator (up to 4 g ozone/h),
• an ozone reactor,
• a UV reactor (2 kW medium-pressure mercury lamp),
• ultrasonic units (25 kHz and 40 kHz; 1.7 kW)
• an electrolysis cell (up to 50 A and 10 V) with separate anolyte and catholyte circuits (electrode surface 180 cm² each).

• more info

Electrolytic raw- and process water treatment

• Comprehensive laboratory and pilot plant equipment with reactors of up to 500 l/h throughput capacity for the treatment of process waters of various volumes

demEAUmed

• The demEAUmed project deals with innovative ideas for an optimal and safe closed water cycle in Euro-Mediterranean tourist facilities. The aim is to reduce the consumption of fresh water in hotel facilities, green and recreational areas, through alternative water sources such as treated groundwater, rainwater.  

OxFloc

• The EU project OxFloc is concerned with water treatment, where an integrated approach is used to break down and remove hazardous substances using a single-stage oxidative-adsorptive process. In the future, this should not only reduce the operating costs of wastewater treatment, but also achieve a far-reaching benefit for the environment.  

NAWADES

• The aim of the EU-funded NAWADES project is to research, design, manufacture and test a new concept for seawater desalination using membranes.  

Light4CleanWater

• In the EU project Light4CleanWater the Fraunhofer IGB is involved in the development of a UV treatment system that breaks down toxic substances from wastewater streams into harmless components.  

Planar UV light source

• In cooperation with a European industrial partner, Fraunhofer IGB has developed a novel high-power UV light source in which the UV light is emitted from a plasma that is excited by microwaves. The lamp is suitable for the disinfection of water.  

Decolorization of organic dyes by anodic oxidation

• With regard to the treatment of real waste water from the textile industry, in orienting experiments a molecularly dissolved organic dye and a finely particulate organic dye were broken down by more than 90 percent - until the liquids appeared colourless to the human eye. The study also included the determination of the most energy-efficient process parameters and a comparative characterization of the degradation products.
  

ConductMem

• The EU project ConductMem aims to develop a system in which the formation of a biofilm by germicidal oxidative substances is permanently avoided. The oxidative substances are to be electrolytically produced by the filter membrane itself.  

Reduction of the biological contamination of cooling lubricants with ultrasonic/ozone  

• This project aims to extend the service life of cooling lubricants without toxic chemicals and to improve their quality. To this end, new physical technologies such as focused ultrasonic cavitation, the application of pulsed electrical and electromagnetic fields, and sonochemical and wet oxidative processes are being investigated.  

ADOXPOL – Industrial wastewater treatment with ozone

• Within the framework of an EU-funded project, Fraunhofer IGB, together with European partners from industry and research, is currently developing a technology for the efficient and cost-effective purification of industrial wastewater. By combining flotation and oxidation in one process step, the advantages of both technologies can be used and further benefits can be achieved through synergy.  

Cleanleachate

• Landfill leachate is produced during the decomposition of waste deposited in landfills. This must not be allowed to enter the environment, as it contains substances that are harmful to health in considerable concentrations. In this project an oxidative treatment process (AOP) with a novel electrolysis cell optimized for landfill leachate is being developed.

ECOWAMA

• In the EU-funded project ECOWAMA "ECO-efficient management of water in the manufacturing industry", a project consortium with partners from research and industry under the leadership of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart is developing an efficient and cost-effective method for the electrochemical treatment of this waste water with the aim of recovering the valuable substances and reusing them in the production process.

REWAGEN

• In the EU project REWAGEN "Electrochemical WAter treatment system in the dairy industry with hydroGEN REcovery and electricity production", a European project consortium with partners from research and industry under the leadership of the Fraunhofer IGB is developing a multi-stage process for the efficient electrochemical treatment of process and waste water from the milk-processing industry.

Nanofloc

• The rapid market introduction of products containing synthetic nanoparticles (ENP, Engineered Nanoparticles), including in the paint and coatings industry, has raised concerns about their impact on health and the environment. Scientists from the EU project "NANOFLOC" are developing a technology that removes nanoparticles by means of electro-agglomeration at comparatively low cost.  

OilEClear

• In the EU project OilEClear we aim to develop a reliable, compact and fully automatic treatment plant based on electrocoagulation to separate emulsified oil from bilge water (ships) and from waste water from drilling platforms.

RAZone

• In the EU project RAZone, we would like to improve the productivity of aquacultures and minimize risks associated with the use of ozone in the treatment of circulating water.

Halving the treatment costs for paper waste water through electro-physical precipitation

• For a paper manufacturer, we optimized the plant for cleaning process waste water and expanded its capacity. A conventional flocculation was replaced by a plant based on the principle of electro-physical precipitation. By saving chemicals such as flocculants, polyelectrolytes and caustic soda, the costs for waste water treatment could be halved.

Removal of finely suspended substances from paint waste water by electro-physical precipitation

• In a feasibility study for an aircraft manufacturer, we were able to successfully treat paint waste water from the painting plants by means of electro-physical precipitation. The turbidity of the waste water was reduced by 95 percent and the COD value (chemical oxygen demand) by 75 percent. Similar investigations were carried out on behalf of paint manufacturers. We were able to show that the turbidity, COD value and odour were also significantly reduced.

SalinityScan

• In this EU project, Fraunhofer IGB is involved in the development of a novel flow measurement system within a trans-European consortium. The measuring system is to enable the exact determination of the volume flow rates of multiphase mixtures of oil, water and gas, as they occur in offshore oil production.