I-Corps: Catalytic membrane to eliminate organic pollutants in industrial wastewater

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a catalytic membrane used to destroy organic pollutants in industrial wastewater. Industrial sectors spanning pharmaceuticals, chemicals, oil and gas, among others, produce contaminant-laden waste streams that require costly, energy intensive treatment processes. Due to increasing regional water scarcity, new regulatory restrictions, and shareholder pressure to adopt sustainable practices, there are several driving forces for industrial operations to implement effective, in-house treatment. Several options currently exist for industrial wastewater treatment, including membrane filtration and activated carbon/charcoal adsorption. Many industrial facilities currently use one or more of these technologies to reduce contaminant levels prior to discharge into the municipal wastewater treatment system. However, in-house treatment typically results in contaminant-laden waste streams or solids and/or does not completely remove organic contaminants. The proposed technology is designed to degrade toxic organics within minutes. Passing wastewater streams through the proposed catalytic membrane efficiently mineralizes organic contaminants to CO2 and H2O, creating benign waste streams that may be recycled or directly released into local municipalities. This I-Corps project has the potential to revolutionize wastewater treatment, improving treatment efficacy while simultaneously reducing cost and energy consumption. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a catalytic material that may be used to break down contaminants not removed by conventional water treatment processes. Using the proposed technology, organic pollutants, such as hydrocarbons, pharmaceutical products, and plasticizers are destroyed within minutes without the need for secondary treatments. This technology falls under a category of treatment technologies called advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which are water treatment methods designed to destroy toxic pollutants via the production of reactive radicals. The proposed catalyst rapidly generates these radicals in-situ, relying on the addition of an inexpensive precursor salt to the influent. Although employed in select industries, current AOPs cannot achieve complete destruction of contaminants, resulting in the production of toxic byproducts. Furthermore, most AOPs in the market incur high energy costs, rendering them unattractive for wider industry investment. The proposed catalyst and treatment scheme mitigate these problems by offering near-complete elimination of organic pollutants at record-breaking efficiencies while maintaining lower operating costs than industry benchmarks. Many industries may benefit from implementing this technology in their treatment process by reducing treatment costs, increasing their capacity for water reuse, and better meeting regulatory requirements. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.