Grantee Research Project Results
Final Report: Efficient Water Purification using TiO2 and Novel Activation Method
EPA Contract Number: EPD15008Title: Efficient Water Purification using TiO2 and Novel Activation Method
Investigators: Miermont, Adeline
Small Business: Imaging Systems Technology, Inc.
EPA Contact: Richards, April
Phase: II
Project Period: November 1, 2014 through October 31, 2016 (Extended to October 31, 2017)
Project Amount: $297,422
RFA: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) - Phase II (2014) Recipients Lists
Research Category: Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) , SBIR - Water
Description:
IST is developing technologies that produce low-cost, lightweight and highly efficient water purification systems. The Phase II project involves enhancing hollow shells with titanium dioxide, a UV activated photo catalyst that breaks down contaminants in water. The innovation increases the UV activated surface area by several orders of magnitude, which potentially make this purification system significantly more powerful than any other currently on the market.
Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):
IST has designed and assembled an optimized version of its UVA/TiO2 water purification system. The cartridges are filled with 1mm or smaller spheres coated with anatase TiO2. The TiO2 on the spheres is activated by a UVA light source placed in the middle of the cartridge. The small spheres offer a large surface area to allow more efficient photocatalytic reaction between the UVA activated TiO2 and the contaminants. Also, having the TiO2 immobilized on spheres makes it much easier to separate the catalyst from the purified water compared to when using TiO2 powder. The use of hollow shells as the catalyst support makes IST's system efficient, rugged and lightweight.
Under this Phase II SBIR, Imaging Systems Technology (IST) has focused its research effort on developing a water purification system using Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) coated spheres combined with Ultraviolet (UVA) light. IST has made significant improvements to the system initially designed under the Phase I SBIR. Based on preliminary results, the newly developed system is capable of purifying water at a rate of 200 to 400 ml per minute depending on the configuration and the contaminants. The system needs to undergo further testing, which will take place under the Phase II option.
Moreover, this project is also linked to IST's hollow shells production scale-up effort. IST is currently assembling its scaled-up process in order to be able to manufacture at least 1600 liters of hollow shells a day. This is a very significant improvement compared to the 90 liters a day current capabilities. This scale-up effort will be highly beneficial to scale-up the water purification system as well since hollow shells are a major component of the system.
Conclusions:
This innovation could serve a number of water purification applications, including large or industrial systems that handle vast quantities of water; small portable systems for disaster relief, humanitarian or military purposes; and industrial wastewater purification (including removing contaminants produced during oil and gas recovery). A number of organizations from each of these fields have expressed interest in the technology, which also could be expanded to purify air, food and medical instruments.
IST is moving the technology from laboratory to production under a joint development agreement with Trelleborg's offshore operation in the US. The State of Ohio also has contributed almost one million dollars to scale up effort. And investment in this project will exceed $5 million over the next two years.
SBIR Phase I:
Efficient Water Purification Using TIO2 and Novel Activation Method | Final ReportThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.