Hide processing plant welcomes Uni's help with water recycling
Published on 21 August, 2012
The Teys Australia hide processing plant at Murgon has welcomed CQUniversity's expertise in reducing the sodicity (a form of salinity) of water from the plant, before it goes into a recycling process for irrigation...
CQUniversity lecturer Ben Kele has drawn on his consulting firm Midell Water as an 'industry partner' to install a volcanic rock filter which has ion-exchanging media that reduces SAR, thus improving the sustainability of the water recycling.
LINK HERE for more details.
This is also benefitting Masters-by-research student Tony Kodel, who is basing his thesis on the SAR-reduction technology outcomes at the plant.
Mr Kodel will be studying this system over time, researching the best way to regenerate the media and what impact the biofilm (micro-organisms) have on the process.
The postgraduate project will be based with the Centre for Plant and Water Sciences under the umbrella group of the Institute for Resource Industries and Sustainability, supervised by CQUniversity Research Fellow Ted Gardner.
Mr Kele says "there should be a beautiful synergy between CQUni research being commercialised and the company bringing new research projects back to the Uni."
Since graduating from CQUniversity with a Bachelor of Science (Biology) around 11 years ago, Mr Kodel has developed the right mix of career experience to take on this project. He's worked on microbiology testing and hide manufacture in the meatworks industry, on quality control of pipes in the oil and gas industry, and as a science teacher and science facilitator for schools.
A view of filter tanks at the leather plant