Aeternum operates from its Castleford facility one of the most sophisticated water treatment plants in the UK. 

Aeternum have received a planning consent to operate the Low-Pressure Wet Oxidation (LOPROX®) plant, with a bulking Capacity for up to 5,000 tonnes of Hazourdous Wet Water waste streams as part of its modified COMAH licence. 

The LOPROX plant can operate at a throughput of upto 300 tonnes per day and operate as part of an integrated Biological Water Treatment Plant. 

LOPROX, (Low-Pressure Wet Oxidation) process for the treatment of industrial wastewater and sludge. 

Typical fields of application include

Pre-treatment of highly polluted industrial wastewater streams (e.g. before being discharged into a biological treatment plant).  The process is ideal for Sludge treatment. 

Key element of the process is the homogeneous catalytic oxidation of organic matter with oxygen at elevated temperature and pressure. 

Characteristics are:

• Reaction in fluid phase (bubble column)
• Pressure range: 3 - 25 bar
• Temperature range: 120 - 220°C
• Oxidation with air or oxygen
• Catalyst: iron + co-catalyst 

Cost-efficient and custom-designed treatment process for moderately to highly polluted wastewater streams (2 - 100 g/l COD)

Typical elimination rates for COD 70 - 90 %, for AOX > 95 % 

Strong improvement of wastewater biodegradability (increasing BOD/COD-ratio from < 0.1 to around 0.5) 

Innovative process for sewage sludge disintegration and volume reduction 85 % reduction of organic dry matter and significant improvement of dewatering properties. 

Cost-efficient alternative to incineration. 

Destruction of persistent organic compounds (e.g. pharmaceuticals, pesticides, PAH, phenols) and wastewater detoxification. 

Autothermic operation possible for most applications. 

Cheap and environmentally friendly catalyst. 

Salt concentration up to 20 % allowed. 

Proven reliability and longevity of materials (reaction columns with up to 19 years running time without replacement). 

This diagram illustrates the typical course of reaction within the LOPROX® process applied to poorly biodegradable wastewater containing chlorinated aromatic compounds. 

Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and absorbable organic halogens (AOX) are used as parameters indicating the degree of pollution. With increasing reaction temperature, both parameters are greatly decreased, AOX even more so than COD. 

Simultaneously, biological oxygen demand (BOD) rises and thus the BOD/COD ratio increases drastically from its initial value of < 0.1 to values noticeably higher than 0.5. 

The BOD/COD ratio gives an indication of the biodegradability of wastewater. Wastewater with a BOD/COD ratio > 0.5 can usually be cleaned well in biological treatment plants. 

LOPROX Treats Very High Strength Aqueous Wastes

300 m3 PER DAY CAPACITY
>95% COLOUR REDUCTION
>90% COD REDUCTION
SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN TOXICITY
ORGANIC MOLECULE BREAKDOWN
MINIMUM COD 3000mg/l
MAXIMUM COD 30,000mg/l
MINIMUM FLOW 5m3/hr
MAXIMUM FLOW 12.5m3/hr 

Limitations

CHLORIDE <40,000mg/l
BROMIDE <40,000mg/l
SULPHATE <60,000mg/l
FLUORIDE <100mg/l
MANGANESE <200mg/l
TOTAL NITROGEN <2000mg/l

Examples of wastes we can or will be capable of treating

High COD waste, leachate, pharmaceutical and cosmetic wastes, chemical wastes, food wastes and contaminated waters including: 

Ammonia
Amines
Acetic acids
Scrubber liquors
Paint, ink and dye wastes
Landfill leachates