Title: Biosorption technology: starting up an enterprise

Authors: B. Volesky, G. Naja

Addresses: BV-Sorbex, Inc. and Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B2, Canada. ' BV-Sorbex, Inc. and Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B2, Canada

Abstract: Research into biosorption elucidated the principles of this effective process for water decontamination. While it seems that this technology could hardly have any competition, the process has not been applied as yet and several commercialisation attempts have not been successful. As solid capitalisation is required for innovative process ventures, partnership approach is perhaps advisable. While mining companies appear to be excellent |clients|, each is invariably concerned with having its own environmental problems successfully addressed. The |suppliers| of ion exchange technologies is a handful of huge transnational companies with difficulties in operative decision making. Dynamic consulting companies are in an excellent position to push new technologies into the marketplace. However, they are not known as capital-rich entities. All these aspects make a wide industrial application of the new biosorption process quite a challenge.

Keywords: biosorption technology; metal removal; environmental enterprises; metal recovery; biosorbent materials; electroplating effluent treatment; water decontamination; water treatment; commercialisation; ion exchange; water pollution.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2007.017806

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2007 Vol.6 No.2/3/4, pp.196 - 211

Published online: 16 Apr 2008 *

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