BioFloc

The increasing demand for drinking water can only be met in the future if we also preserve the ecosystem of our inland waters. This is because they directly influence the quality of groundwater and currently play a significant role in the treatment of drinking water. We place high demands on the quality of drinking water, which must be preserved.

Lignite mining in the past has had a particularly profound and lasting impact on the water balance in the Lusatia region. The necessary flooding and water treatment concepts, which are regularly updated, are available for the targeted development of the water quality in the post-mining lakes. One focus is the removal of iron compounds by flocculants. To date, only synthetic flocculants have been available on the market, which could have a negative impact on the ecosystem if used on a long-term basis.

Therefore, the aim of the "BioFloc" project is to develop new bio-based degradable flocculants for the purification of ferrous waters, which represent an environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic products currently on the market (e.g. anionic flocculants LABUFLOC®, KOARET®, FERROCRYL®). The new bio-based flocculants should also be able to be used in sewage treatment systems for deferrization of well water or as flocculants in combination with primary flocculants containing iron. To this end, the starch-based products must be optimized with regard to their molecular target structures by closely interlinking the work on effect analysis and synthesis and ultimately have an effect comparable to synthetic products.

BTU Brandenburgisch Technische Universität Cottbus - Senftenberg