PhD topic of project C2: The development of an adsorption/desorption process for the recovery of phosphorus from municipal wastewater
The eutrophication of water bodies caused by the input of nutrients, particularly phosphorus, poses a significant ecological challenge. At the same time, phosphorus is a finite resource that is indispensable for global food production (e.g. in the form of fertiliser). This project, which is part of the graduate research training group WERA, therefore aims to develop a sustainable process for the adsorptive separation and recovery of phosphorus from municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent The adsorbent material is placed in a fixed-bed column, where it selectively separates phosphorus compounds from the effluent. While an ongoing doctoral project focuses on optimising adsorption and developing new materials, this project focuses on the second crucial step: efficient desorption and phosphorus recovery.
The overall goal is to develop an ecologically and economically viable desorption process for phosphorus recovery. Initially, the project will conduct a comprehensive concept study, investigating and evaluating various desorption processes for phosphorus recovery. The focus will be on pH swing regeneration using a flushing solution and an electrodialysis process. The theoretical efficiency, expected costs and environmental impact of these processes will then be compared. Based on these findings, systematic laboratory tests will be carried out in batch and column experiments. Particular attention will be paid to characterising the desorption kinetics and the long-term stability of the adsorbent material over several adsorption/desorption cycles. The experimental data obtained will serve as the basis for developing mathematical process models. This knowledge will then be used to develop a mini-plant system to validate the entire adsorption/desorption process and comprehensively test its performance under real conditions using sewage treatment plant effluent.
Important scientific questions:
- How do operating parameters such as the type and concentration of eluents, flow rates or current density in the case of electrodialytic regeneration affect the desorption process?
- Does electrodialysis offer advantages over conventional desorption using pH swing for regenerating the adsorbent material and recovering phosphorus?
- Is it possible to find a robust adsorption/desorption process that can be operated stably and reliably under real conditions?
You can send your application for this PhD topic to: erik.vonharbou[at]rptu.de
Application:
Please send by 31.01.2026 complete application documents:
- Letter of motivation that prioritizes one of the PhD topics of WERA
- Curriculum Vitae
- Copy of your degree certificate (Bachelor, Master or equivalent) with full academic transcripts
directly to the supervisors of PhD topics (contact see rptu.de/wera/team). You can contact the spokesperson Prof. Sergiy Antonyuk (sergiy.antonyuk[at]mv.rptu.de) for general questions about PhD Graduate School.
Prerequisite for the PhD position is an Master’s degree (or equivalent) in engineering, chemistry or physics.
About RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau:
The RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau is the technical university of the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate with over 20,000 students, more than 300 professors and around 160 degree programmes. As a place of top-level international research, it offers excellent working conditions and career opportunities. Those who study, research or work at RPTU experience a welcoming and globally-oriented environment and shape the future.
The PhD Graduate School GRK 2908 is supported financially by the German Research Foundation (DFG) with funds from the German states and the federal government of Germany.
