Described herein are processes for increasing biogas yield and reducing volatile solids in biosolids sludge. The biosolids sludge is passed through a controlled flow, hydrodynamic cavitation apparatus and further subjected to anaerobic digestion. The biosolids sludge can be treated with hydrodynamic cavitation prior to or after the sludge is exposed to a thermal hydrolysis step to hydrolyze the sludge.

The invention relates to a method and an arrangement for wastewater treatment, in which at least portions of the sewage sludge contained in the wastewater (0) are subjected to a hydrolysis (8). The hydrolysis (8) is carried out as a thermal hydrolysis. After the hydrolysis step (8), a drying process is (19) carried out. The drying process (19) is a process operating with positive pressure in the steam region. At least parts of the steam resulting from the drying process (19), which operates with positive pressure, are fed (20) to the portions of the sewage sludge in the thermal hydrolysis (8).

The present invention relates to a method for flocculating and dewatering oil sands fine tailings. Said method comprises mixing the aqueous mineral suspension with a poly(ethylene oxide) (co)polymer to form a dough-like material. The material is then dynamically mixed in an in-line reactor to break down the dough-like material to form microflocs having an average size of 1 to 500 microns, and to release water. The internal diameter of the in-line reactor is at most five times the internal diameter of the inlet pipe of the reactor. The suspension of microflocs has a viscosity of at most 1000 cP and a yield stress of at most 300 Pa.

The present invention relates to a method for flocculating and dewatering oil sands fine tailings. Said method comprises mixing the aqueous mineral suspension with a poly(ethylene oxide) (co)polymer to form a dough-like material. The material is then dynamically mixed in an in-line reactor to break down the dough-like material to form microflocs having an average size of 1 to 500 microns, and to release water. The internal diameter of the in-line reactor is at most five times the internal diameter of the inlet pipe of the reactor. The suspension of microflocs has a viscosity of at most 1000 cP and a yield stress of at most 300 Pa.

We provide a process for treatment of produced water, including but not limited to water produced by a “steam flood” process for extraction of oil from oil sands, including the removal of color from the water. This removal may be accomplished through addition of color-removal polymers and flocculents. This process may also be useful for other water treatment processes including reverse osmosis and filtration.

A method for the treatment of organic waste, the method comprising alternating steps of anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting conducted in a single reactor vessel, wherein at or about the completion of the anaerobic digestion step at least a portion of any free draining fluid from the reactor vessel is directed for reuse in subsequent anaerobic digestion steps, and solids remaining in the reactor vessel from the anaerobic digestion step are subjected to a dewatering step from which a liquid is obtained that is ultimately also directed, at least in part, for reuse in subsequent anaerobic digestion steps. A method for the management of biology in a batch process, wherein the batch process is an anaerobic digestion process, is also described.

A method for the treatment of organic waste, the method comprising alternating steps of anaerobic digestion and aerobic composting conducted in a single reactor vessel, wherein at or about the completion of the anaerobic digestion step at least a portion of any free draining fluid from the reactor vessel is directed for reuse in subsequent anaerobic digestion steps, and solids remaining in the reactor vessel from the anaerobic digestion step are subjected to a dewatering step from which a liquid is obtained that is ultimately also directed, at least in part, for reuse in subsequent anaerobic digestion steps. A method for the management of biology in a batch process, wherein the batch process is an anaerobic digestion process, is also described.

A process (S1) for producing freeze-dried sludge includes: an acclimatization step (S10) of imposing a load on cells of a microorganism in activated sludge to acclimatize the cells; a production increase step (S21) of subjecting the activated sludge to a production increase operation in which production of an extracellular polymer by the cells is increased after the acclimatization step (S10); and a freeze-drying step (S30) of freeze-drying the activated sludge after the production increase step (S21).

A method and a system for treatment of a spent chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst and an alkaline wastewater, where the method includes: 1) mixing the catalyst with a concentrated brine for hydrolysis reaction until residual activity of the catalyst is completely eliminated, to obtain an acidic hydrolysate and an acid-soluble oil; 2) mixing the acidic hydrolysate with an alkaline solution containing the alkaline wastewater for neutralization reaction until this reaction system becomes weak alkaline, to obtain a neutralization solution; 3) fully mixing the neutralization solution with a flocculant, carrying out sedimentation and separation, collecting the concentrated brine at an upper layer for reuse in the hydrolysis reaction, and collecting concentrated flocs at a lower layer; 4) dehydrating the concentrated flocs to obtain concentrated brine for reuse into the hydrolysis reaction, and collecting a wet solid slag; and 5) drying the wet solid slag to obtain a dry solid slag.

A method and a system for treatment of a spent chloroaluminate ionic liquid catalyst and an alkaline wastewater, where the method includes: 1) mixing the catalyst with a concentrated brine for hydrolysis reaction until residual activity of the catalyst is completely eliminated, to obtain an acidic hydrolysate and an acid-soluble oil; 2) mixing the acidic hydrolysate with an alkaline solution containing the alkaline wastewater for neutralization reaction until this reaction system becomes weak alkaline, to obtain a neutralization solution; 3) fully mixing the neutralization solution with a flocculant, carrying out sedimentation and separation, collecting the concentrated brine at an upper layer for reuse in the hydrolysis reaction, and collecting concentrated flocs at a lower layer; 4) dehydrating the concentrated flocs to obtain concentrated brine for reuse into the hydrolysis reaction, and collecting a wet solid slag; and 5) drying the wet solid slag to obtain a dry solid slag.