Spouted Bed Bio-Reactor System

Dr. Muftah Elnaas, Janice Arriesgado Acio, Ayat El Telib El Tayeb Hassan

Patent No./Application No.:

US 13/975,834
PCT/IB2014/064066

The conventional biological methods for treating benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene and xylene (BTEX) are not efficient due to fouling, biomass carry over, low efficiency, structural complexity and the production of secondary waste streams.This invention offers a more efficient method to treat BTEX compounds via a biodegradable process. Organic degrading bacteria are immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrixes and used in degrading mixtures of the BTEX compound in a series of specially designed three spouted bed bioreactors. The process can degrade a mixture of BTEX compounds simultaneously or sequentially in the same bioreactor.

• Environmental-friendly

• Cost effective and highly efficient

•  Potential to scale-up

• Addresses most of the drawbacks of current BTEX biodegradation methodology

• Oil and gas

• Renewable energy (bio-waste)