SBIR Phase I: Development Of Nanoporous Geopolymer Composites As Adsorbent For Arsenic Removal

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目将重点开发新型环保纳米多孔材料，这种材料可以有效地吸收并以极低的成本从地下水中去除砷，同时提供一种安全处理废含砷材料的方法。这将通过(1)采用专利的、可持续的、能源和材料高效的生产方法制备纳米多孔地聚合物材料；(2)表征和提高材料的吸砷能力；(3)在不同温度下热处理稳定废材料后，考察废材料的砷浸出行为。本研究的更广泛/商业影响是：(1)为美国农村地区和发展中国家砷污染严重的地区（如孟加拉国和印度）提供一种环境友好、成本效益高且易于操作的除砷技术解决方案；(2)为环境修复行业提供一种可用于去除其他水污染物（如重金属）的新型材料。这项研究的成功，对于满足美国环保署最近对饮用水砷含量提出的更严格的要求，对于帮助国外根除世界上最具破坏性的环境灾害之一砷中毒具有重要意义。这种新型材料将取代现有的吸附介质，为住宅和商业系统提供性能/成本效益，并将使新的水处理厂设计具有成本和环境优势。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will focus on the development of novel environment-friendly nanoporous materials that can effectively absorb and thus remove arsenic from ground water at a very low cost, while providing a means for the safe disposal of the spent arsenic-containing materials. This will be accomplished by (1) preparing the nanoporous geopolymer materials by employing a patented, sustainable, and energy- and materials-efficient production method; (2) characterizing and improving the arsenic absorption capacity of the materials; and (3) examining the arsenic leaching behavior of the spent materials after stabilizing the materials through heat treatment at various temperatures. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are (1) providing to the rural areas in the US and to the arsenic-ridden areas in developing countries, such as Bangladesh and India, an environment-friendly, cost-effective and easy-to-operate arsenic removal technology solution, and (2) providing to the environmental remediation industry a new class of materials that may be utilized in removing other water contaminants, such as heavy metals. The success of this research is critical in meeting the stricter requirement for arsenic in drinking water recently set by the US EPA, and also in helping foreign countries eradicate arsenic poisoning, one of the most devastating environmental disasters in the world. The novel material will be offered to replace the existing sorbent media, will provide performance/cost benefits for residential and commercial systems, and will enable a new water treatment plant design with both cost and environmental advantages.