This purification technology offers a more environmentally friendly and economically competitive method for purifying drinking water supplies.
To create the colloidal polymer abstract, polysulfone is dissolved and precipitated in a mixed water bath, forming small, relatively uniform colloids. When this material is contacted with water containing low concentrations of humic acid (a natural organic constituent of many drinking water supplies) the humic acid is removed through adsorption on the colloidal phase. Colloidal polymer adsorbent has many advantages over the conventional method of activated carbon. Activated carbons must be disposed of or regenerated after their absorption capacity is exhausted. Regeneration is energy intensive and can cause secondary air and water pollution problems.
Disposal of activated carbon sludge also poses a secondary pollution problem. Colloidal polymer adsorbent does not require disposal, and the regeneration process is environmentally friendly. The humic material can be chemically desorbed and the polymer colloids reused.
Also, when compared with a common activated carbon used in the drinking water treatment field, Norit powder, the new polymer colloids demonstrate a larger adsorption capacity.
Benefits
In municipal water supplies, dissolved natural organic matter such as humic acid can give color, taste, and odor to water, and during treatment of the water supply, the natural organic matter can react with chemical disinfectants such as chlorine to produce known carcinogenicchlorinated-organic compounds like chloroform. Polymer colloids can be added directly to water supplies and allowed contact time in order to absorb natural organic compounds. The colloids have a large absorption capacity, and can easily and cheaply be regenerated through a simple chemical desorption step. The adsorbent need not be disposed and the regenerating solution is easily neutralized.
Polymer colloids are an economic and environmental solution to the problems associated with conventional purification methods.
The construction of nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOF) by copolymerization of organic molecules with metal ions has received widespread attention in recent...
The construction of nanoporous metal-organic frameworks (MOF) by copolymerization of organic molecules with metal ions has received widespread attention in recent years. These materials are thermally robust and, in many cases, have high porosity. However, recent experiments have shown that some MOFs are not stable when exposed to >4% water, limiting their usefulness.
Coordination bonding overcomes this limitation, requires mild conditions to create frameworks, and brings myriad choices of building blocks. Trifluoromethoxy group, which has been proved on most water repellent polymers and coating materials, reduces the water damage on MOF structures. A water resistant MOF, namely, ZnMOF3 is obtained through both solvothermal synthesis and microwave assisted solvothermal synthesis. It has a comparable vapor adsorbtion capacity with the commonly used MOFs, but does not adsorb moisture at 70 C.
In addition, exposing ZnMOF3 to boiling water vapor for one week does not result in any dramatic X-ray powder pattern change. ZnMOF3 is a potential adsorbent in many industrial applications such as air adsorption.
Dr. Xiao Su has created a system and method for the electrochemical remediation of mercury using semiconducting polymer electrodes. This system and method is directly...
Dr. Xiao Su has created a system and method for the electrochemical remediation of mercury using semiconducting polymer electrodes. This system and method is directly applicable to the remediation of mercury from water streams, such as wastewater streams, as well as to downstream chemical processes. The use of semi-conducting polymers highly increases the kinetics and efficiency of desorption, making this adsorption technology highly re-usable. When compared with current techniques this system and method does not require chemically intensive regeneration processes, this minimizes secondary pollution while achieving high ion-selectivity towards mercury even in very small amounts (ppb-range).
Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a unique geometry of an electrodialysis system for enhanced efficiency of water purification. Electrodialysis...
Researchers from the University of Illinois have developed a unique geometry of an electrodialysis system for enhanced efficiency of water purification. Electrodialysis can be inefficient due to concentration polarization of the ion depleted zone. The unique geometry of this technology increases the flux of purified water by removing current limiting regime in electrodialysis system.
Rare-earth metals are increasingly incorporated into our technology. These natural resources are limited, and there are currently few recycling efforts for these raw...
Rare-earth metals are increasingly incorporated into our technology. These natural resources are limited, and there are currently few recycling efforts for these raw materials. Furthermore, the release of rare-earth metals into streams and rivers is a major concern for the environment with unpredictable impact on wildlife. Using electrochemistry, the Su Lab has developed a material that can selectively capture these rare-earth metals from streams and rivers in a green and sustainable manner, thus providing a way to for recycling and water-remediation.
