SBIR Phase I: Robust Porous Ceramic Structures Enhanced With Natural Biomaterials for Water Purification

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将通过开发一种涂有天然聚合物的新型便携式净水过滤器来解决纯净饮用水短缺的问题。最初，开发的过滤器将用于个人净水器，后来扩大了过滤器的开发，用于市政水净化系统。这种基于绿色技术的水处理系统的发展将导致一种新型净水器，其价格低廉、作用迅速、使用简单、一次性、易于在发展中国家使用，并且对环境的影响最小。此外，不会产生有害的消毒副产品。这项研究的更广泛的商业影响是提供一种廉价的、全天然的便携式水净化系统，该系统将提供良好的安全饮用水，特别是在第三世界国家。饮用水中可能含有多种病原体，包括重金属、有害细菌、寄生虫包囊、隐孢子虫和病毒。迄今为止，去除这些病原体的最佳方法是紫外线照射、臭氧化和煮沸/蒸馏，这些水净化技术都需要能源和支持系统，而这些技术在偏远地区和情况下并不容易获得。其他更便携的水处理方法不是有效的，不方便的，容易失败，很多时候不能很容易地检测到，和/或提供劣质的水。因此，非常需要开发含有天然聚合物涂层的净水器，该天然聚合物涂层可以去除和/或杀灭致病细菌，并且还可以从水中去除重金属。所提出的全天然水净化系统旨在去除和/或中和所有这些多水杂质元素。一家成熟的水净化公司将成为该项目的合作伙伴，以加快这项开发技术的商业化。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will address the problem ofa shortage of pure drinkable water by developing a new portable water purification filter coatedwith natural polymers. Initially the developed filters will be utilized for use in personal waterpurifiers, later expanding the development of the filter for use in municipal water purificationsystems. The development of this green technology based water treatment system will result in anovel water purifier that is inexpensive, fast acting, simple to use, disposable, easily used indeveloping countries, and has minimal impact on the environment. Furthermore, there would beno formation of harmful disinfection by-products.The broader/commercial impacts of this research are the provision of an inexpensive, allnatural portable water purification system that will provide good safe potable water, particularlyin third world countries. At risk drinking water can contain a variety of pathogens that caninclude heavy metals, harmful bacteria, parasitic cysts, cryptosporidium organisms and viruses.The best methods to date for removing these pathogens are UV irradiation, ozonation, andboiling/distillation, with each of these water purification techniques requiring energy and supportsystems that are not readily available for remote areas and situations. Other more portable watertreatment methods are not as effective, inconvenient, subject to failures that many times cannotbe easily detected, and/or supply poor tasting water. Therefore, there is a great need for thedevelopment of water purifiers that contain natural polymeric coatings that remove and/or killdiarrheal diseases-causing bacteria and can also remove heavy metals from water. The proposedall natural water purification system is intended to remove and/or neutralize all of these multiplewater impurity elements. An established water purification company will be a partner in thisproject so as to expedite the commercialization of this developed technology into themarketplace.