STTR PHASE I: Use of Nanoclusters for Recovery of Strategic Metals

这个小企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段项目解决了战略和关键金属的回收和再循环问题。该项目将确定纳米簇离子交换介质在用于回收铬、镍和汞等战略和关键金属时，相对于传统离子交换树脂的性能优势。 基本创新是在纳米颗粒上沉积极薄的薄膜（2 nm），再加上纳米颗粒的低温固结形成纳米团簇，以及使用化学反应涂层从工业过程和废水中去除金属离子。集成离子交换（IIX）电化学过程反应器将允许纳米结构簇与电荷调制电场的紧密耦合，用于增强工业过程和废水流的处理，以及用于纳米结构簇的原位再生。所提出的过程将促进电场辅助的具有成本效益和选择性的分离，该技术可用于对水基工艺中的战略性和关键性金属进行成本效益高的回收和再循环，例如金属精加工作业中的过程中再循环、氯碱作业中的工艺和废物流以及牙科和医疗作业中的废物。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project addresses the problem of recoveryand recycle of strategic and critical metals. This project will determine the performance benefits of a nanocluster ion exchange media over traditional ion exchange resin, when used to recover strategic and critical metals, such as chromium, nickel and mercury. The basic innovation is the deposition of an extremely thin film (2 nm) on nanoparticles, coupled with low-temperature consolidation of nanoparticles to form nanoclusters, and the use of chemically reactive coatings to remove metal ions from industrial process and waste streams. The integrated ion exchange (IIX) electrochemical process reactor, will allow a close coupling of the nanostructured clusters with charge modulated electric fields for enhanced treatment of industrial process and waste streams, and for in-situ regeneration of the nanostructured clusters.The proposed process will facilitate cost-effective and selective separations assisted by electric fields, forcost-effective recovery and recycle of strategic and critical metals from aqueous based processes, such asin-process recycling in metal finishing operations, process and waste streams from chlor-alkali operations, and waste from dental and medical operations.