Dye pollution in textile wastewater is an immense problem in many emerging markets. These dyes, which pollute water sources, are most often a hazard to living organisms, sometimes even carcinogenic. In the project "Cleansing Mechanisms of Cementitious Materials in Textile Wastewater Treatment", Mr. Behringer investigates the interaction of cementitious materials with dye effluents to provide an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for wastewater treatment.
Hydration phases like hydrotalcite and Friedel’s salt are formed when cement is mixed with slag and water. These phases have a layered structure, which allows the harmful dyes to be either incorporated into the structure or adsorbed onto the material´s surface. In the form of granulates, such a hardened cement could be used to decolorize running water in rivers and sewers.
Martin Behringer works as a research assistant to Prof. Alisa Machner at the Professorship for Mineral Construction Materials, Department of Materials Engineering of TUM School of Engineering and Design (ED). In the DFG research project, the Professorship for Mineral Construction Materials cooperates with Prof. Brigitte Helmreich of the Chair of Urban Water Systems Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of ED.