Our research group in surface and colloid engineering will perform advanced environmental studies at a world-leading research centre in England. Our research studies will be a key part of the university's planned research program Miljöhorisont, where feasibility studies were conducted in the fall 2014 with funding from EU.
Our need for clean water is vital and fresh water quality is one of the largest natural resources. The interdisciplinary research team of Surface and colloid engineering has specialized in solving problems related to water chemistry and technology. They have developed promising techniques for separating heavy metals from water. The techniques can be used in many different areas where metals are dangerous or valuable.
In April 2015, the research team is granted experimentation time at ISIS Science & Technology Facilities Council, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford in England, a world-leading research in the natural sciences and life sciences.
"We are very pleased with this experimental time - ISIS is a leading research centre where we both get new valuable contacts and develop our research internationally. It gives us greater understanding of the processes that occur during the separation of heavy metals and raise our environmental technology research further", says Håkan Edlund, professor in physical chemistry at Mid Sweden University.
In autumn 2014 the team carried out studies at the NIST Centre for Neutron Research in Washington DC. The studies focused on investigating heavy metal surfactant aggregation of fluid surfaces with neutron reflection. It was very successful and the results indicated rapid structural changes especially at low concentrations of heavy metals and surfactants. This knowledge will greatly benefit now when the research takes new steps forward and new studies are prepared in England.
"With the equipment in the UK we will be able to measure these initial processes in the boundary layer between water and air, which allows us to optimize the capture processes for separating heavy metals even better", says Magnus Norgren, professor in chemical engineering at Mid Sweden University. "The objective of this study is to gain a better understanding of the initial and rapid process".
"Our research will be a central part of the university's planned application Miljöhorisont that will be prepared to send to EU regional funds in the spring. Therefore, it is very valuable that we carry out studies now. It provides important findings which we can use in research development and research environment at Mid Sweden University", says Magnus Norgren.
The research team includes Professor Magnus Norgren and Professor Håkan Edlund. In addition, participating Ida Svanedal, researcher in the group.
For more information contact
- Magnus Norgren, 060-14 88 77, e-mail magnus.norgren@miun.se
- Håkan Edlund, 060-14 87 06, e-mail hakan.edlund@miun.se