This STTR Phase I project will develop a process to produce silica products from the waste stream of a patent pending activated carbon manufacturing process (carbonxt process). The project focuses on using the silica for Silica-Titania Composites but would also take into account markets that employ precipitated or gel silica which would have differing properties than the silica used in Silica-Titania Composites.
The broader/commercial impact of the project will be the characterization of the carbon activation waste stream that allows for better understanding of how to reuse as much of the waste product as possible while opening a marketing avenue for the waste instead of paying for disposal of valuable material. There is significant demand for silica products in the United States. The targeted product lines would aim to eliminate various pollution hazards and thereby provide a benefit to society. The sustainable nature of the process would prevent the loss of valuable material to landfills. The characterization of the waste stream might also lead to other marketable material recovery in the future.
", aimed to reduce raw materials and increase product value for long-term sustainability in the manufacturing of two environmental pollution control products, activated carbon and silica sorbent. Carbonxt is a producer of high quality activated carbons using a patent-pending process that results in lower fuel and raw materials requirements. Although this process in itself produces a premium product made with less resources, a chemical waste is produced that will require disposal. Therefore, this grant effort was a feasibility study to understand the potential to recycle the waste and produce a commodity for an outside industry. This proposal was successful in fully characterizing the current waste and proving the feasibility to use the waste as a starting material for silica products. The research suggests that it will be possible to produce multiple high-end products from one process. Future work will continue to refine the silica products to best suit market needs. There is significant demand for both activated carbon and silica products in the United States. Part of this demand comes from the need for pollution control/remediation to protect human health and the environment. The targeted product lines would aim to eliminate various pollution hazards and thereby have an extreme benefit to society.
