Call for Partners | (MAD2): Advanced Recovery of Phosphate and Other Valuable Products from Wastewater
Wageningen Food & Biobased Research (WFBR) is looking for partners to co-develop a next-generation technology for selective recovery of phosphate from aqueous streams using magnetite-based adsorption-desorption, MAD2. This builds on the successful MAD1 project and aims to upscale and demonstrate the process with industry for phosphate recovery. It will also broaden the concept to recover or remove other components (products/contaminants) by modifying the magnetite.
Partner up for impact
Information
- Jan 1, 2026 - Jan 1, 2028
- Both in-kind and financial contributions
- Wastewater treatment operators, companies with expertise in the synthesis and functionalisation of magnetite particles, technology providers, and companies interested in circular phosphate or metal recovery
- Co-develop and demonstrate the MAD2 technology
About the project
Phosphorus is essential for agriculture and food production, yet it is a finite and increasingly scarce resource. Phosphate recovery from wastewater streams therefore is critical to achieving sustainability in water management and supports both circular economy ambitions and environmental protection goals.
Current wastewater treatment systems are often non-selective and result in phosphorus losses, for example through sludge incineration. The MAD1 project demonstrated that Magnetic Adsorption-Desorption (MAD), using magnetite particles, is a promising technology for selective phosphorus recovery from industrial and municipal wastewater streams. MAD provides a cost-effective and sustainable solution, especially in cases where minimal sludge generation and reduced chemical use are desired.
Beyond phosphate, aqueous waste streams may also contain other valuable nutrients (e.g. nitrogen, potassium, sulphur) or pollutants (e.g. fluorocarbons, antibiotics, polymeric pollutants, heavy metals) that could also be selectively removed or recovered using the MAD approach.
More about the project
MAD2 builds upon MAD1 by improving magnetite particle performance, enhancing adsorption/desorption capacity, and integrating on-site chemical recovery to reduce environmental impact. The process will be demonstrated under realistic conditions for both influent and effluent polishing, focusing initially on selective phosphate recovery.
In addition, MAD2 broadens the application scope of the MAD concept by targeting other low-concentration compounds or contaminants. This includes the development and functionalisation of selective magnetic adsorbents and lab-scale evaluation of their performance.
The project includes:
- Identification of valuable compounds / contaminants suitable for magnetic recovery
- Development and characterisation of tailored magnetic adsorbents
- Lab-scale testing of adsorption, desorption & recovery
- Demonstration using real wastewater streams with performance monitoring
- Process modelling, techno-economic & environmental assessment
MAD2 offers partners the opportunity to co-develop a scalable, low-chemical solution for resource recovery and water treatment, with direct relevance to both environmental targets and circular economy goals.
We are looking for partners to co-develop and demonstrate the MAD2 technology. Ideal partners include (industrial) wastewater treatment operators, companies with expertise in the synthesis and functionalisation of magnetite particles, technology providers (adsorption, magnetic separation), and companies interested in circular phosphate or metal recovery.
We invite contributions both in-kind (e.g. expertise, equipment, testing facilities) and financial. Participation involves cost-sharing.
Partners will benefit from early access to an innovative resource recovery platform, applicable in sectors such as water treatment, agriculture, and materials recycling. Together, we aim to turn wastewater challenges into circular value opportunities.
Let's connect
For more information about the project or to collaborate, please contact our expert.
RA (Raphael) Fredon
Business Development Manager
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