This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result in the development of novel ultrafast, highly selective, high permeability ion-exchange fiber composites for removing perchlorate from drinking water. The proposed technology removes perchlorate 10-100 times faster than the best currently available options, and employs a low-cost production method compatible with widely available manufacturing equipment. Rapid contaminant removal is made possible by the use of micron-scale mass transfer distances; whereas commonly used beads and granular media are limited to much larger sizes because of significant drawbacks including difficult containment and enormous pressure drop, fiber composites display both high permeability and self-containment due to their permanently intertwined, self-supporting structure. Serionix will demonstrate feasibility of this new technology through the following activities: 1) preparation of active resin/substrate fiber composites using a spray-casting method; 2) characterization of perchlorate-removal efficiency in both continuous and intermittent flow configurations; and 3) research and development of pretreatment methods to replace the current processing solvent (acetone) with water and to improve composite wetting properties.
The broader/commercial impact of this research is the development and commercialization of a low-cost technology enabling regulatory compliance and improved protection of human health. The EPA is set to regulate perchlorate in drinking water by 2014. This application represents only the first commercial opportunity for a platform technology with the ultimate potential to transform the industrial and residential water treatment landscape. Future applications may include ultrahigh efficiency water deionization, softening, and industrial wastewater recycling, personal protective equipment and clothing, and high activity solid acid/base catalysts. Dissemination of data and interpretation will contribute to improved understanding of mass transfer characteristics in fibrous sorbent materials used in both water and air treatment.
Serionix is developing a new class of ion-exchange fiber composite (IXFC) materials exhibiting the potential for efficient, high capacity removal of toxic ions from drinking water in a low-cost, high-flow configuration such as a pitcher or faucet style filter. Our composites consist of nonwoven fibers coated with a polymeric resin which is cured and chemically activated to produce high performance ion-exchange materials. If this project successfully leads to a commercial product, two significant societal benefits will result: first, availability of a low-cost regulatory compliance tool for improved protection of human health; second, introduction of a revolutionary technology capable of drastically reducing unit costs associated with industrial water and wastewater treatment processes. The overall project goal is to demonstrate the impressive capabilities of the IXFCs and increase production capacity in support of a full-scale commercialization effort. Due to a market opportunity associated with a pending EPA regulation, we chose to begin the development of our IXFC-based system by aggressively tackling the problem of perchlorate removal from drinking water. Filtration effectiveness was determined by treating perchlorate-contaminated water using either standard water purification media or selected versions of our IXFC materials. Additionally, we worked to optimize the synthesis of the IXFCs and determined potential routes to a fully-scalable manufacturing process. During Phase I and Phase IB of this project, we successfully met key goals including demonstration of: 1) an excellent increase in capacity for perchlorate compared to conventional filters and filter media; and 2) identification of appropriate fabrication conditions with dramatically shorter curing time, amenable to mass production. With the use of ion-exchange resins so pervasive throughout many water purification, food and beverage, and chemical synthesis processes, there are many potential commercial markets for IXFCs. In addition, the availability of IXFCs may open up entirely new applications that beads have been unable to address due to their limited product form. Our research has thus far validated the use of IXFCs for a small-scale application such residential water filters, and we will continue to prove the feasibility of this novel media for both small and large scale water treatment applications in Phase II.
