SBIR Phase I: Nanoporous Aerogels for the Absorption of Hydrocarbons in Contaminated Water

SBIR第一阶段项目将开发一种气凝胶分离介质，用于去除废水中的含油残留物和溶解有机物。 柔性毯将覆盖废水的表面，并将遵循传统的分离步骤，以去除胶体和溶解的有机物。 该材料将通过超临界二氧化碳萃取再生。拟议项目的更广泛/商业影响将是对各种废水（如漏油和石油和石化作业）进行更快和更具成本效益的处理。 目前的方法不能廉价地收集这种烃废物。

This SBIR Phase I project will develop an aerogel separation medium for removal of both oily residues and dissolved organics from wastewaters. Flexible blankets will cover the surface of the wastewater and will follow a conventional separation step for removal of colloidal and dissolved organics. The material will be regenerated by extraction with super-critical carbon dioxide.The broader/commercial impacts of the proposed project will be a faster and more cost effective treatment process for various wastewaters such as from oil spills and from petroleum and petrochemical operations. Current methods are not able to collect such hydrocarbon wastes inexpensively.