Comparing Cork Filters to Conventional Sand Filters : A Pilot Study of Process Water Treatment

Abstract: Process water is used for cooling and for transporting material in all kinds of industries. To clean the water for reuse, various types of filters can be used. Many conventional process water treatment plants incorporate sand filters, which readily clean the water from suspended matters. However, at some circumstances the sand filters do not remove high enough concentrations of metals. This master thesis compares the water treatment abilities of activated cork, produced by Spikes & Cogs AB, to those of the sand filters used at steel making company Ovako Hofors AB in Hofors. As an on-site pilot study, the thesis investigates the cleaning capacity of three types of activated cork filters: Fats, Oils and Solvents (FOSS) filter, Fast Acting Digesting Enzymes (FADE) filter, and Metal Adsorption and Concentration (MAAC) filter. The cork filters were compared to the sand filters during normal operation and, because of previous problems with the stability of the sand filter performance, during stress tests. The results show that the cleaning capacity of the sand filters is higher than the cleaning capacity of the cork filters at normal operation. At the conditions of the stress tests, at which the sand filters do not function, the cleaning capacity of the cork filters was somewhat lowered but was still well within acceptable limits. An important result from the experiments is that the cork filters neutralize the pH. The sand filters are sensitive to changes in the pH, meaning that the cork filters could function as a buffering unit prior to the sand filters.