Filtering Heavy Metals From Wastewater Using Aerogels
400 Million Tons Of Heavy Metals & Sludge Enter Potable Water Annually
The quality of potable water sources is being affected by water contaminants. The primary water contaminant is heavy metal ions. Tons of metals are inaccessible because of the difficulty of filtering them from water.
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This is a modern & growing problem for:
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INDIVIDUAL WATER TREATMENT
POTABLE WATER
NOURISHMENT
MUNICIPAL
METALS
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Current individual wastewater treatment solutions for heavy metal ions are inefficient due to cost, maintainenece, and generating secondary waste.
Aquaperla Is Proposing A New Category Of Nanomaterials To Adsorb & Reuse Water Filters
Sodium Alginate Aerogels Can Adsorb 98% Of Heavy Metal Ions & Reused >30 Times
INTRODUCING...
Epoxidized Sodium Alginate Aerogel Perlas
Aquaperla uses a material science approach to individual wastewater treatment & metal ion decontamination.
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This product will be epoxidized sodium alginate aerogel perlas derived from brown seaweed. The container to store the perlas will be a reusable hydrophobic mesh bag made from cellulose waste. Simply wash the aerogel perlas in vinegar to re-use the filter.
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The aerogel perlas gives individuals the opportunity to effectively filter heavy metal-contaminated water without worrying about cost, maintenance, customizability, and portability.
Why Sodium Alginate?
Alginate is naturally coated with negatively-charged anionic hydroxyl (-OH) and carboxyl (-COOH) groups. Heavy metals are positively-charged cationic ions.
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Just like a magnet: Opposites attract.
Alginate is found in abundance thanks to brown seaweed. The carboxyl groups are the primary group responsible for the 98% adsorption capabilities of alginate aerogel perlas. Epoxidation of the aerogel adds more anionic groups to the filter.
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The container will be a hydrophobic marble bag made of cellulose waste (waste paper, orange peels, cotton, etc.)
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Cellulose contains hydroxyl (-OH) groups that adsorb any additional contaminants such as oil and dyes. We will make the bag hydrophobic by integrating a hydrophobic chemical like TEOS.
Why Vinegar?
Using vinegar contains more Carboxyl (-COOH) groups than the epoxidized aerogel perlas.
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Simply Put: Vinegar Is A Stronger Magnet.
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The vinegar carboxyl groups will adsorb the heavy metal ions from the aerogel and regenerate the filter. Any kind of vinegar works!
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The beads will have a diameter of 3 millimeters. This will allow the vinegar to thoroughly desorb the heavy metal ions from the material.
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY IMPACT
Aquaperla's vision is to provide an effective and environmentally way of accessing water while providing a circular economy.
Aquaperla's sustainable business model upcycles waste (seaweed, compost, paper waste, etc.) and converts it into a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly product.
When the filter reaches its end-of-use, our product can biodegrade completely in under 14 months or be used for fertilizer applications. The cellulose bag is biodegradable in under 12 months or can be used as sand.
The metals adsorbed from the filter can be converted into a solid for disposal or be treated for re-usability in various industries (metal, construction, etc.)
Aquaperla Cost Analysis
$0.029
USD/Liter Filtered
~$1.25
USD Manufacture Cost
$425B
Global Water Market
14x
Cost Reduction (CDMX)
TESTIMONIALS
Hear what water technology companies and target customers have to say about Aquaperla.
About Us
Aquaperla intends to resolve a problem that one of our co-founders experienced as a child living in Ejutla De Crespo: An alternative to overpriced bottled water.
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Certain individual water filtration technologies that succeeded in developed countries will not suffice in developing countries. Aquaperla is deciding to take the unconventional path and build a solution based on the foundations of the physical world: Chemistry & Material Science.
CARLOS JARQUÍN
ANNA HECK
LEANDRO ROSAS
VENKAT YARLAGADDA