Biochemical processing of geothermal brines and sludges

摘要

Development of cost-efficient biochemical processes for the treatment of geothermal brines and sludges has led to the identification of several options which allow one to convert geothermal wastes into useful products. A laboratory scale pilot plant operating in a batch mode has been constructed and used to extract and recover toxic and valuable metals and metal salts from geothermal residues. Metal extraction and recovery efficiencies of better than 80% per five to twenty-five hour treatment cycles have been achieved. The new technology is versatile and can be applied to brines and sludges derived from hypersaline as well as low salinity resources. The biochemical processes can be integrated with existing facilities, allow recycling options, and yield revenue generating feedstocks and waste volume reduction. Selected versions of this technology are now being readied for field trials. Recent advances and the current status of the emerging technology will be discussed in this paper.