AquAsZero EU FP7 project for SMEs

1. AquAsZeroEU FP7 project for SMEs Project partners: Loufakis Chemicals, Coordinator UREN Tėcnicas del Agua S.L. Iprochim engineering, Aquagest Solutions ELKEDE technology & design centre S.A. PERA, The innovation network Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

2. About project partners • LoufakisChemicals S.A: LOUFAKIS CHEMICALS SA was established in 1987 with a vision of producing and distributing high quality chemical products providing after-sales services and excellent technical support. The company provides: Fine chemicals, Direct service, Introduction of technological innovations • UREN Tėcnicas del Agua S.L., is a company in MIGUEL DE CERVANTES 2 3 F, PORTUGALETE Bizkaia 48920 - Spain • Iprochimengineering: Founded in 1948, The Chemical Engineering Company IPROCHIM is a designing institute specialized in working out the technical and economic documentation necessary for the development of the chemical industry in Romania. • Aquagest Solutions, Spain: Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions • ELKEDE Technology & Design Centre S.A. ELKEDE is a modern centre of technology and design that provides services in the sectors of shoemaking, leather, textile, apparel, timber - furniture and plastics.

3. About project partners • PERA, The innovation network: PERA is a leading European innovation network, inspiring and enabling clients to transform their products, business processes and people beyond their competitors reach • Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Department of Chemical Enginnering: In the RAND review about research in Greece,the Chemical Enginnering field is the first and the Chemical Engineering Department of A.U.Th. is the secondcentre of excellence “AquAsZero” is the Winner of the 1st prize in the field of Innovation in “Greece Innovates” 2011,a competition for Applied Research and Innovation promoted by the Association of Greek Industries and Eurobank, Greece.

4. Project description AquAsZero general objective is the development of low cost single iron and binary ferric-manganese adsorbents of arsenic from potable water, while the spent adsorbents can be safely and easily disposed. The preparation of such binary Fe-Mn oxy-hydroxide involves the precipitation of Fe2+ - from the low-cost iron source of FeSO4 - oxidized by KMnO4 which also acts as the manganese source. The purpose of the scientific part of the project is to understand the effect of the material’s physico-chemical characteristics in the arsenic adsorption capacity and select the optimum reaction conditions and dewatering of the oxy-hydroxides sludge method. The parameters associated to the laboratory production of the qualified adsorbent will be used in the design and the construction of the prototype unit.

5. Project results • The production of the research qualified single iron and binary ferric-manganese adsorbents is expected to yield granular materials with enhanced arsenic adsorption capacity compared to the common commercial products when used in a column adsorption process. To accomplish this target the materials will be designed to have a high specific surface combined with an increased surface charge arising from the controllable oxy-hydroxide structure. In addition, the use of binary Fe/Mn adsorbents allows overcoming the low efficiency against As(III) of single Fe materials which is their main disadvantage. • See results at http://www.aquaszero.com/index.php/results