Mülheimer Wassertechnisches Seminar “Adsorption in der Wasseraufbereitung”

The opening of the symposium was a keynote lecture by Detleff Knappe (North Carolina State University). Other well-known speakers were Frank Sacher, Brigitte Haist-Gulden, Stefan Panglisch, Adnreas Nahrsted, and Erik Koremann. Although there were some presentations on ion exchange for water purification, most presentations focused on activated carbon: which mechanisms are involved, which parameters affect the adsorption, which type of raw material (renewable or fossile) can be applied to produce the carbon, what are the effects on pore size (distribution), and what kind of organic micropollutants can be removed? Some presentations addressed relatively general topics, but gave a good impression of how activated carbon works and how it can be applied in water treatment. Furthermore, there were some lectures on very new developments, like activated carbon made from polymer particles or zeolites, and the modification of activated carbon with other atoms (like nitrogen and boron). This offers new possibilities for the application of the activated carbon in water purification. Within the framework of new developments I gave a presentation on the research into affinity adsorption. This work has been carried out at KWR and at the moment is being continued within a so-called TKI project (with funding from the Dutch government).