Research project BIOCERE

Biocers based on bacterial membrane proteins for metal-binding filters for the treatment of industrial wastewater

Partners:  (all GER)
- FZ Rossendorf
- Company Feinchemie Sebnitz
- WISMUT GmbH
- TU Dresden - Institute for Materials Science

Funding:  Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Duration:  January 2001 - May 2004

Project description:

The joint project Biocere involved the Rossendorf Research Center, Kalies Feinchemie Sebnitz, Wismut GmbH and the TU- Dresden with the Institute of Materials Science and the Institute of Waste Management and Contaminated Sites (Note: since 2016 Institute of Waste and Recycling Management). The aim was to use a newly developed biosorption material called "Biocer" to effectively remove arsenic and heavy metals from low-polluted wastewater. The focus was on mine and seepage waters in the former uranium ore mining areas of Wismut with a comparatively low pollutant discharge.

Conventional separation processes are ineffective in this concentration range and inferior to biosorption. The name "Biocer" stands for the connection between biocomponent and ceramic material. Immobilization using sol-gel technology combines the good sorption properties of the biocomponent with mechanical stability.

For this purpose, sorption experiments with the particularly problematic element arsenic were carried out at the Institute in Pirna-Copitz. In batch experiments, the equilibrium data as well as the kinetic indices were determined under different conditions. Furthermore, the possibility of regeneration of the "Biocer" was tested, which is of utmost importance for a practical application. Initial model tests with copper had already been successful.