OPS are the result of an engineering process carried out with judgment: a zero-valent iron (Fe⁰) material protected within a graphitic matrix, produced with proprietary technology from olive-mill waste. An advanced material with known, consistent properties, batch to batch. The tool comes at the end of a technical line of reasoning, not at the beginning.
From the laboratory to plant control.
OPS are nanoparticles of zero-valent iron (Fe⁰) encapsulated in a graphitic carbon matrix. The semiconducting carbon shell protects the metallic core from immediate oxidation, keeping the Fe⁰ —the chemically active fraction— available under real process conditions.
They are produced with proprietary technology from olive-mill waste (alperujo), the residue from olive-oil extraction. Feedstock, product and by-products stay within a closed, traceable chain.
Every batch is characterized before leaving the plant. These are the material's reference parameters; the full datasheet is provided on request.
Average size 350 nm · Magnetic (separable from the medium) · Pore volume 0.271 cm³/g, predominantly mesoporous · Non-toxic material, within a circular-economy framework.
Protected as a trade secret · Produced entirely in Spain, in Extremadura (Valdetorres, Badajoz).
OPS are not a starting point: they are what you obtain after a valorization process carried out with judgment. Olive-mill waste goes in as a residue; it comes out as an advanced material with known, consistent properties.
Input
Olive-mill waste
Alperujo · olive residue
Process
Proprietary technology
Applied technical judgment
Output
OPS · Fe⁰
Advanced material · catalyst
In anaerobic digestion, cooperation between bacteria and archaea depends on how electrons are transferred. The graphitic shell of OPS is conductive: it enables Direct Interspecies Electron Transfer (DIET), a more stable route than the one mediated by hydrogen or formate. What we pursue is process robustness and control —not a promise of throughput.
The conductive shell of OPS shortens the electron-transfer route between microorganisms, sustaining methanogenic syntrophy even under load disturbances — the mechanism that explains why production stays stable when other processes collapse.
OPS are a nanotechnological material with potential beyond biogas. These are the main areas where their chemistry is relevant —and, below, the properties that open new application and R&D lines.
Stabilization of anaerobic digestion via DIET: more robust processes against overloads, inhibition and feedstock variations.
See the Biogas proposal →Fe⁰ acts as a reducing agent on contaminants in industrial and urban wastewater (WWTP). Application assessed case by case.
See water treatment →Closing the loop: iron from olive-mill waste returns to the soil. The agronomic line runs through Biofulvik+.
See the agronomic line →Beyond biogas, OPS have potential in gas streams, water remediation, agronomic products, new materials (ceramics, textile fibers, electrodes for fuel cells), biomedicine and the energy transition. We provide material samples and collaborate with research centers and companies on developing new applications.
R&D&I projects →They are a nanotechnological material made of a zero-valent iron (Fe⁰) core coated by a graphitic carbon shell. They are produced by valorizing olive-sector by-products. The shell protects the iron from oxidation and provides a conductive surface.
On average: 16% total iron, 8% zero-valent iron (ZVI), 29% micronutrients and 55% carbonaceous phase. Average size 350 nm and pore volume 0.271 cm³/g, predominantly mesoporous. They are magnetic.
It is unoxidized metallic iron able to donate electrons: the reactive fraction of the material. The carbon shell keeps it available in the medium and adds conductivity, opening routes such as direct interspecies electron transfer.
Biogas and biomethane, water treatment, gas-stream treatment, agronomic products, new materials and remediation processes. Their versatility makes them candidates for new research and development lines.
Yes. We provide samples and collaborate on research and development projects around OPS and their applications. See projects →
The graphitic carbon encapsulation protects the Fe⁰ from oxidation, provides a conductive surface that favors electron transfer, and adds magnetic character (separable). It is not just about supplying iron: it is about supplying a route for electrons.
We develop nanotechnology solutions to improve the efficiency of converting waste into renewable energy, contributing to the decarbonization of the energy sector.