Water treatment (waste water): Water treatment with Carbon Fiber

SO-EN CO.,LTD.

Water Treatment System
Featuring CarbonFiber:MiraCarbon

SO-EN CO.,LTD’s water treatment material is referred to as "MiraCarbon,” ideal for many purification applications, including rivers, lakes, marshes and inland seas. The simple process caused by MiraCarbon creates a diverse ecosystem as a seaweed bed.

MiraCarbon is made from CarbonFiber, that is light, strong, corrosion-resistant material that easily expands in water. CarbonFiber features a large surface area on which microorganisms can live and has the ability to absorb pollutants efficiently. 12,000 or 15,000 thin filaments are attached in a bundle and these filaments will become a habitat for microorganisms.

Microorganisms demonstrate high water purification functions such as decomposing organic matter into water and carbon dioxide, ammonia nitrogen into water and nitrogen. Furthermore, reducing the greenhouse gas dinitrogen monoxide, so it contributes to the prevention of global warming.

Major Features and Advantages

I. Natural Decomposition

Microorganisms naturally decompose contaminants and pollutants without the need for power. MiraCarbon makes it possible to decompose organic matter, nutrient salts and suspended solid easily and fairly quickly.

II. Cost Efficiency

With easy routine maintenance, MiraCarbon does not require a lot of upkeep and oversight in order to run at peak performance. The technology comes with a low installation cost, easy maintenance controls and virtually zero running costs. Cost-effective for the company using it, as well as lower energy bills with the reduced use of energy.

III. Ecosystem Integrity and Biodiversity Conservation

Due to its high bioaffinity, MiraCarbon also helps protect the ecosystem. Microorganisms attached to MiraCarbon become nutrients for aquatic organisms, aquatic plants grow and contribute to biodiversity as a seaweed bed.

IV. Passive Solution

Compared to large-scale processing facilities, MiraCarbon is a passive technology that does not require specialized operation and maintenance, it reduces a lot of intensive work trouble and energy. As a result, great amount of civil works and energy are reduced on the water quality purification projects in rivers, lakes, marshes and inland areas.

Developed in 2000 and commercialized in 2008, MiraCarbon by SO-EN CO., LTD. is being used in more than 1000 locations in Japan and is also being used in more than 100 locations worldwide, in countries such as China, India, Russia, Sweden, South Africa etc.

Technology Data

Technology data

Conceivable applications

Water treatment with Carbon Fiber named “Mira Carbon”; River purification, Lake/marsh purification (closed water bodies), Purification of seawater areas (Inland seas, closed sea water bodies).
Ecosystem integrity; Seaweed bed formation

Competitive advantage

Carbon fiber has large surface on which microorganisms can live. Microorganisms can naturally decompose contaminants and pollutants. The contaminants and pollutants are adsorbed without any power when carbon fiber is swayed by water current.
Therefore carbon fiber maintains cost efficiency.
Low installation cost, easy maintenance control, and no running costs.
Ecosystem integrity and conservation biodiversity.

Performance

Water quality purification using carbon fiber is effective in improvement of transparency in a short time, decrease COD and BOD, and purification of TN and TP.

Removal rate of water quality purification using carbon fiber items (％)
Items	River	Lake	Sewage
Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)	50 – 70	20 – 90	90 – 95
Suspended Solid (SS)	50 – 70	20 – 90	90 – 95
Total Nitrogen (TN)	10 – 30	10 – 30	30 – 70
Total Phosphorus (TP)	10 – 50	30 – 90	30 – 50
Chl-a		10 – 90

Technical maturity

Developed in 2000
Commercialized in 2008
Past performances
　Japan; more than 300 locations
　Other countries; more than 20 locations
　(China, Korea, Taiwan etc.)

Conceivable risk

Outflow of carbon fiber by a natural disaster.
Damage of carbon fiber by improper installation.

Information on patent related to this technology

Acquisition patents (Japan)
　JP 3331372, JP 3328700, JP 3080567, JP 2954509,
　JP P2009-195848A, JP P2009-195849A, JP P2009-195850A

Company Data

Company data

Name	SO-EN CO.,LTD.
Address	Sorimachi-building, 1665-1 Shinbo-machi, Takasaki, Gunma, 370-0018, Japan
Capital	10 million JPY
Contact person	Mr. Yukio KOGURE Tel: +81-27-352-4857 Fax: +81-27-352-4875 E-mail: [email protected] Corporate website: https://so-en.net/tansoseni-e.html
Number of employees	15 (including 1 for international operation)
Date of company foundation	May 12,1993
The type of business	Environmental engineering

Modality of business transaction

Partnership
The sales agent’s installation

Export of product
Exported to China mainly.
Export performance: Korea,

Licensing of patnent
JP 3331372,JP 3328700,JP 3080567,
JP 2954509,JP P2009-195848A,
JP P2009-195849A, JP P2009-195850A

Attachments

Schematic illustration of the technology

“MiraCarbon” is the carbon fiber of water quality purification. It has the light and strong industrial characteristic and the large surface, therefore pollutants are adsorbed and microorganisms are fixed and activated. Then pollution gets gone and it makes the water clean.

Example of Application

Water purification for river, lake and marsh which a blue green algae occurrence caused by eutrophication.
Biodiversity conservatory in river, lake and marsh.
Water purification in coast sea area and reduce the development of red tide.
Pretreatment facilities such as seawater desalination plants.
Improvement in functional of the wastewater treatment facilities which need the high processing effect by wastewater toughening of regulations or load increase.
Help to grow seaweed and promote to absorb CO2 with photosynthesis.