The invention concerns 2nd Generation Carbons (2GC) produced by pyrolysis from iron-rich water sludge and agricultural waste. This sustainable and economical material absorbs organic and inorganic pollutants from water, can be removed by a magnetic field and reused in a circular economy approach.
| Patent title | Carbon-based magnetic material, production method, and applications |
|---|---|
| Thematic area | Bioeconomy, Agriculture and Environment |
| Ownership | ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA' DI BOLOGNA |
| Inventors | Enrico Balugani, Diego Marazza, Alessandro Buscaroli, Nicolas Greggio, Roberta Pulcher |
| Protection | Italy, with the possibility to extend internationally |
| Licensing status | Available for development, option, licensing and other enhancement agreements |
| Keywords | biochar, second-generation carbon, waste/recover material, agricultural biomass, drinking water sludge, water treatment, circular economy |
| Filed on | 01 October 2024 |
Currently, activated carbons are the most common materials used for absorbing and removing contaminants in solution, but they are obtained from fossil fuels.
Magnetic 2GC is produced from readily available and inexpensive raw materials, offering a lower-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional activated carbons. Its magnetic properties allow the adsorbent to be recovered from solution by a magnetic field, differently from other adsorbents that require filtration processes.
Compared to other types of sludge, such as municipal sewage sludge, drinking water sludge has a constant composition and does not contain potentially toxic elements that could preclude the use of the biochar produced.
Post-adsorption magnetic 2GC does not have to be disposed of or undergo complex regeneration processes, but can be reused in agronomic (e.g. soil amendment) or electronic (e.g. super capacitors) applications.
The pyrolysis of Fe-rich sludge enables the magnetisation of biochar through a reaction of iron reduction: Fe₂O₃ -> Fe₃O₄ -> FeO -> Fe.
By using a naturally Fe-enriched material, there is no production of secondary pollutants, differently from magnetic biochars produced with synthetic precursors. Furthermore, the use of potabilization sludge reduces production costs.
Magnetic 2GC for wastewater treatment can be recovered with a magnetic field, unlike other biochars or activated carbon adsorbents, which require a filtration process.
Applications:
1. Sorption of organic and inorganic contaminants even at low concentrations in solution
2. Sorption of emerging contaminants, such as antibiotics, endocrine disruptors and pesticides
3. Long-term carbon storage and immobilisation of contaminants in soil
4. Component in electrical or electronic materials, e.g. batteries and supercapacitors
Advantages:
1. Reducing the costs and impacts of waste disposal, such as sewage sludge and agricultural waste
2. Valorization of waste from two supply chains (industrial symbiosis), with a circular economy approach
3. Recovery through a magnetic field, simplifying the filtration process compared to traditional absorbent media
4. Re-use of post-adsorption biochar, avoiding disposal as for activated carbon