Nano-adsorbents for Fat Recovery from Waste-streams

FOG pollution is a clear issue both socially and economically, effecting populations on local, regional, national and inter-national scales. However, the breadth of species present in common FOG pollution sources, as well as the range of components understood to influence FOG deposit formation bring with them significant complexity in being able to understand and accurately model FOG interactions across sewer system, and Waste Water Treatment (WWTP) Plant processes.
This project aims to develop understanding surrounding the capability of super-hydrophobic nanoparticles to capture industrially relevant samples of FOG polluted waste water. This will be achieved in particular by incorporating aspects of nanoparticle design and characterisation being carried out in parallel within the Heng Group as well as statistical approaches to product optimisation as made possible by the Response Surface Methodology (RSM) expertise present within ICL's Guo group. Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles (MSNs) have been selected as the primary material of choice due to silica's availability, low price, low processing energy consumption and low levels of environmental pollution.