# US 2023/0348304 A1 · Biofilm carrier for moving bed biofilm reactors

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- Number: US 2023/0348304 A1
- Document ID: US20230348304A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/041,379
- Filed: 2021-08-30
- Published: 2023-11-02
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-31
- Assignees: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
- Applicants: Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies Support
- Inventors: Per MAGNUSSON
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230348304A1

## CPC

- C02F 3/08: using moving contact bodies
- C02F 3/087: {Floating beds with contact bodies having a lower density than water}
- B01J 19/30: Loose or shaped packing elements, e.g. Raschig rings or Berl saddles, for pouring into the apparatus for mass or heat transfer
- C02F 3/10: Packings; Fillings; Grids (packing elements in general B01J19/30, B01J19/32)
- C02F 3/105: {Characterized by the chemical composition}
- C02F 3/108: {Immobilising gels, polymers or the like}
- C02F 3/109: {Characterized by the shape (C02F3/104 takes precedence)}
- C08L 23/04: Homopolymers or copolymers of ethene
- C12M 25/20: {Fluidized bed (in chemical or physical processes B01J8/18)}
- C12N 11/082: obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
- B01J 2219/30203: Saddle
- B01J 2219/30215: Toroid or ring
- B01J 2219/30223: Cylinder
- B01J 2219/30466: Plastics
- C08L 2205/025: containing two or more polymers of the same hierarchy C08L, and differing only in parameters such as density, comonomer content, molecular weight, structure
- C08L 2207/062: HDPE
- Y02W 10/10: Biological treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

A carrier to carry a biofilm in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) having has improved stability against environmental stresses. The carrier comprises a carrier material, wherein the carrier material comprises at least one high density polyethylene having a bimodal molecular weight distribution, whereby the carrier material has a bimodal or a multimodal molecular weight distribution. Also provided is use of the carrier in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) process.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A carrier to carry a biofilm in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR), characterized in that the carrier comprises a carrier material,
wherein the carrier material comprises at least one high density polyethylene having a bimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a bimodal or a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material has a density between 0.9 and 1.1 g/cm3, such as a density between 0.92 and 0.98 g/cm3, such as a density between 0.94 and 0.96 g/cm3.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material has a crossover point at an angular frequency of <15 rad/s, preferably below 6 rad/s, even more preferably <3 rad/s.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material has a crossover point at a modulus between 25000-45000 Pa.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material has a delta end value less than 35 degrees more preferably less than 25 degrees, more preferably less than 20 degrees, even more preferably than 15 degrees.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material comprises
at least 5 wt. %, such as at least 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45 wt. % of a high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a bimodal or a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material comprises
at least 5 wt. %, such as at least 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 or 45 wt. % of a first high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution, and
a second high density polyethylene, the second high density polyethylene having unimodal, bimodal or multimodal molecular weight distribution, preferably having unimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material comprises
at least 50 wt. %, more preferably at least 80 wt. %, most preferably at least 95 wt. %, of a high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a bimodal or a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The carrier to according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material comprises
at least 50 wt. % of a first high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution, and
a second high density polyethylene having either a unimodal, bimodal or multimodal molecular weight distribution, preferably having unimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, the carrier material consisting of a single high density polyethylene having a bimodal molecular weight distribution, whereby the carrier material has a bimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material comprises
a first high density polyethylene with a first bimodal molecular weight distribution and a second high density polyethylene with a second bimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The carrier according to claim 11, wherein the carrier material comprises
at least 5 wt. %, such as at least 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 95 wt. % of a first high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution, and
a second high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier material comprises
a first high density polyethylene with a first bimodal molecular weight distribution, and
at least one more high density polyethylene having a unimodal or a bimodal or a multimodal molecular weight distribution,
whereby the carrier material has a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, the carrier material comprising high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution, comprising
a lower molecular weight fraction (LMW), and
a higher molecular weight fraction (HMW),
wherein the peak ratio of the LMW fraction to the HMW fraction is between 10:1 to 1:10, preferably between 5:1 to 1:5, more preferably 2.5:1 to 1:2.5, more preferably between 2:1 to 1:2, most preferably between 1.5:1 to 1:1.5.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, the carrier material comprising high density polyethylene with a bimodal molecular weight distribution, comprising
a lower molecular weight fraction (LMW), and
a higher molecular weight fraction (HMW),
wherein the LMW is a homopolymer or a copolymer and the HMW is a homopolymer or copolymer; preferably the LMW being a homopolymer and the HMW being a copolymer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has a structure that allows for protected surfaces for biofilm growth.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The carrier according to claim 16, wherein the carrier is disc-shaped or saddle shaped.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The carrier according to claim 16, wherein the protected surfaces are facilitated by the presence of holes, wells, protrusions, honeycomb structure or raster structures, making the carrier more prone to stress damage.

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The carrier according to claim 1, being a carrier to carry a biofilm in a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) having improved stability against environmental stresses.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) comprising the carrier according to claim 1.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) according to claim 20, wherein the MBBR process is a High energy MBBR process.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) according to claim 20, wherein the MBBR process includes mixing the carriers in the bioreactor utilizing submerged mechanical mixers.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) according to claim 20, wherein the MBBR process is performed in a bioreactor having inner walls with defects or high roughness, such as in MBBR retrofits or existing MBBR plants with poor reactor wall conditions.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) according to claim 20, wherein wastewater purified in the MBBR process contains hazardous substances being detrimental to the carrier.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) according to claim 20, wherein the MBBR process function is dependent on addition of external chemical substances, such as external carbon sources.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

The moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) according to claim 20, wherein the MBBR process is a treatment for the production of drinking water.