US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Surface Modification for Advancing New Separation Processes and Environment Protection

0211214 Farrah描述：该奖项是为了支持佛罗里达大学微生物学和细胞科学系教授Samuel Farrah博士和粒子科学与技术工程研究中心(ERC/PS&amp；T)与埃及开罗赫尔万中央冶金研究开发研究所Nagui Abdel-Khalek博士之间的一个合作项目。这两位科学家计划研究应用生物活性物种实现更好的固/固和固/液分离所涉及的机制，具体目标是在浮选过程中将磷酸盐与其伴生碳酸盐分离，并对极细颗粒的黏液进行脱水。最终目标是开发一种预测方法，通过确定各种细菌的性能、它们在矿物表面的吸附行为以及细菌和矿物的表面性质来优化工艺。该项目的任务包括微生物样品的采集、微生物的生长和表征、微生物在磷灰石和白云石矿物和粘土样品上的吸附的基础研究、来自美国和埃及的不同组成的磷酸盐样品的浮选，以及工艺的经济评估。两个团队将在这些任务中分担责任。范围：该项目旨在推进固-液分离和固-固分离的新工艺，特别是那些表面性质相似的矿物，如磷灰石与白云石和/或方解石的分离。这两个国家的白云石磷酸盐的浮选还没有商业化。美国和埃及都是磷酸盐的主要生产国，磷酸盐会产生大量的黏液，作为不同行业的废物。通过在浮选或超细颗粒浮选或絮凝过程中应用微生物对矿物进行表面改性的新技术的发展，将加强它们的高选择性分离，并减少对环境的不利影响。ERC/PS&Amp；T和CMRDI拥有进行这项研究所需的设施和资源。这项研究的结果预计将使两国受益，特别是如果将开发的工艺应用于其他材料的话。该项目得到了美国-埃及联合基金计划的支持，该计划为两国的科学家和工程师提供资助，以开展这些合作活动。

0211214FarrahDescription: This award is to support a collaborative project between Dr. Samuel Farrah, Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science and in the Engineering Research Center for Particle Science and Technology (ERC/PS&T) at the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida and Dr. Nagui Abdel-Khalek, Central Metallurgical Research and Development Institute, Helwan, Cairo, Egypt. The two scientists plan to investigate mechanisms involved in the application of biologically active species to achieve better solid/solid and solid/liquid separations, with the specific aim of separation of phosphate from its associated carbonates during flotation process and the dewatering of slimes of extremely fine particles. The final objective is to develop a predictive methodology that can be used to optimize the process by determining the performance of various bacteria, their adsorption behaviors on the mineral surfaces, and the surface properties of the bacteria and the minerals. The tasks of the project include microbial sample collection, growing and characterization of microorganisms, fundamental study of the adsorption of microorganisms onto apatite and dolomite minerals and clay sample, flotation of phosphate samples of different composition from the U.S. and from Egypt, and economic evaluation of the processes. The two teams will share responsibilities in these tasks.Scope: This project aims to advance new processes for solid-liquid separation and also for solid-solid separation, particularly for those minerals of similar surface properties such as separation of apatite from dolomite and/or calcite. Flotation of dolomitic phosphates in both countries is not yet commercialized. The United States and Egypt are both major producers of phosphate, which generates huge amounts of slime as waste from different industries. Advancing new technologies that depend on surface modification of minerals through application of microorganisms during flotation or flocculation of fine and ultrafine particles will enhance their separation with high selectivity, with reduced adverse environmental impacts. The ERC/PS&T and the CMRDI have the necessary facilities and resources to conduct this research. The results of this study are expected to benefit both countries, especially if the developed processes are be applied to other materials. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.