Enabling materials and processes for the subsurface injection of zero valent metal nanoparticles

Tinker Air Force Base contains a large trichloroethylene (TCE) contaminant plume that threatens public drinking water supplies. Zero valent iron (ZVI) rapidly reacts with and eliminates TCE and thus, provides great potential for in-situ remediation. Implementing a successful remediation solution requires the metal particles be brought into contact with the contaminant phase. The Tinker site is difficult because the contaminated water is located in fine, silty sand and siltstone. At this and other low-permeability locations, ZVI remediation requires using a product with a sub-micrometer particle size. OnMaterials has developed enabling materials and injection processes to deliver nanocrystalline iron (NZVI) particles into challenging lithologies, including that present at Tinker. The Phase I program demonstrated the ability of injected NZVI product to accomplish the rapid and near-complete elimination of TCE at the injection well and nearby monitoring wells. The Phase II program will build upon these results and will implement a larger remediaiton system capable of accomplishing the cost-effective elimination of the TCE plume. The Phase II work will also provide technology foundation for decontaminating toxic groundwater plumes at many other military and private sector locations.