OTT1467
Applications
Water and wastewater treatment, recovering phosphorus.
Target Problems
Phosphorus, vital to food production, could be running out. Reclaimed phosphorus pays off for the environment with less mining and improved surface water health.
Key Benefits
- Faster – Removes 40% of phosphorus (industry standard) in 1-min, 90% in 10-min.
- Stable – Works at pH levels of 2 to 9 and up to 450ºC.
- Recyclable – Modified zeolite can be reused.
- Profitable – Collected phosphorus can be recovered and reused.
- Easy – Modified zeolite can be deployed in many ways to filter water.
Technology
UW-Milwaukee inventors have developed zeolite-based composite material that revolutionizes water treatment by efficiently removing phosphorus contaminants. By functionalizing zeolite with metal oxides like lanthanum and magnesium, this method enhances phosphorus adsorption, boasting a remarkable 10-fold capacity increase over untreated zeolite, with up to 98% removal efficacy. Notably, this modified zeolite is reusable for at least 10 cycles, and phosphorus can be recovered for re-use, mitigating environmental impact and promoting sustainability. Phosphate contamination, prevalent in farm run-off and stormwater, poses significant environmental and economic challenges. This technology addresses this, offering a versatile solution applicable across diverse pH and temperature ranges, unlike current methods. Its rapid performance removes 40% of phosphorus in just 1-minute and 90% in 10-minutes—ensuring efficient water treatment. With global phosphate supply concerns looming, our innovation emerges as a vital tool in safeguarding water quality and ensuring long-term sustainability.
Inventor(s)
Dr. Marcia Silva, Scientist and former Facility Manager of the UWM Water Technology Accelerator (WaTA)
Dr. David Garman, Dean School of Freshwater Sciences
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