BASF Donates Nitrogen Removal Patent to Water Environment Research Foundation
December 16 2004 - 1:57PM
PR Newswire (US)
BASF Donates Nitrogen Removal Patent to Water Environment Research
Foundation Innovative water treatment technology could benefit
municipalities, industry, environment WASHINGTON, Dec. 16
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- BASF today donated a patent for
wastewater treatment technology, entitled "Continuous Flow
Completely Mixed Waste Water Treatment Method," to the Water
Environment Research Foundation (WERF). The formal presentation of
the patent to WERF was held at the Alexandria Sanitation Authority.
The patent, issued to BASF Corporation by the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office under U.S. patent number 6,426,004 in 2002, shows
how to conduct nitrification and denitrification of wastewater in a
single treatment tank, which is commonly referred to as Timeswitch
technology and is different from the traditional
multiple-compartment approach. "We are very appreciative of BASF's
donation," said Glenn Reinhardt, Executive Director of WERF. "We're
excited about the cooperation with BASF on a project that may be
quite useful in adding to the available nitrogen removal methods."
The Timeswitch method was discovered during BASF's efforts to
reduce the amount of nitrate compounds in the discharge from its
Freeport, Texas, manufacturing site. Engineers at the site had been
looking for ways to modify the wastewater treatment plant on the
site. Wastewater experts from BASF's Freeport site, as well as from
other BASF locations in the United States and Germay, jointly
developed the Timeswitch technology using computer simulations and
pilot plant testing. BASF did not implement the process, but has
retained rights to practice the technology under the donation
agreement with WERF. Typically nitrogen removal is accomplished in
aerobic and anoxic tanks, vessels, or compartments of a wastewater
treatment system. Since aerobic and anoxic treatments are
incompatible, two tanks were thought to be the minimum number of
vessels needed to operate both aerobic and anoxic processes. With
the Timeswitch method, nitrates can be removed from water at
municipal and industrial wastewater plants in a way that eliminates
the need to invest capital in constructing an additional tank. With
only a few new controls and mixers, both aerobic and anoxic
treatment can be accomplished in one tank. "This is exciting new
technology that helps address a critical environmental issue," said
Cenan Ozmeral, BASF's Group Vice President for Petrochemicals in
North America. "The Timeswitch patent could be a very effective
answer for municipalities and businesses that need or want to
reduce nitrates in their water streams." According to WERF,
nitrogen control is one of North America's most significant
environmental water quality issues. Nitrogen discharges are the
primary cause of water quality and environmental problems in the
Gulf of Mexico, Chesapeake Bay, the Outer Banks of North Carolina,
and other regions. Potential users of the Timeswitch treatment
technology include municipal wastewater treatment plants,
industrial wastewater treatment plants at manufacturers - such as
food processing, steel manufacturing, and chemical and
pharmaceutical manufacturing - and concentrated animal feeding
operations. For many facilities, use of the Timeswitch invention
would allow nitrogen removal with minimal changes compared to the
usual add-on approach, resulting in capital and operating cost
savings. BASF - The Chemical Company. We don't make a lot of the
products you buy. We make a lot of the products you buy better.(R)
BASF Corporation, headquartered in New Jersey, is the North
American affiliate of BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, Germany. We employ
about 11,000 people in North America and had sales of approximately
$9 billion in 2003. For more information about BASF's North
American operations, or to sign up to receive news releases by
e-mail, visit http://www.basf.com/usa. BASF is the world's leading
chemical company. Our goal is to grow profitably and further
increase the value of our company. We help our customers to be more
successful through intelligent system solutions and high- quality
products. BASF's portfolio ranges from chemicals, plastics,
performance products, agricultural products and fine chemicals to
crude oil and natural gas. Through new technologies we can tap into
additional market opportunities. We conduct our business in
accordance with the principles of sustainable development. In 2003,
BASF had sales of approximately $42 billion. BASF shares are traded
on the stock exchanges in Frankfurt (BAS), London (BFA), New York
(BF), Paris (BA) and Zurich (AN). Further information on BASF is
available on the Internet at http://www.basf.com/. About WERF The
Water Environment Research Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit
organization, addresses water quality issues with a commitment to
environmental protection, economic conservancy, and enhanced
quality of life. WERF subscribers consist of wastewater utilities
representing more than 70 percent of the U.S. sewered population
and corporations sharing concerns for water quality issues.
DATASOURCE: BASF CONTACT: Jack Maurer of BASF, +1-973-245-6072, ;
or Elizabeth Striano of WERF, +1-703-684-2470, ext. 7908, Web site:
http://www.basf.com/usa
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