Objective
The industrial objective of the proposed RTD is to provide European SME manufacturing companies, carrying out metal machining operations, with innovative and advanced metalworking fluid formulations. These formulations are to be developed such that they can be disposed of by economic and environmentally safe means using associated synergistic treatment processes. Modern day metal machining is almost exclusively carried out with the assistance of a metalworking fluid which acts as a lubricant and coolant. Approximately 90% of the volume of fluids currently in use across the EU are water miscible (i.e. diluted with water), but it is these water miscible metalworking fluids that present a significant environmental problem since they have finite lifetimes, and separation of the oil and water phases and subsequent disposal is difficult. They are cocktails of oils, environmentally damaging organic chemical additives such as chlorinated paraffins and biocides, and contain dissolved toxic metals. They will also support severe microbiological activity and exhibit high (and hazardous) levels of bacteria, yeasts, moulds and coliforms. Currently they can only be disposed of by dilution and sewer discharge or by chemical treatment and landfill processes that are expensive and subject to increasingly stringent regulations. The proposed RTD aims to develop a low cost solution to this problem and provide technology capable of minimising the environmental impact of metalworking fluid use by reducing the volume of fluid waste produced by an SME, and promoting a minimum of 50% savings in disposal costs incurred by SMEs. The technology objective relates to the development of: * Novel fluid formulations specifically for di with associated waste treatment technology, using innovative aercome environmental and treatment problems. * Waste treatment tech on membrane separation, biodegradation, oxidation and carbon adsoHybrid total waste treatment system combining technologies for removing bulk contaminants, separation processes and post-treatments. These wil by employing an approach that builds on previous work carried out by Pera, and drawing on technology developed in other fields.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringtribologylubrication
- natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysis
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringmanufacturing engineeringsubtractive manufacturing
- engineering and technologychemical engineeringseparation technologies
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwaste managementwaste treatment processes
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CRS - Cooperative research contractsCoordinator
58089 Hagen
Germany