Cleaning Waste Water

Introduction

An inexpensive way to clean waste water has been jointly developed jointly by AIST, Hokkaido and Kyowa. The new technology requires no large-scale processing equipment and it promises to treat waste water for as little as 10% the cost of conventional methods. It uses glass bead bubbles that are 10 mm in diameter and contain 10-20% titanium oxide. Since the glass beads float in the water, the titanium oxide is exposed to sunlight and oxygen. These are needed to activate and maintain the photo catalytic properties of the titanium oxide that breaks down organic pollutants and bacteria in the water. The glass beads could be used in sea-water polluted with red tide or in waste water tanks on livestock farms to efficiently clean the water without burden on the environment.

The glass bead bubbles are heated for two hours at 600 oC so to ensure that they do not dissolve in water. Because this process does not lend itself to mass production, the research group is developing a different production method that involves free fall in a microgravity environment and rapid heating with a burner. The developers aim to have the technology ready for practical application next year.

For further information please contact

Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology
APCTT Building
C-2 Qutab Institutional Area
P.O.Box - 4575
New Delhi - 110 016
Tel : 91-11-26966509
Fax : 91-11-26856276