“In the electrochemical wastewater treatment method developed by Flocon Technologies, the separated floc continues to dry on its own without the influence of oxygen in the air, so no thermal energy or compression is required,” says Floconin Mikael Abacka.
In the purification process, dissolved oil, heavy metals, solids and phosphorus can be practically completely separated from the wastewater. In the reactor cell, metal ions are electrically removed from the electrode into the water to be purified, which form a sieve that works with the OH groups in the water at the molecular level. The impurities in the water attach to the metal hydroxide network, the floc, which rises up with the hydrogen gas produced and leaves the upper part of the separation tower. The purified water is removed from the lower part of the reactor.
"The process does not produce sludge, which is often difficult to dispose of due to its water content. The floc can be burned, recycled or used as a nutrient, depending on the substances contained in the water being purified," says Flocon's CEO. Sirkku Rönkä.
“The separation process is immediate, so no tanks are needed to achieve sufficient dwell time. The equipment requires little space. The process is also easy to adjust, as the cleaning result in the reactor is visible immediately.”
Flocon Technologies Oy operates and pilots its process at KCL's premises in Otaniemi. In this context, it also cleans the wash water from KCL's coating processes. The equipment is located next to the coating machine.
Development work will focus on increasing the reactor's capacity in the future.
"Although the equipment is modular and the capacity of the equipment can be increased by increasing the number of reactors, we see a need to develop larger reactors. Piloting of the new reactor model will begin this autumn. Combining our technology with traditional separation methods is also one development direction," says Mikael Åbacka.
"The system is constantly being tested with wastewater from different industries. Since taking over the process requires guidance, the appropriate process and equipment are tailored to the customer based on test runs, including whether the water is recycled for reuse or whether drainage is sufficient."
WHAT? The electrochemical cleaning process virtually completely removes dissolved oil, heavy metals, solids and phosphorus from wastewater.
WHY? The cleaning process does not create a difficult-to-drain aqueous sludge, but a self-drying floc, which not only saves the environment but also saves costs related to water, energy and material use.
