Application of (super)cavitation for the recycling of process waters in paper producing industry

Kosel, Janez (author), Šuštaršič, Matej (author), Petkovšek, Martin (author), Zupanc, Mojca (author), Sežun, Mija (author), Dular, Matevž (author)

In paper production industry, microbial contaminations of process waters are common and can cause damage to paper products and equipment as well as the occurrence of pathogens in the end products. Chlorine omission has led to the usage of costly reagents and products of lower mechanical quality. In this study, we have tested a rotation generator equipped with two sets of rotor and stator assemblies to generate developed cavitation (unsteady cloud shedding with pressure pulsations) or supercavitation (a steady cavity in chocked cavitation conditions) for the destruction of a persistent bacteria Bacillus subtilis. Our results showed that only supercavitation was effective and was further employed for the treatment of waters isolated from an enclosed water recycle system in a paper producing plant. The water quality was monitored and assessed according to the chemical (COD, redox potential and dissolved oxygen), physical (settleable solids, insolubles and colour intensity) and biological methods (yeasts, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, bacterial spores and moulds). After one hour of treatment, a strong 4 logs reduction was achieved for the anaerobic sulphate reducing bacteria and for the yeasts; a 3 logs reduction for the aerobic bacteria; and a 1.3 logs reduction for the heat resistant bacterial spores. A 22% reduction in COD and an increase in the redox potential (37%) were observed. Sediments were reduced by 50% and the insoluble particles by 67%. For bacterial destruction in real industrial process waters, the rotation generator of supercavitation spent 4 times less electrical energy in comparison to the previously published cavitation treatments inside the Venturi constriction design. In paper production industry, microbial contaminations of process waters are common and can cause damage to paper products and equipment as well as the occurrence of pathogens in the end products. Chlorine omission has led to the usage of costly reagents and products of lower mechanical quality. In this study, we have tested a rotation generator equipped with two sets of rotor and stator assemblies to generate developed cavitation (unsteady cloud shedding with pressure pulsations) or supercavitation (a steady cavity in chocked cavitation conditions) for the destruction of a persistent bacteria Bacillus subtilis. Our results showed that only supercavitation was effective and was further employed for the treatment of waters isolated from an enclosed water recycle system in a paper producing plant. The water quality was monitored and assessed according to the chemical (COD, redox potential and dissolved oxygen), physical (settleable solids, insolubles and colour intensity) and biological methods (yeasts, aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, bacterial spores and moulds). After one hour of treatment, a strong 4 logs reduction was achieved for the anaerobic sulphate reducing bacteria and for the yeasts; a 3 logs reduction for the aerobic bacteria; and a 1.3 logs reduction for the heat resistant bacterial spores. A 22% reduction in COD and an increase in the redox potential (37%) were observed. Sediments were reduced by 50% and the insoluble particles by 67%. For bacterial destruction in real industrial process waters, the rotation generator of supercavitation spent 4 times less electrical energy in comparison to the previously published cavitation treatments inside the Venturi constriction design.

• Language: English
• Keywords: anaerobic sulphate reducing bacteria, Bacillus subtilis, COD, hydrodynamic cavitation, paper mill industry, Redox potential, rotational cavitation generator
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Article acceptance date: 03.02.2020
• Publication date: 01.06.2020
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 1-11
• Numbering: Vol. 64, art. 105002
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-126442
• UDC: 532.528:676.026(045)
• ISSN on article: 1350-4177
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105002
• COBISS.SI-ID: 514117931
• Publication date in RUL: 22.04.2021

KOSEL, Janez, ŠUŠTARŠIČ, Matej, PETKOVŠEK, Martin, ZUPANC, Mojca, SEŽUN, Mija and DULAR, Matevž, 2020, Application of (super)cavitation for the recycling of process waters in paper producing industry. Ultrasonics sonochemistry [online]. 2020. Vol. 64, no. 105002, p. 1–11. [Accessed 14 April 2025]. DOI 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2020.105002. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=126442

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Ultrasonics sonochemistry
• Shortened title: Ultrason. sonochem.
• Publisher: Butterworth-Heinemann, Elsevier
• ISSN: 1350-4177
• COBISS.SI-ID: 707668

Licences

• License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
• Description: The most restrictive Creative Commons license. This only allows people to download and share the work for no commercial gain and for no other purposes.
• Licensing start date: 01.06.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: rotacijski generator, hidrodinamska kavitacija, stopnja drenaže, Bacillus subtilis, COD, papirna inustrija