Projects

Project 1.

Zero liquid discharge for membrane bioreactor treatment of municipal wastewaters

Nanofiltration or reverse osmosis is often used to further improve the quality of effluent from membrane bioreactors (MBRs) treating municipal wastewater. UNSW and CTET staff have worked with industry partners from China to assess the efficiency of various advanced oxidation technologies that can improve the biodegradability of organics in the brine from nanofiltration and achieve zero liquid discharge of advanced water treatment plants.

 

Project 2.

Development of catalysts for treating industrial wastewater

CTET worked with industry partners in China and improved efficiency and reduced the cost of catalytic ozonation treatment of different types of industrial wastewater through a thorough understanding of mechanisms of oxidation processes. Chemistry of organic degradation by ozone is coupled with hydrodynamic modelling of the reactor to improve the overall process.

 

Project 3. 

Treatment of high-salinity wastewater from mining industries using catalytic ozonation

Several approaches have been developed for a cleaner and more efficient utilisation of coals, including coking, gasification, and liquefaction. However, all these approaches inevitably generate large quantities of wastewater that needs to be treated before it can be discharged, which has been a challenge for coal industries due to the high salt content and presence of complex organic matter. CTET’s research team, led by Professor David Waite is developing novel catalysts and reactor designs for the efficient degradation of refractory organics in high-salinity wastewaters from mining industries using catalytic ozonation processes.