Shillong, October 30: Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and Tel Aviv University in Israel have created an aerogel adsorbent capable of eliminating trace pollutants from wastewater.
As per IANS, the graphene-modified silica aerogel demonstrates an impressive ability to remove more than 76 percent of trace pollutants at PPM levels under continuous flow conditions. This breakthrough offers a sustainable approach to large-scale water purification and is detailed in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
Aerogels, often described as ‘solid air’ or ‘frozen smoke,’ are lightweight solid materials primarily composed of air. They excel as adsorbents, with adjustable surface chemistry, low density, and a highly porous structure. Furthermore, their fabrication is straightforward.
Prof. Rajnish Kumar of the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras emphasized the importance of indigenous techniques for wastewater purification in preserving water quality, protecting ecosystems, and mitigating health risks associated with polluted water. Conventional methods struggle to remove trace pollutants, particularly pharmaceuticals. Adsorption, an eco-friendly and cost-effective process with efficient pollutant removal capabilities, stands out as an attractive solution.
The research team introduced graphene-modified silica aerogels (GO-SA) by employing the ‘supercritical fluid deposition’ method. These GO-SA aerogels exhibited exceptional efficiency in water purification, primarily due to graphene’s unique molecular structure, which enhances the aerogel’s surface area. Under realistic conditions mimicked in their experiments, these materials removed over 85 percent of contaminants in controlled settings and more than 76 percent in continuous flow conditions.
The jointly developed GO-SA aerogel can be tailored to target specific contaminants by modifying their surface chemistry, making them versatile and effective for various purification needs. Furthermore, they can be regenerated and reused multiple times, reducing waste and operational costs, making them a sustainable water purification solution, as highlighted by Prof. Hadas Mamane from the School of Mechanical Engineering at Tel Aviv University.