Industrial Consultancy & Sponsored Research (IC&SR) , IIT Madras
A Green Method for Preparing Robust and Sustainable Cellulose-polyaniline based Nanocomposite for Effective Removal of Fluoride from Water and a Purifier thereof
Categories for this Invention
Category- Green Technology
Industry Classification:
- NIC (2008)- 28195- Manufacture of filtering and purifying machinery or apparatus for liquids and gases; 11043- Manufacture of mineral water; 36000- Water collection, treatment and supply; 20299– Manufacture of various other chemical products n.e.c.
Applications:
Water treatment and purification and fluoride removal from groundwater.
Market drivers:
water treatment market size is expected to rise from US$ 69.73 billion in 2024 to US$ 137.17 billion by 2034 with a CAGR of 7%
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Problem Statement
- Natural fluoride (F-) content of water between 1 to 1.5 mg/L is essential for good dental health. However, higher fluoride content of 1.5-4 mg/L can lead to dental and skeletal fluorosis which effects over 200 million people across the globe.
- Conventional methods of using alumina-based coagulants, membrane technology and electrocoagulation either leave an unpleasant taste or are too expensive for public use.
- There is a need for an eco-friendly polymer based nano-cellulose adsorbent with metallic oxyhydroxides to get a robust composite for an improved synergistic performance towards F- removal.
Technology
- Cellulose Nanofibers-Polyaniline template Ferrihydrite (CNPFH) nanocomposite was prepared by a green method involving a one pot synthesis process via an in-situ polymerization method.
- The ferrihydrite nanoparticles incorporated in the polymeric confinement of cellulose nanofibers and doped N sites of blended PANI function as active sites which operate synergistically for enhanced Fluoride removal
- The CNPFH composite exhibited a maximum Fluoride adsorption capacity of 50.8 mg/g
- The developed CNPFH composite was also tested for the effect of interfering ions to simulate usage for groundwater applications. CNPFH is able to remove more than 80% of Fluoride in presence of most interfering anions while remaining unaffected by the presence of interfering cations.
Key Features / Value Proposition
- The simple synthesis process yielded a sustainable composite which was used for F- removal from water by means of adsorption.
- CNPFH composite has maximum F- adsorption capacity of 50.8 mg/g which is higher than other PANI based composites.
- Though low cost and bio-based adsorbents such as alumina and chitosan are available, they are not completely eco-friendly or effective due to issues such as non-plant based source and high polycrystallinity when compared to cellulose based composites.
- The robustness of the composite keeps it free from leaching. Moreover, CNPFH works efficiently in a wide range of pH with fast adsorption kinetics making it a superior option for an industrially feasible green material for delivering affordable water in Fluoride affected communities worldwide.
Questions about this Technology?
Contact For Licensing
sm-marketing@imail.iitm.ac.in
ipoffice2@iitm.ac.in
Research Lab
Prof. T Pradeep
Department of Chemistry
Intellectual Property
- IITM IDF Ref.1953
- IN 376317 Patent Granted
Technology Readiness Level
TRL 5
Technology Validated in Relevant environment