MUMBAI, India, Sept. 28 -- Intellectual Property India has published a patent application (202611100049 A) filed by Manipal University Jaipur on August 19, 2026, for A Method Of Fabricating Freeze-Cast Agricultural Waste Biochar-Algal Composites For Desalination Pretreatment.
Inventors include Dr. Monika Sogani; and Ms. Himanshi Sen.
The application for the patent was published on September 25, 2026, under issue no. 39/2026.
Abstract: The present invention relates to a sustainable pretreatment technology for the management of high-salinity reverse osmosis (RO) reject water through the development of a biochar-algal composite derived from agricultural waste. The composite is fabricated using biochar produced from groundnut husk and immobilized salt-tolerant algal biomass of Chlorella sorokiniana, forming a structurally stable and functionally active composite material. The disclosed composite is specifically designed for application to real brackish RO reject streams containing complex multi-ionic compositions with total dissolved solids (TDS) concentrations ranging from 1566 to 9214 mg/L. Upon application, the biochar-algal composite demonstrates effective reduction of dissolved salts, achieving overall TDS removal efficiencies between 48% and 70%. The composite exhibits enhanced affinity toward multivalent ions, including calcium, magnesium, and sulfate species, which are primarily responsible for membrane scaling in RO systems. Adsorption behavior follows pseudo-second-order kinetics, indicating chemisorption-dominated uptake, while equilibrium data conform to the Freundlich isotherm model, confirming multilayer adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces. The composite retains significant performance after multiple regeneration cycles, indicating operational durability. Techno-economic evaluation reveals that the process is cost-effective and scalable, making the invention suitable for integration as a low-energy, environmentally benign pretreatment solution for improving RO system performance and managing brackish RORW.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
