Photo-electro-catalytic Nano-air Filtration

Advanced Technologies & Testing Laboratories (ATTL) proposes to develop a self‐regenerative nano-air filtration technology to not only remove gaseous pollutants from the air, but also to destroy them and regenerate the filter. The proposed technology will involve the further development of a photo‐electro‐chemical air filtration platform, which already has been developed into a highly effective air disinfection product by the company. The proposed technology will be based on trapping the gaseous pollutants in a closely packed hollow nano‐tubes of a catalytic material with an aspect ratio that will be highly effective in adsorbing and trapping the gaseous molecules and then oxidizing them in situ by the photo‐electro‐chemical technology. The technology will not only remove and destroy the gaseous pollutants from the air, it will also regenerate the filter, eliminate waste, reduce energy consumption and disinfect the air. The proposed technology will use materials that are environmentally safe, however. A complete life cycle analysis of the technology and its components will be conducted during the project, and the product will be designed to eliminate waste. The currently available commercial technology that can remove volatile or gaseous pollutants is the activated carbon filters. However, the activated carbon filters have to be replaced and incinerated, which results in tremendous waste and further environmental damage. In contrast, the proposed technology will work effectively without any waste and will reduce energy consumption. ATTL plans to synthesize the nano‐structures of the proposed catalytic materials, characterize them, incorporate them in a test reactor, and test them for effectiveness in a laboratory test chamber. The proposed technology will serve the markets where the primary pollutants of concern are gaseous: for example, restaurants, primarily concerned with eliminating smells; new building construction, where building materials emit elevated levels of VOCs; mortuaries; beauty and nail salons; and large segments of the hotel industry. Based on early assessments of sectors that are driving demand for this technology, ATTL forecasts that the total market opportunity will be approximately $1.4 billion. This is in addition to the residential, commercial and health care markets served by ATTL’s current technologies, valued at $3.8 billion, where the nanotube-based air filtration methods will further cement our advantage. The company will collaborate with the University of South Florida (USF), where related research work has been going on for a number of years. USF has the nano‐technologies facilities for this research and researchers with the necessary experience.