Let’s talk clean water scarcity and precious metals. The Technical Research Centre of Finland. They know about scarcity of precious metals. As well as the scarcity of clean water. For it is one of the most serious global challenges.
So in has a spearhead program. For VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is all in. Especially developed energy-efficient methods. Methods for reuse of water in industrial processes too. Especially given clean water scarcity.
For it Is a means for recovering valuable minerals. As well as other materials. All from waste for recycling. Rapid tools were also developed. Most importantly for identification of environmental pollutants.
Recycling valuable minerals and materials
Demand has also arisen. Especially for technologies capable of recovering something. I mean even tiny amounts of minerals. All moreover from waste flows. I mean we are talking gold, palladium and cooper. Also silver and other precious metals. All recovering them from municipal or mining wastewater.
As I’ve written before about gold:
Mobile phone scrap moreover contains precious metals. Such as gold and copper. However VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland watch out. For it has developed a biological filter from mushrooms.
All made of mushroom mycelium mats.
Thereby enabling a larger recovery scrap. I mean of as much as 80% of the gold in electronic scrap. Extraction of copper from circuit board waste. That’s by flotation the crushed and sieved material.
Although research into the biological methods is active. So these are still rarely used in metal recovery chains. In a European “Value from Waste” project for example. VTT developed both biological and mechanical pre-treatment methods. That’s for more efficient recovery of precious metals. All from electronic waste.
Fungi catch gold and filter out impurities
VTT has also developed a method that harnesses biosorbents. That’s such as fungal and also algae biomass. All for the recovery of precious metals converted to a solution.
In VTT tests, more than 80% of the gold in the solution adhered to the biomass.
That’s compared with only 10–20%. You know of the harmful process chemicals.
As I’ve written before there is such a demand for precious metals out of electronics.
Besides the energy (and dollar) savings. Also the saving to the environment.
We all need to properly recycling electronics that are old. You know those unwanted units. Also we need to make sure they don’t wind up in the landfill.
As I’ve written before:
Think while shopping for the latest electronics device. For you can make sure it’s a gift that keeps on giving. Meaning make sure it’s recycling gets done on the back end. That means don’t forget what’s inside. Besides the energy (and dollar) savings and the environment.
Properly recycling electronics that are old and unwanted is a must. Also, make sure they don’t wind up in the landfill. More importantly you don’t want leaking acid pits. Especially halfway around the world. All where the precious metals inside them are recovered.
So please be cognizant when buying a desktop, laptop computer, tablet, or printer. Please make sure it’s Energy efficient to start. But don’t stop there!!
Because, it also should contain fewer toxic materials due to clean water scarcity. Also designed to be easily disassembled for recycling.
So when buying a desktop, laptop computer, tablet, or printer think twice. Also make sure it’s
Energy efficient to start. But don’t stop there!!
Because, it also should contain fewer toxic materials. Also designed to be easily disassembled for recycling.
For to do this stuff requires better recovery methods. Especially than those on the shelf today. That’s why VTT has also developed extraction methods. All moreover for metals and minerals. All from waste materials.
Biological extraction methods by which metals are recovered from mining. Also metal and recycling industry waste by utilizing microbes. As well as chemical reactions. For they are under testing stages. Also and are forecasted for market uptake. All within the next few years.
Other valuable elements can also be found from waste flows. For example, the food industry by-product flows.
They contain biochemicals that contain proteins. One possibility is to use enzymes.
So VTT researchers have also developed an enzyme-assisted method. A method consequently by which feed products can be produced. That’s as a result from side streams.
Reducing energy consumption in water treatment
Treatment of water in purification plants and industrial facilities consumes water. I mean they consume vast amounts of energy too. Likewise, water recycling. Also for seawater desalination too.
For they are based on the use of filtration membranes. All that moreover consume energy. So VTT developed intelligent membrane materials. Thereby reducing the need of purification and for filtration purposes.
Membrane solutions using only small amounts of energy were developed. That’s all for water treatment purposes. VTT has also collaborated with a university in Singapore. All to develop a method based on forward-osmosis technology. One by which metals and bio-components can be recovered. Also concentrated from industrial process waters.
As I’ve written before:
Companies such as Environmental Screening and Separation now utilize innovative equipment to treat our water. Finally and most noteworthy are still striving to find new processes to treat our waste water on earth. Finally and through recycling our water. I mean we are one step closer. Closer to solving the present and future water crisis.
Sensors for identifying environmental hazards
The VTT spearhead programme also developed sensor technology. That’s all for easy and rapid detection of pollutants. It seems as if the technology will be ready for production use. All within the next few years.
In conclusion, the R&D aimed at enhanced clean tech industry competitiveness. Now it combined the VTT competencies. So those in, for example, biotechnology and modeling. As well as sensor technology. Finally and most importantly energy technology.
Source: Technical Research Centre of Finland VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland – Business from technology
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