NANOSTRUCTURED MEMBRANES FOR FILTRATION, DISINFECTION, AND REMEDIATION OF AQUEOUS AND GASEOUS SYSTEMS
Impact/Purpose:
The objective is to develop electrospun nanofiber chitosan membranes which will have the ability to treat aqueous and gaseous environments by actions of filtration, disinfection, and metal binding. Chitosan is nontoxic and biodegradable and has been shown to have beneficial antimicrobial and metal binding properties. These beneficial properties will be optimized in a nanofiber structure in which the surface area per mass is very high. The central hypothesis for the proposed research is that the degree to which these nanofiber chitosan membranes effectively filter contaminants, kill microbes, and bind harmful metals will be optimized by minimizing the size of the electrospun fibers and maximizing the available chitosan surface area.
Description:
The expected result of this research is a new nanostructured system for the treatment and remediation of aqueous and gaseous environments with improved efficiency over current filtration technologies. The multiple functions that these chitosan membranes will serve (removal, destruction, and immobilization of toxic species) could make them cost effective replacements for multiple treatment systems presently in use.
Record Details:
Record Type:PROJECT(
ABSTRACT
)
Start Date:08/01/2005
Completion Date:07/31/2008
Record ID:
134241
Keywords:
AIR, ATMOSPHERE, WATER, DRINKING WATER, GROUNDWATER, ADSORPTION, ABSORPTION, TOXICS, PARTICULATES, HEAVY METALS, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, NANOTECHNOLOGY, RENEWABLE, WASTE REDUCTION, ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AGRICULTURE,
Related Organizations:
Role
:OWNER
Organization Name
:UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS - AMHERST
Citation
:Amherst
State
:MA
Zip Code
:1003
Role
:OWNER
Organization Name
:UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE - KNOXVILLE
Mailing Address
:Circle Park Dr
Citation
:Knoxville
State
:TN
Zip Code
:37996
Project Information:
Approach
: Our first task will be to understand the processing-structure relationships for electrospun chitosan fibers so that the fiber size can be controlled and minimized. Our subsequent tasks will focus on assessing the filtration, disinfection, and metal binding properties of electrospun chitosan membranes and the effect of fiber size on these properties for applications in environmental treatment and remediation. In order to accomplish these tasks, a multidisciplinary team with collective expertise in the areas of polymer processing and characterization, electrospinning, carbohydrate chemistry and processing, and microbiology has been assembled.
Cost
:$349,200.00
Research Component
:Hazardous Waste/Remediation
Approach
: Our first task will be to understand the processing-structure relationships for electrospun chitosan fibers so that the fiber size can be controlled and minimized. Our subsequent tasks will focus on assessing the filtration, disinfection, and metal binding properties of electrospun chitosan membranes and the effect of fiber size on these properties for applications in environmental treatment and remediation. In order to accomplish these tasks, a multidisciplinary team with collective expertise in the areas of polymer processing and characterization, electrospinning, carbohydrate chemistry and processing, and microbiology has been assembled.
Cost
:$349,200.00
Research Component
:Nanotechnology
Project IDs:
ID Code
:GR832372
Project type
:EPA Grant