AN AUSTRALIAN ion-exchange technology platform that can remove a range of toxic radioactive and non-radioactive heavy metals including, lead, silver and caesium from industrial processing solutions resulting from nuclear and minerals activities, has recently been granted a patent in the United States.
The materials are similar to the adsorbents used in the petrochemicals industry and domestic water treatment plants, except they can operate in highly aggressive environments.
The patent represents a major milestone for this breakthrough technology, opening up commercial opportunities in the mining, chemical, and nuclear industries to help manage toxic wastes, according to Dr Victor Luca, inventor of the technology.
“The technology is a metal oxide material containing atomic scale channels that are akin to a common kitchen sieve, which is where the analogy ends,” he said.
“These molecular sieves display such exquisite selectivity for certain metallic atoms that they can pluck them out of the most highly acidic solutions containing massive concentrations of other elements.”
Key contact:
ANSTO
sharon.kelly@ansto.gov.au
www.ansto.gov.au
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