NEWS | Rustica >
How their expertise will be beneficial to the project!
The expertise of the Particle and Interfacial Technology (PaInT) research group at Ghent University is related to the selective separation of these nutrients from the carboxylic-rich solution.
IDConsortium
The product of the Carboxyl Acid Platform (CAP, a critical process in converting organic residues from the fruit and vegetable sector into novel bio-based fertilizer products of high quality) is a complex solution containing small carboxyl acids and nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium-based compounds). The presence of these small carboxyl acids in the solution would considerably hamper the production of fertilizers. Therefore, a high-quality and carboxyl-free nutrient solution is highly desired.
This separation is performed using a membrane-based process called electrodialysis. The advantage of this process, as compared to others, is the capacity to separate different compounds as a function of their unique physicochemical properties (charge, size, hydrophobicity, etc.) by the use of tailored ion-exchange membranes and an external potential (voltage). Remarkably, electrodialysis is regarded as a sustainable “green chemistry” process of low impact on the environment compared to other industrial processes. Thus, the target of the PaInT research group is to design an efficient and environmentally friendly electrodialysis-based process to produce high-quality and concentrated nutrients-containing solutions for synthesizing tailored fertilizers for agricultural purposes. Currently, researchers from the PaInT group are performing extensive lab-scale experiments to attain the aforementioned goal at the CAPTURE center in Gent, where different conditions are being tested for lower energy demands and provide pure nutrients solutions.
More news about this project:
The RUSTICA project continues its outreach in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, one of the 5 focal regions of this international project
Using a multisectoral approach, this initiative is moving forward in the formation of its multi-stakeholder platform, conceived as a collaborative space for co-creation and knowledge exchange in the regional Valle del Cauca context.
Socio-economic aspects of agriculture and the food sector and how they will be able to help the project advance in its research
In the coming years, humanity will have to face one of the most demanding challenges in history which are to slow down and possibly reverse the process of ecosystem deterioration caused by anthropogenic activities.
The RUSTICA European Project, what interests for farmers?
In Pays de la Loire region, RUSTICA project will take place in one of the 17 National Gross Market infrastructures (Marché d’Intérêt National or “MIN”), in the city of Angers. Here, tons of waste are generated each year by unsold fruits and vegetables.