Application of brass scrubber filter with copper hydroxide nanocomposite structure for phosphate removal

Abstract

In this study, a novel phosphorus removal filter made of brass scrubber with higher porosity of over 96% was fabricated and evaluated. The brass scrubber was surface-modified to form copper hydroxide on the surface of the brass, which could be a phosphate removal filter for advanced wastewater treatment because the phosphates could be removed by the ion exchange with hydroxyl ions of copper hydroxide. The evaluation of phosphate removal was performed under the conditions of the batch type in wastewater and continuous type through filters. Filter recycling was also evaluated with retreatment of the surface modification process. The phosphate was rapidly removed within a very shorter contact time by the surface-modified brass scrubber filter, and the phosphate mass of 1.57 mg was removed per gram of the filter. The possibility of this surface-modified brass scrubber filter for phosphorus removal was shown without undesirable sludge production of existing chemical phosphorus removal techniques, and we feel that it would be very meaningful as a new wastewater treatment.