Researchers at Tel Aviv University in Israel and IIT Madras have created an aerogel adsorbent that can eliminate trace contaminants from wastewater.
In continuous flow conditions, this graphene-modified silica aerogel eliminates more than 76% of trace pollutants (PPM level), providing a sustainable solution for large-scale water filtration, according to an IIT Madras press release.
Prof. Rajnish Kumar, the recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize from IIT Madras, oversaw the study team, which also comprised Prof. Hadas Mamane from Tel Aviv University in Israel’s School of Mechanical Engineering, Subhash Kumar Sharma and P Ranjani, study Scholars from the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras.
Aerogels, often known as’solid air’ or ‘frozen smoke,’ are extremely lightweight solids consisting largely of air that are effective adsorbents (a solid substance used to remove pollutants). Furthermore, they have low density, highly porous structure, and tunable surface chemistry. According to the press release, the findings were just published as a research report in the prominent journal Nature Scientific Reports.
According to Prof. Rajnish Kumar of the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras, “Indigenous techniques for wastewater purification have become essential not only to combat pollution but also to preserve water quality, protect ecosystems, and mitigate health risks associated with contaminated water.”
“This jointly developed GO-SA aerogels can be customized to target specific contaminants by modifying their surface chemistry, making them versatile. Furthermore, they can be regenerated and reused multiple times, reducing waste and operational costs, making them a sustainable solution for water purification,” said Prof Hadas Mamane, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
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