Current Mind Set
There appears to be a shift in todays mind set from the old extractive linear thinking to a revived approach to maintaining an ecological equilibrium to achieve environmental sustainability. With a rejuvenated respect for the resources that surround us, a refreshed approach towards Technology & Process Solutions has developed focused on a friendlier longevity vision.

Current thoughts regarding the recovery of resources appear to be revolving around four predominate technology sectors. We have reviewed the evolution of Biological Decomposition and Thermal Reduction with an eye on the changes in Chemical Reduction Methods and the untapped potential of ElectroRefining. Please feel free to engage through our network in a spirit of collaborative progress in a effort to realize innovation.

Biological Decomposition
The term Biological Decomposition typically refers to the use of Microbial Bacteria to break complex organic compounds into a simpler elemental form. Industry terminology commonly refers to Biological Decomposition as Fermentation or aerobic and Anaerobic Digestion.
A wide number of Microbial Bacteria species are utilized to achieve efficient or selective reduction and Decomposition goals. Enzyme Bioleaching is applicable in the reduction of both organic and inorganic materials.
Biological Decomposition is a natural form of waste reduction but the evolution of specialized treatment processes and technology may improve the efficiency of resource recovery efforts.
Please share your observations, your input is welcome.

Online Collaboration Forum
We invite you to participate in the Online Collaboration Forum to promote the transfer of information amongst Biological Decomposition enthusiasts. Please feel free to submit your input to the Biological Decomposition Forum. Network & Share
In addition to BioGas, some beneficial products that may be produced are Compost and Soil Amendments.
some additional Biological Decomposition info ... top

Thermal Reduction
The technology and industrial processes for Thermal Reduction continue to evolve and we strive to keep current on the developments in this field.
Combinations of different flavors of Thermal Reduction methods may be applied depending on the input feedstock, temperature, pressure and dwell time and the desired product output mix.

Our main focus is centered around the Valorization and market development of the recovered resources and we seek to engage all those who share our aspirations.

Collaboration Group
The Thermal Reduction Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption. Please submit your collaborative input to the Thermal Reduction Forum or feel free to check-out the developments of the Recovery 2.0 process.

Gasification & Syngas Production
One method of waste treatment or reduction is a process known as Gasification which produces an end product called biogas.
Gasification is a method of producing a synthetic natural gas substitute commonly referred to as Syngas and is also called Sustainable Natural Gas (SNG), Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) or biomethane.
Please submit your news, views, comments and observations regarding the Gasification process to the Thermal Reduction Forum.

Pyrolysis
Growing interest in the development of the old Pyrolysis technology is driven by a revitalized interest in producing energy and fuels from a wide variety of wastestreams. Newer adaptations of the Pyrolysis process provides greater flexibility in the types of materials that may be eligible for conversion into BioEnergy Renewables.

The concept of producing raw feedstocks for the emerging Bio-Refining industry presents an immense untapped opportunity. The value of the energy resources that may be unleashed with the mass adoption of this technology is as of yet not widely recognized and remains uncalculated.

Please feel free submit your input and share your interest in Pyrolysis and the expansion of BioEnergy Renewables. The Thermal Reduction Forum provides an opportunity to Collaborate.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL)
The hydrous pyrolysis or devolatilization process is the thermal decomposition of materials at elevated temperatures in an inert atmosphere under increased pressures in the presence of a catalyst.

If you wish to buy or sell Bio Crude Please add an inquiry to the BioEnergy Renewables exchange service.

Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) mimics, in a matter of minutes, the natural process that occurs deep beneath the earth, that utilizes heat & pressure in the decomposition of organic matter over millions of years.
The HTL process is applicable for all organic materials, food waste, manures, sewage sludge and any hydrocarbon waste including plastic, rubber, textiles, wood and paper irregardless of the moisture content.

If you wish to collaborate regarding Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL), Please feel free to send your comments to the Thermal Reduction Forum.

Thermal Carbonization
The goal of Thermal Carbonization or Hydrothermal Carbonization is to produce a product commonly referred to as Biochar. This carbon based product is typically sourced from Hydrocarbon materials, primarily waste streams.
If you wish to collaborate with others that share an interest in the Carbonization process, Please submit your input to the Thermal Reduction Forum

Refining & Bio-Refining
Resource recovery refining or Bio-Refining is a multi stage process in which many of the steps are similar or identical to traditional petrochemical refining.
The process generally involves the vaporization and condensing of waste materials to produce BioEnergy Renewables which may be further processed into value added chemicals and fuels. The highly selective distilling and hydrocracking processes performed, in a finely tuned manor to control precise phase change, allows for the production of a wide number of quality products.
Please submit your collaborative input to the Bio-Refining Forum group.

Smelting & Refining - Pyrometallurgy
The smelting process is a process that is commonly associated with the refining of metals and is referred to as Pyrometallurgy. This process is commonly used when a material is not easily directly meltable and requires an oxidation/deoxidization or conversion step for purification. A Blast Furnace is one example of a type of smelting furnace. In addition to metals the smelting is also applicable to other forms of materials including inorganic minerals.
Other types of melting furnaces use technologies such as electric arc (plasma) or induction heating (coreless induction furnace) and are commonly employed depending upon the application requirements.

One common form of Thermal Reduction used in the Metal Recycling industry is simply melting, a process where a target material that is directly meltable is sufficiently heated to be converted into a liquid state and then is resolidified. Usually this is done to purify or densify the desired material. Melting or Remelting two or more materials at selective temperatures allows for the segregation of materials with different melting points. This process is commonly referred to as sweating.

If you wish to collaborate or have information regarding Smelting, Please feel free to share with the Thermal Reduction Forum.

Thermal Oxidization
Thermal Oxidization or Roasting is typically a process where feedstock materials are held at a certain temperature for a period of time in an attempt to drive off oxygen, therefore causing a thermal reaction that reduces the feedstock.

Roasting is a process commonly preformed in a kiln style furnace such as the production of cement or the conversion/reduction of Bauxite to Aluminum Oxide.

If you have information to share regarding Thermal Oxidization, Roasting or Calcining Please submit your collaborative input to the Thermal Reduction Forum

Additional Thermal Reduction information.

Collaboration Group
The Chemical Reduction Methods Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption. Please submit your collaborative input to the Chemical Reduction Methods Forum

Solvent Extraction
Thermal Solvent Extraction - Solvolysis
Solvolysis represents a special type of substitution reaction in which a solvent is used to dissolve an organic molecule in order to form a new product.
Solvent extraction can be used either to recover a valuable substance from the original solution, or to purify the original solvent by removing an unwanted component.
The principle behind solvent extraction is extremely basic. The goal is to use a liquid (solvent) to dissolve (solvate) a target molecule or group of compounds (solute) and to wash them out of the solid plant material. The solvent is then separated from the solute in order to concentrate the solute.

Please feel free to participate in the Chemical Reduction Methods Forum

Ionic Exchange
Ion exchange describes a specific chemical process in which unwanted dissolved ions in water and wastewater like nitrate, fluoride, sulfate, and arsenic are exchanged for other ions with a similar charge. Ions are atoms or molecules containing a total number of electrons that are not equal to the total number of protons. There are two different groups of ions: Positively charged cations and Negatively charged anions
In the exchange of cations during water treatment, positively charged ions that come into contact with the ion exchange resin are exchanged with positively charged ions available on the resin surface, usually sodium.
In the anion exchange process, negatively charged ions are exchanged with negatively charged ions on the resin surface, usually chloride. Various contaminants including nitrate, fluoride, sulfate, and arsenic can all be removed by anion exchange.

Please feel free to participate in the Chemical Reduction Methods Forum

Acid Leaching
Acid Leaching is a process widely used in extractive metallurgy where ore is treated with chemicals to convert the valuable metals within into soluble salts while the impurity remains insoluble. These can then be washed out and processed to give the pure metal; the materials left over are commonly known as tailings.

Please feel free to participate in the Chemical Reduction Methods Forum

Hydrometallurgy
Hydrometallurgy is the process of extraction and refining that involves the use of water and aqueous solutions. It is carried out at moderate temperatures and is generally carried out in three steps:
1. Leaching: metal ions are extracted from their ore by water/acids/bases/salt solutions. Redox reactions that occur are often essential.
2. Purification and concentration: Impurities are separated either by absorption on the surface of activated charcoal, ion exchange, or water evaporation; leaving behind a more concentrated solution.
3. Precipitation: the process of electrolysis is often used to precipitate the desired metal ions in an ionic solid or reduce them to their free metal.

Please feel free to participate in the Chemical Reduction Methods Forum

Gaseous Phase Selection
Implementation of technology for gas detection analyzers allow for the identification and determination of recovery methods and next process steps. Reduction in gaseous phase is one of the methods used for the production of metallic nanoparticles and it is mainly used for the synthesis of iron group metals (Fe, Ni, and Co) nanoparticles. The method consists of stages, such as particle formation, particle accumulation, and gas washing.
The particle formation is performed by vaporizing the initial solution and transferring it to a preheated region and then on to a heater region, where reduction will occur by using a carrier and/or reductant gas.

Please feel free to participate in the Chemical Reduction Methods Forum

ElectroRefining
The ElectroRefining process is a method to reduce, refine and recover selected materials. Several different approaches are currently used to recover different types of materials, A long standing practice of Electrometallurgy & Electrowinning is established in the metals refining industry. The pollution control sector commonly utilizes Electrostatic Participation. While not new the novel developments in Electrolysis are staggering. Continuing efforts in the field of Electromagnetic Recovery are producing some dynamic ElectroRefining technology evolutions.

Collaboration Group
The ElectroRefining Forum was established as a vehicle to exchange information and share ideas in hopes of advancing the technology and its adoption. Please feel free to participate in the ElectroRefining Forum

Electrolysis
The full potential of Electrolysis is as of yet untapped in the areas of complex materials decomposition for selective element recovery refining. In the field of energy recovery and in the technology of Electrolysis units, battery systems and fuel cells are all important types of Electrochemical Cells.

Electrolytic cells are at the heart of many industrial processes that are based on REDOX Reactions. The common battery is an example of an electrolytic cell and this extends to Flow Batteries as well. The use of an electrolyser is one method to approach Hydrogen Recovery and fuel cells.

Various methods of Hydrocarbon Splitting and CO2 Recovery may use different forms of electrolysers or electrolytic cells. The Electrolysis of Brine is an example of a mature technology.
A newer area of technology exploration is the use of Microbial Fuel Cells to harvest energy from waste water or using an Organic Bio-Battery to extract energy from glucose based materials.

Exploring Electrolysis technology in some unique applications such as an Al/CO2 Electrochemical Cell that shows the potential to capture or reduce CO2 emissions and produces electrical energy.
Please feel free to participate in the Electrolysis ElectroRefining Forum.

Electrometallurgy
Electrometallurgy & Electrowinning is a process in which materials, usually metals, are purified/refined by means of an electrolytic cell. This is the same process that is used in electroplating. An electric current is passed between the impure / crude metal and a cathode when both are immersed in a solution containing cations of the metal. The metal is stripped off the impure components and deposited in pure form on the cathode.
Please contribute your views and ideas about Electrometallurgy in the ElectroRefining Forum.

Electrostatic Participation
Electrostatic Participation is a method used for the extraction of particular materials through the means of an electrostatic charge.

Electrostatic Participation is most commonly used in baghouse filtration of smoke stack emissions. Newer applications of Electrostatic Participation are deployed in some direct air capture systems.

Please feel free to participate with your input on Electrostatic Participation in the ElectroRefining Forum.

Electromagnetic Recovery
Electromagnetic Recovery is currently utilized in the separation of materials with edie current and magnetic separation methods. The future development of Electromagnetic technology holds exciting potential for electromagnetic selection and elemental molecular regeneration.
Please contribute your input and thoughts on Electromagnetic Recovery to the ElectroRefining Forum.

some addional ElectroRefining onfo.

Real Time Analytics
The evolution of the ability to obtain reliable identification of elements with Real Time Analytics shifts the critical decision making pathway of the recovery process. The improvement of technologies such as Automated Robotics, X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) facilitate the use of the Handheld Analyzer which can be deployed in the field. The safe use of devices that allow for instantaneous element content analysis or identification is a milestone in the recovery scrap, waste & by-products.

The real time ability to identify material with a high degree of confidence or certainty may allow for the determination or flexible routing of the critical pathway of residues throughout the Recovery 2.0 process.

Technology Advancements
Advancements in our knowledge and understanding of materials science continue to accelerate with the development of virtual simulations and digital twins. Implementation of advance manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing allow for the creation of highly tuned and specialized advanced materials.
The production of complex multi-layered anode, cathode and catalysts materials have never before been easily possible, this includes all forms of conductors, semi-conductors and insulators. Custom built electrolysers, electrolytic cells, advanced battery materials and capacitors are now a conceivable possibility.
Precision membranes, separators and filters may be constructed from the nano scale up to and including into mass production level.

The combination of all the currently evolving factors contribute to the emergence of a new generation of Energy Harvesting Modules.