SBIR PhaseI: Water Cleaning with Photocatalytic Nanofiber Mesh

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will further develop the company's visible-light activated Photocatalytic Nanofiber Mesh technology to clean up hydrocarbon contamination in produced water resulting from oil and gas drilling operations, such as fracking. It involves a highly promising and unique approach to remove contaminants from petroleum-oil polluted water by decomposing them in-situ into environmental friendly products. The proposal explores novel scalable processes for nanomanufacturing the catalytic nanofiber mesh based on the CuO-WO3 system in high quantities and at low cost and aims to assessing their photocatalytic efficiency with respect to decomposing a wide range of BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) concentrations. Pilot studies in the field will provide definite measures of the potency and usability of these nanofiber meshes. The flexibility of process conditions (contact time with pollutant, floatability, recovery, reuse) are among the key features of this nanomaterials-based technology and a solid response to an urgent need for economic water remediation technologies. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project involves remediating oil pollution in water. Oil derivatives are among the most dangerous compounds for the environment. Produced water from fracking operations results in large amount of water contaminated with hydrocarbons such as BTEX. The photocatalytic nanofiber mesh technology provides a means to contain and clean BTEX contamination in water, in a most cost-effective and ecofriendly manner. While current photocatalysts are activated by only about 2% of the solar irradiance, the nanofiber mesh responds to radiation from the full solar spectrum. And solar power is free. Apart from water remediation, immediate uses of the nanofiber mesh technology are envisioned in filtration, as well as in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Scaling-up the nanomanufacturing process will provide significant benefits in terms of reducing the cost and increasing the availability of the nanogrids to be used in actual commercial products. Commercializing this technology will create new jobs for both skilled and unskilled workers, will provide the opportunity to train the workforce in using nanomaterials technology and nanomanufacturing to make real and versatile market products, and it will benefit the environment and the human welfare.