The special regular cell structures comprising graphene planes and the presence of nano-crystals inside them provide RECAM® RE.55 with unique features in terms of removal of a wide range of contaminants, particularly of recalcitrant compounds. During the contact and filtration process between the contaminants and RECAM® there is no chemical reaction or transformation. There is therefore no risk of unwanted reaction from by-products or other contaminants that were not present in the original water.
The ability to remove organic compounds, cations and anions at the same time makes this new filtering material unique in its kind. The RECAM® filtration plants are simple to construct, modular and do not require high pressure. They work within a range of 0.2÷0.7 bar, as well as by gravity, thus requiring no pumps and may work without consuming energy, when necessary. Before filtration with RECAM®, prefiltration should be carried out in order to prevent the filter from blocking, especially in the presence of a high concentration of suspended solids and unwanted particles such as loam, clay etc.
The RECAM® filtration process is especially recommended for:
- removal of micro-organisms, bactericidal and bacteriostatic disinfection of water
- high removal rate of light and heavy hydrocarbons
- removal of organic substances with high reduction levels of COD
- removal of PCB
- removal of MTBE, guaranteeing values <10 µg/l
- removal of arsenic, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, cyanides, boron, iron, zinc and manganese.
- treatment of water contaminated by chlorinated solvents
- entrapment of asbestos fibres.
Filtration with RECAM® provides safe drinking water with no micro-organisms, pollutants and recal-citrant compounds. As RECAM® is a stable, inert material, no hazardous substances are released into the water and no by-products are produced.
Unlike other drinking water treatments, such as reverse osmosis, for example, which produces almost totally demineralised water, RECAM® does not alter the content of compounds that are precious for our metabolism, such as calcium or sodium: these elements, essential for human health, remain in the water and are assimilated by our bodies.
The filtration process using RECAM® has been successfully applied to a series of common recalcitrant compounds, such as: benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, styrene, m-xylene, o-xylene, p-xylene, fluoranthene, fluorine, benzo(a)anthracene, benzo(a)pyrene, benzo(b)fluoranthene, benzo(k)fluor- anthene, benzo(g,h,i)perylene, chrysene, dibenzo(a,h)anthracene, indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene, pyrene, naphthalene, acenaphthylene, acenaphthene, indane, indene, 1-methylnaphthalene, 2-methyl- naphthalene, biphenyl, phenols, heavy hydrocarbons, methanol, chloromethanes, trichlorometh- ane, vinyl chloride, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethane, 1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,2-dichloropro- pane, tetrachloroethylene, arsenic, cadmium, chromium VI, iron, manganese, copper, zinc, boron, COD, BOD5, anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, MTBE, atrazine.
The filtration process using RECAM® RE.55 has already been successfully used in various locations for industrial wastewater treatment and groundwater remediation, including some sites of national interest. The technology has already been approved by the Province of Milan, the Lombardy Regional Council, the Lombardy Regional Environmental Agency, the Ministry for the Environment, the Municipal Councils of Treviglio and Bellinzago, the Campania Regional Environmental Agency, the Campania Regional Council, the Province of Turin, the Tuscany Regional Council and the Province of Pisa.
Here are some layouts of typical filtration plants with RECAM®:
