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Advanced Electrochemical Treatments for Cork Washing Wastewater Remediation towards a Circular Economy

E-CORK PROJECT

Funder: European Commission

Project code: 101029302

Call for proposal: H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

Funded under: H2020 | MSCA-IF-EF-ST

Overall Budget: 159,815 EUR

Funder Contribution: 159,815 EUR

Host institution: Chemical Engineering Department, CiEPQPF, University of Coimbra.

MSCA fellow: Dr. Ana Rey Barroso.

Supervisor: Prof. Rosa M. Quinta-Ferreira.

Collaborators:

Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, Coimbra Institute of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Cork Supply Portugal, SA.
Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR).

Project vision

Importance of the cork industry in the Iberian Peninsula.

Wastewaters generated in different operations need to be treated.

Hydrogen peroxide from washing steps can be used as a reagent for advanced electrochemical treatments.

Specific objectives

O1. To decide a strategy for the treatment of the different effluents generated during the operations of the whole cork stoppers washing procedure.

O2. To evaluate and optimize the performance of electrocoagulation and electrochemical peroxidation technologies for cork washing wastewaters treatment and reuse.

O3. To develop, evaluate and optimize the performance of photo-electrochemical peroxidation technology using low cost LEDs as radiation source for cork washing wastewaters treatment and reuse.

O4. To evaluate and optimize the performance of heterogeneous electrochemical and photo-electrochemical peroxidation technologies for cork washing wastewaters treatment and reuse, through the application of functionalized catalytic cathodes.

O5. Life cycle assessment and economic feasibiity of the studied technologies and comparison with the treatments currently in use in the industrial cork stoppers washing facilities.

O6. To effectively inform, communicate and disseminate the project outputs to the key stakeholders, the scientific community and the general public.

Research plan

WP1. Project management. To ensure the project progress according to the deadlines and to organize the work with the collaborators.

WP2. Characterization of cork washing wastewaters and priorization strategy for treatment.

WP3. Electrocoagulation and electrochemical peroxidation. Dedicated to checking and optimizing the processes.

WP4. Photo-electrochemical peroxidation. Dedicated to the development of a photo-electrochemical peroxidation cell based on the use of submersible LEDs and its performance for cork washing wastewaters treatment.

WP5. Heterogeneous photo-electrochemical peroxidation. Dedicated to testing some iron-functionalized cathodes and photoactive anodes for photo-electrochemical peroxidation to reduce iron sludge production and iron consumption.

WP6. Techno-economic viability and enviromental impact assessment. LCA-LCC of the treatments and their comparison with the technologies already implemented in cork industries, attending to the depuration level required for reutilization or environmental legal limits for discharge.

WP7. Dissemination, exploitation and knowledge transfer.

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