Context

A new wastewater treatment technology is being developed that would reduce the high costs of existing technologies for handling oily wastewater generated at their source points.

About

About the technology

• The new technology consists of an affordable electric field-assisted membrane separation device for oily wastewater treatment.
• It has been built with support from the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies programme of the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
• This technology uses a combination of Electrocoagulation and Electroflotation Enhanced Membrane Module (ECEFMM) techniques for waste water treatment.
• So far, the separation technology running in different sectors for treating such oily wastewater involves the installation of an electrolytic cell or DAF followed by membrane unit.
• However, installing two separate units requires a high footprint area compared to the present unit, where two-unit operations are being assimilated in a single unit.

What is Electrocoagulation? It is a broad-spectrum treatment technology that removes total suspended solids (TSS), heavy metals, emulsified oils, bacteria and other contaminants from water. This technique that uses electrical charge for changing the particle surface charge, allowing suspended matter to form aggregates. What is Electroflotation? Electroflotation is the separation of suspended particles from water using hydrogen and oxygen bubbles generated by passing electricity through water.

Some of the Indian Government Steps

• The Government has set a growth target for the manufacturing sector from 16% of GDP to reach 25% of GDP by 2025. 
• The National Manufacturing Policy and the emphasis on “Make in India” is a powerful strategy for economic development. 
• In accordance with this objective, DST has initiated this program for developing Advanced Manufacturing Technologies in October 2015.
• Five thrust areas were selected for developing novel manufacturing technologies:

1. 1. Nano materials & surfaces
   2. Robotics & automation
   3. Precision manufacturing
   4. Manufacturing process of Pharmaceuticals Bio manufacturing
   5. Advanced forming & near net shaped processing