The Application of Ferrate for Wastewater Reuse

This Phase I project deals with the optimization of onsite ferrate synthesis breakthrough technology patented by Ferrate Treatment Technologies, LLC (FTT). Ferrate is a powerful oxidant and disinfectant for treatment of water and wastewater. Ferrate also possesses efficient coagulation properties and enhanced coagulation also can be achieved using ferrate as a pre-oxidant. Ferrate is well known to science but previous attempts to commercialize ferrate failed for reasons of cost. FTT’s innovative approach has three significant benefits: the resulting product is a liquid instead of a solid, the product now can be directly injected into a process stream without special handling or mixing equipment, and synthesis can be achieved utilizing the typical bulk chemical feeds already in use at treatment plants. Using its current technology, the FTT process has reduced ferrate production cost from $20/pound for traditional electrochemical and high-temperature approaches to approximately $2/pound. FTT now must move from prototypes and testing to commercialization of its technology, specifically of its “Ferrators®”. Recently the original prototype, which used manual operation of the Ferrator in a batch mode, was modified to permit automated operation. Automated and optimized operation will reduce production costs as well as energy consumption and resource demand. The Ferrator also must be modified to permit integration with continuous flow processes. This project will expand the opportunities to use ferrate for applications ranging from small-scale, onsite, automated water and wastewater treatment to large metropolitan systems. Further, the innovative ferrate process can be integrated into an existing hypochlorite system, which is process-controlled by a commonly used ORP sensor. Phase I will test an automated Ferrator suitable for integration with a water reuse facility and provide a blueprint to the Phase II production. Phase II will test the approaches identified during Phase I that meet the dynamic needs of a large-scale water reuse facility and will field-test this unit to fully evaluate its capabilities.