University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) - Research portal

Go directly to the nagivation.
Go directly to the content.

Navigation/Search

BioFlock - organic and sustainable flocculants for digestate treatment

Project Leader: Gabauer Wolfgang, Project Leader

Duration:: 01.01.2020-31.03.2023

Type of Research: Applied Research

Project partners: Agrana Research & Innovation Center GmbH, Reitherstrasse 21-23, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
Contact person: Dr. Martin Kozich;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; Anacon GmbH, Technopark 1, 3430 Tulln an der Donau, Austria.
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; ARGE compost and biogas, Austria, Landstrasse 11, 4020 Linz, Austria.
Contact person: DI Bernhard Stürmer;
Function of the Project Partner: Koordinator; Biofuel Systems GmbH, Wiestalstraße 12, 5411 Oberalm, Austria.
Contact person: Katharina Hader, Biogaskraftwerk Amstetten;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; Biogasanlage Bruck/Leitha GmbH & Co KG, Wienergasse 4, 2460 Bruck/Leitha, Austria.
Contact person: DI (FH) BERNADETTE MAUTHNER, ME;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; Energiekreis Haller KG, Industrieweg 13, 7411 Markt Allhau, Austria.
Contact person: Christoph Haller;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; Ökoenergie Penz GmbH, Oberer Kreuzberg 749, 8583 Edelschrott, Austria.
Contact person: Ing. Franz Penz;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; Österreichische Agentur für Gesundheit und Ernährungssicherheit GmbH, Spargelfeldstraße 191, 1226 Wien, Austria.
Contact person: Dipl.Ing. Erwin Pfundtner;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; Wolf Nudeln GmbH, Wiener Straße 37, 7540 Güssing, Austria.
Contact person: Joachim Wolf;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner; ZEMKA GmbH, Salzachuferstraße 27-35, 5700 Zell am See, Austria.
Contact person: Hannes Macho;
Function of the Project Partner: Partner

Staff: Kment Florian, Project Staff (bis 30.06.2021); Fischer Isabel, Project Staff (bis 30.04.2022); Hansemann Eva, Project Staff (bis 31.01.2023)

BOKU Research Units: Institute for Environmental Biotechnology

Funded by: Compost & Biogas Association Austria, Schwedenplatz 2 / 20-21, 1010 Wien, Austria

Abstract: Due to the permissible nutrient loads on agricultural land per hectare and year, biogas plants increasingly rely on digestate treatment to reduce the volume and concentrate most important nutrients. As with sewage sludge, the flocculant polyacrylamide is generally used to separate the fine particles of the fermentation residue. Since polyacrylamide is synthetically produced and is not biodegradable or even difficult to break down, its use, especially in Germany at present, leads to great discussions regarding its effects on humans and the environment. Biogas plant operators strive to produce a high-quality, marketable fertiliser by processing fermentation residues. Therefore, many plant operators want to avoid or minimize the use of polyacrylamide as flocculant in general and fall back on alternative, natural flocculants such as starch or chitosan.
Due to the influences on humans and the environment, the present project proposal aims at the substitution of synthetic (polyacrylamide) by natural biodegradable polymers (starch, chitosan) and the general optimization of "flocculation" to reduce polymer consumption.

Keywords: Polymer chemistry; Environmental engineering; Water treatment; Environmental biotechnology; Fermentation technology;; biogas; organic flocculants; flocculation; digestate; starch;