52 Water / Wastewater


Researchers at RMIT University have found an innovative way to rapidly remove hazardous microplastics from water using magnets microplastics and dissolved pollutants.


Lead researcher Professor Nicky Eshtiaghi said existing methods could take days to remove microplastics from water, while their cheap and sustainable invention achieves better results in just one hour.


The team says they have developed adsorbents, in the form of a powder, that remove microplastics 1,000 times smaller than those currently detectable by existing wastewater treatment plants.


The researchers have successfully tested the adsorbents in the lab, and they plan to engage with industry to further develop the innovation to remove microplastics from waterways.


“The nano-pillar structure we’ve engineered to remove this pollution, which is impossible to see but very harmful to the environment, is recycled from waste and can be used multiple times,” said Eshtiaghi from the School of Engineering.


“This is a big win for the environment and the circular economy.”


HOW DOES THIS INNOVATION WORK? The researchers have developed an adsorbent using nanomaterials that they can mix into water to attract


Muhammad Haris, the fi rst author and PhD candidate from the School of Engineering, said the nanomaterials contained iron, which enabled the team to use magnets to easily separate the microplastics and pollutants from the water.


“This whole process takes one hour, compared to other inventions taking days,” he said.


Co-lead researcher Dr Nasir Mahmood said the nano-pillar structured material was designed to attract microplastics without creating any secondary pollutants or carbon footprints.


“The adsorbent is prepared with special surface properties so that it can effectively and simultaneously remove both microplastics and dissolved pollutants from water,” said Mahmood from the School of Science.


“Microplastics smaller than 5 millimetres, which can take up to 450 years to degrade, are not detectable and removable through conventional treatment systems, resulting in millions of tonnes being released into the sea every year. This is not only harmful for aquatic life, but also has signifi cant negative impacts on human health.”


The team received scientifi c and technical support from the Microscopy and Microanalysis Facility and the Micro Nano Research Facility, part of RMIT’s newly expanded Advanced Manufacturing Precinct, to complete their research.


WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?


Developing a cost-effective way to overcome these signifi cant challenges posed by microplastics was critical, Eshtiaghi said.


“Our powder additive can remove microplastics that are 1,000 times smaller than those that are currently detectable by existing wastewater treatment plants,” she said.


“We are looking for industrial collaborators to take our


invention to the next steps, where we will be looking at its application in wastewater treatment plants.”


Eshtiaghi and her colleagues have worked with various water utilities across Australia, including with Melbourne Water and Water Corporation in Perth on a recent Australian Research Council Linkage project to optimise sludge pumping systems.


‘Self-assembly of C@FeO nanopillars on 2D-MOF for Simultaneous Removal of Microplastic and Dissolved Contaminants from Water’ is published in the Chemical Engineering Journal (DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2022.140390).


The co-authors are Muhammad Haris, Muhammad Waqas Khan, Ali Zavabeti, Nasir Mahmood and Nicky Eshtiaghi. Further questions and enquiries can be directed to nicky. eshtiaghi@rmit.edu.au


For More Info, email: email:


For More Info, email: email:


59345pr@reply-direct.com


Titan Enterprises expands patents for its ultrasonic fl owmeter technology


Titan Enterprises has recently been granted additional patents for its ultrasonic fl ow technology used within their range of Atrato®, MetraFlow® and Process Atrato® fl ow meters.


As a specialist liquid fl ow meter manufacturer, Titan fi rst began developing a viable, accurate ultrasonic non-invasive small bore measuring device in 2001 as part of a long-term strategic plan. The work resulted in patented ultrasonic technology which has since led to an expanding line of ultrasonic fl owmeters and patents ranging from signal processing methodology to novel mechanical design.


Titan’s ultrasonic fl ow sensors use high frequency sound waves to measure fl ow using the time-of-fl ight principle within the liquid in a small pipe. The ultrasound is injected with the direction of fl ow into the liquid by one piezoelectric crystal (the sensor) and is received by a second piezoelectric crystal further down the tube. These crystals then reverse the direction of the ultrasound in the tube and both time-of-fl ight acoustic signals are measured. As one sound pulse is accelerated by the velocity of the liquid and the second retarded, the difference in the fl ight time is twice the fl uid velocity, and as the dimensions of the fl owmeter tubes are known the volumetric fl ow can be calculated.


Most ultrasonic fl owmeters can reliably measure fl uids that transmit ultrasonic sound waves within a band (e.g. ±30%) around the speed of sound in water at 20°C. But if a fl uid has signifi cantly differing acoustic characteristics, for instance viscous organic fl uids or if measurement is at elevated temperatures, then the acoustic operational window can be missed by the sensors. Titan’s proprietary Interface Software offered on the Atrato® and MetraFlow® overcomes this application challenge. The software functionality allows you to view the Acoustic signal of the measured fl uid in real time and if required, move its position in the measurement window to ensure reliable fl ow measurement in the conditions of operation. This increases the versatility


of a single fl uid calibrated meter to a much wider range of applications.


Ultrasonic fl owmeters are the ideal solution for measuring low fl ow rates. Titan has developed several generations of ultrasonic low fl ow meters based upon their patented time-of-fl ight design able to measure the velocity of the fl uid within the pipe. The very high signal to noise ratio from these devices has been widely proven to enable


metering of extremely low fl ows with great precision. The Atrato® line of patented ultrasonic inline fl owmeters consists of four models operating over a fl ow range of 2ml per minute up to 20 litres per minute. These low fl ow ultrasonic fl ow sensors also offer excellent turndown (> 200:1), repeatability (to ±0.1%), linearity and accuracy of better than ±1.0% of reading.


Titan’s ultrasonic fl ow devices are independent of Reynolds numbers and can therefore operate from laminar fl ow through to turbulent fl ow. This makes them highly commercial being able to accurately measure liquids ranging from water to high viscosity oils. Being through-fl ow devices, they can also be tolerant to impurities in the system which would cause havoc to meters with moving parts.


The rugged, clean bore construction of the Atrato® and MetraFlow® ultrasonic fl owmeters make these devices ideal for almost any low fl ow application, from research and development to industrial processes, and even metering of chemically challenging liquids. In addition, the Process Atrato®, durably constructed from 316 stainless steel and PEEK, and incorporating Titan’s patented time-of-fl ight ultrasonic fl owmeter technology, is specifi cally designed for use in demanding process and control environments.


More information online: ilmt.co/PL/z1Re For More Info, email:


email: IET MARCH / APRIL 2023


For More Info, email: email:


59770pr@reply-direct.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60