REMOVAL OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS BY PERVAPORATION

THE REMOVAL OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS FROM WASTEWATERS IS A KEY ASPECT OF THIS COUNTRY'S POLLUTION-CONTROL EFFORT. HOWEVER, CONVENTIONAL TREATMENT TRAINS ARE COMPLICATED AND EXPENSIVE. IN THIS PROPOSED PROGRAM, WE WILL INITIATE DEVELOPMENT OF A MEMBRANE-BASED PROCESS, CALLED PERVAPORATION, FOR THE REMOVAL AND RECOVERY OF ORGANIC POLLUTANTS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTEWATERS. THIS PROCESS HAS THE CAPABILITY OF USING LOW-GRADE, OTHERWISE WASTED HEAT AS THE ENERGY SOURCE FOR REMOVING ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS IN MANY WASTEWATER STREAMS. IN THIS PROGRAM, THE MEMBRANES WILL BE SUBJECTED TO PARAMETRIC STUDIES THAT WILL GENERATE THE DATA NEEDED FOR PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF THE PERVAPORATION PROCESS. THIS DESIGN WILL THEN BE THE BASIS FOR AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS, UPON WHICH THE DECISION TO PROCEED INTO THE PHASE II PROGRAM WILL BE BASED. IN PHASE II, THE PROCESS WILL BE DEVELOPED AND FIELD-TESTED TO THE POINT AT WHICH OUR PHASE III SPONSOR WILL AGREE TO AID US IN COMMERCIALIZING THE TECHNOLOGY.