"WorkBeads™ Metal" - A Breakthrough in Heavy Metal Capture
Experimental data and initial field trials tell us that even at parts per trillion (ppt) levels our newest product WorkBeads Metal separation media is able to capture heavy metals in the high 90 percentile range. Indeed, lab trials have shown Mercury (Hg) capture above 99%, even at ppt levels.
The experimental data below illustrate typical capture percentages for some heavy metals using the patented chelating technology employed by Bio-Works:
| Metal | Before | After | Reduction (%) |
| Mercury Hg2+(mg/L) | 0.270 | 0.00061 | 99,7 |
| Arsenic As5+ (mg/L) | 5.0 | 0 | >99 |
| Cadmium Cd 2+ (mg/L) | 0.22 | 0.00095 | 96 |
| Chrome Cr 3+/5+ (mg/L) | 0.016 | 0.002 | 88 |
| Nickle Ni2+ (mg/L) | 0.043 | <0.0009 | 98 |
| Lead Pb2+ (mg/L) | 0.086 | 0,0087 | 90 |
| Aluminium Al3+ (mg/L) | 0.066 | 0.0077 | 89 |
| Uranium (mg/L) | 0.75 | 0.0006 | >99 |
| Zink Zn2+ (mg/L) | 2.9 | 0.075 | 98 |
The capacity for e.g. Copper is 20 g/L of adsorbent.
Our exciting new product combines the rigidity and performance of Bio-Works 500 micron Agarose Separation Media with patented chelating technology from Sweden.
Agarose is produced from agar, widely used in the food industry. It is derived from seaweed and is hence environmentally friendly and CO2 neutral on incineration.
The metals can be washed off and the adsorbent reused multiple times.
Further, Bio-Works patented Agarose production technique helps us to keep costs down, allowing us to better address process economics.
High Throughput Heavy Metal Capture
Industrial and Municipal entities are seeking cost-effective solutions to trace element removal, particularly, heavy metals, which in many cases are toxic in very low concentrations. As environmental standards tighten and require lower permitted levels of heavy metals in effluents, there is a need to remove ionic forms of the metals which can not be removed by more common chemical or filtration method.
WorkBeads Metal can capture exceptionally high levels of heavy metals at extremely low concentrations in conditions where very high throughput is required. As an example, ongoing field trials with a customer in the oil and gas industry are designed to give us data to engineer a system that will handle between 2 and 5 million liters of process water ("produced water") per day.
The picture above shows a field trial unit for removal of arsenic from produced water to generate data for engineering of large scale installations.
Often, the massive scale of municipal, process and produced water means that huge volumes must be accommodated. Bio-Works can help companies design solutions which team high throughput technology with the performance and capacity of our large 500 micron beads. This combination means systems can be designed to handle flow rates necessary to fit the needs of today's industrial customer.
Small Scale Industrial Applications
Factory sites do not always require continuous, high-throughput processing of process waste water. Often, waste streams with particularly high heavy metal concentrations are stored for later disposal. These lend themselves better to "batch" treatment. For this type of application, Bio-Works uses a simple, small foot print column filled with WorkBeads 400 Metal which can be easily installed in nearly any factory setting.
The picture above shows examples of small scale units with capacities up to 6000L/day that can be used to treat smaller volumes of process water.
Operation of the system is simple. The contact time of our separation media means that the waste stream can simply be filtered through the media and still capture heavy metals in the 90 percentile range. Our data suggests that, should other factors in the waste water not preclude it, the effluent water from the filter process will meet most environmental standards for direct disposal into municipal waste water streams. Depending on the concentration of the heavy metals and the composition of the waste water, the media can last up to a year before it needs to be changed. The changeover operation is also very simple you only need to replace the separation media filter bag, cartridge or loose media.
Summary
WorkBeads Metal
- captures ionic heavy metals even at extremely low concentrations;
- can be regenerated, making it very economical;
- can be used for small scale or high throughput applications;
- has the potential to "mine" value from waste streams
To learn more about this exciting new product please contact us