FP6 priority
1.1.3   Nanotechnologies and Nanosciences, Knowledge-based Multifunctional Materials and New Production Processes and Devices
1.3.1.5
Title of the proposal

Development of magnetic sorbents by application of nanotechnologies

Institute
Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geotechnics
Watsonova 45, 043 53 Kosice, Slovak Republic
www.saske.sk/UGT/igt.html
Contact
Name:
Dipl. Ing. Stefan JAKABSKY, PhD.
Phone:
+421 55 6338115
E-mail:
jakabsky@saske.sk


Research subject for a potential FP6 project

The magnetic sorbents are applied in the water decontamination techniques with the aim to remove heavy and radioactive elements as well as oil products. The sorbents with high specific surface are favourable for enhancement of sorption capacity. Such surface can be achieved by means of substances with particles of nanometric grain size obtained by various technologies. For a success of water treatment techniques under application of magnetic sorbents the additional physical-chemical properties such as magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity, wet ability, specific surface and porosity are important. In the Institute of Geotechnics of the SAS the preparation methods of various ferrofluids has been worked out. The ferrofluid is a stable colloidal system of magnetic nanoparticles covered by a layer of surfactants and dispersed in a carrying liquid. Ferrofluid can be used in the treatment of wastewaters, contaminated by oil substances, under the acting magnetic field. Thus, an appropriate ferrofluid miscible with oil substances is added to the water contaminated with oil products. Magnetic susceptibility of originally non-magnetic oil substances is increased on a definite level and in such way oil substances become separable by application of magnetic separation. The further possible utilisation of ferrofluids is their application in modification of magnetic properties of solid particles, which is based on the adsorption ability of ferrofluids on hydrophobic surface.
Magnetic sorbents can be applied as an individual solid state able to bond contaminants on its surface or in the form of polycomponent materials, composed of magnetic particles and chemical substances with high sorption capacity. Magnetic sorbents in form of Fe-oxides and Fe-hydroxides precipitated in situ in water contaminated by heavy metals. Fe-precipitate can be magnetically separated.


Recent international cooperation of the research team

Greece, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, USA, University of Clemson, South Carolina,USA, New Mexico State University, Las Cruses, Byelorussia, Institute of Applied Physics, Byelorussian Academy of Sciences, Minsk, Republic of South Africa, De Beers, Mineral Processing Division, Johannesburg, Czech Republic, Technical Univ. of Ostrava, Czech Republic, Institute of Chemical Processes of the Academy of Sciences of Czech Rep., Prague, Russia, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk.


Proposer´s relevant publications related to the research subject

JAKABSKY, Stefan - LOVAS, Michal – HREDZAK, Slavomir - KARAS, Slavko – JELENOVA, Miroslava: Magnetic Filtration of Heavy Metals Containing Waters. In: Abstracts of the 9th International Conference SIS ´01, Comenius Univ. Bratislava, Modra-Harmonia 2001, pp. 86-87.
JAKABSKY, Stefan – LOVAS, Michal – MOCKOVCIAKOVA, Annamaria – HREDZAK, Slavomir. Utilization of ferromagnetic fluids in mineral processing and water treatment. J. Radioanal. Nucl. Chem., Vol. 246, No. 3 (2000), pp. 543-547.
JAKABSKY, Stefan – LOVAS, Michal – HREDZAK, Slavomir. The Application of Magnetic Carriers in Wastewater Treatment. Acta Montanistica Slovaca, vol. 5, No. 3/2000, pp. 245-247.
JAKABSKY, Stefan – LOVAS, Michal – MOCKOVCIAKOVA, Annamaria - HREDZAK, Slavomir. Modification of Minerals and Coal Surface Properties by Application of Ferrofluids. In: Abstracts of the Eighth International Conference on Magnetic Fluids, Timisoara, 1998, pp. 393-394.