Electrolytic Water Purification System

Eltron Research, Inc.

Boulder, CO

This electrolytic technology is for in situ generation of hydrogen peroxide derived hydroxyl radicals for the composition of organic contaminants from space craft waste water. This water purification process will help remove organic contaminants from waste water.

• Delivered a multi electrochemical system capable of oxidizing at least 50 ppm TOC, with potential to remove greater concentration of TOC, in waste water stream to less than .5 ppm TOC.
• Electrochemical technology is being applied at Eltron to facilitate the selective generation of value added products. The firms focus is on both electro catalysis and on electrolytic cell design to efficiently promote specific chemistries.

• The private sector areas related to this technology would include water purification, water site remediation, semiconductor, chemicals, pharmaceutical processing, and industries requiring water sterilization such as hospitals and biotechnology production facilities
• The firm has received four patents related to this technology.
• The evolutions of numerous unique technologies including novel ambient and high temperature chemical processes are due in part to a comprehensive background in physical and solid-state chemistry. These include catalytic membrane reactors, catalysis, fuel cells, materials science, electrolytic processes and chemical sensors.

• Near-term government use is in a post-treatment subsystem for the removal of residual organic carbon from wastewater stream following a primary treatment subsystem.
• Long-term government use would be for the total organic removal subsystem for the treatment of waste water, used in place of more complex technologies presently in use as primary treatment subsystems.
• NASA programs that could benefit from this technology are Shuttle, Station, and others.

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Curator: SBIR Support                 1/21/05