University of Oulu researchers reach the final of the Chemical Industry’s Innovation Award for the third time in a row
Arto Pikkarainen builds a pilot of the CAAMA project in a sea container in the University of Oulu's yard.
University of Oulu researchers Arto Pikkarainen and Minja Korhonen have reached the final of the Chemical Industry’s Innovation Award for their CAAMA water purification process.
Every two years, the chemical industry rewards industry players with a 30 000 € Innovation Award. The aim of the prize is to encourage research and development teams in companies, universities and research institutes to create new products and services. Being a finalist is a great achievement for doctoral researchers, as the finalists and winners have included big names such as Orion Pharma, Fortum, Neste and Kemira in recent years.
"We are delighted to be in the final! In this competition, we are now in the same group as the big players, some of which have done research for their solution for a decade," says Arto Pikkarainen.
"This is really great. Not every doctoral researcher gets this kind of recognition," continues Minja Korhonen.
CAAMA — a timely, environmentally friendly and cost-effective innovation for water purification
The CAAMA (column-casted alkali-activated material adsorbent) process is a cheaper, more efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly solution for the purification of mine water compared to what is currently available on the market. The adsorbent developed by Pikkarainen is made from kaolin clay using environmentally safe, non-toxic and organic chemicals. The adsorbent is poured directly into columns, vertical pipes through which the waste or process water to be treated passes.
Laboratory tests have shown that the material developed is up to 20 times more effective than the commonly used activated carbon adsorbent. Depending on the water and the metals present, the process has been able to recover on average between 95 and 100 % of the metals. In addition, the adsorbent manufacturing process is significantly more environmentally friendly than other alternatives.
The project pilot is currently being finalised in a six-meter sea container in the University of Oulu's courtyard. In early June, the process will be tested in real mines. Preliminary agreements have already been signed with major mines in Northern Europe. There is a need for new innovations, as the mining industry has been using the same methods for water purification for decades. Mining liability and ever stricter environmental requirements also call for the introduction of new inventions.
"CAAMA is a very timely, environmentally friendly and cost-effective innovation that can be scaled up almost anywhere. One day our process can be used in other industries such as batteries, steel, pulp, paper and textiles," says Pikkarainen.
Northern expertise is recognised year after year
The University of Oulu has been a finalist for the chemical industry Innovation Award also on two previous years. In 2022, Juha Heiskanen and Tuomo Kainulainen reached the final with their development of high-performance biopolymers that can replace fossil-based plastics. In 2020, Juho Yliniemi was in the final with his method for using mineral wool waste as a raw material for geopolymers.
The success of the University of Oulu in conducting cutting-edge research and developing new research-based solutions says a lot about local expertise: the University of Oulu is home to some of the world's best experts who are advancing research topics and solutions that are relevant to the future of both people and the planet.
"The University of Oulu has excellent conditions for conducting cutting-edge research in industrially relevant or promising areas. Being a finalist in the Innovation Award for several years in a row is a great testimony to this and recognition of our inventions in the academic world," says Juha Heiskanen, a finalist in 2022.
Watch the introduction video of the 2024 finalists.
Read more about CAAMA on InnoBlog!
More info:
Arto Pikkarainen
Doctoral Researcher, University of Oulu
arto.pikkarainen@oulu.fi
+358452605070