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

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project focuses on the development of a novel, environment-friendly adsorbent material with low life-cycle cost for the removal of Arsenic from the water stream. The proposed material solution is based on a novel nanoporous geopolymer composite designed specifically for this application and manufactured via a patented, sustainable, and energy- and materials-efficient production process. During Phase II, the superior performance of the new media demonstrated at lab scale in Phase I will be further validated at the pilot scale. The anticipated results include 1) successful pilot production of the novel adsorbent to validate the cost advantages of materials; 2) successful validation of superior performance of the nanoporous composite at a pilot testing scale; and 3) further improvement of the product cost by using lower cost precursors. The broader impacts of this research are (1) providing to the environmental remediation industry a new class of materials and novel platform technology that may be expanded to removing other water contaminants. The novel material will be offered to replace the existing sorbent media and will provide performance/cost benefits for residential and commercial systems with additional environmental advantages; (2) enabling the development of new fresh water sources currently unusable due to high Arsenic content in the US and developing countries; and (3) transforming the nanoporous materials production technology with a broad spectrum of critical clean tech applications, including energy efficiency (insulation and catalyst), energy generation, and energy storage.