IIT Madras and Tel Aviv University Researchers Develop Aerogel Adsorbents to Purify Wastewater; Read More Here

New Delhi: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Madras) has joined hands with Israel's Tel Aviv University to develop a graphene-based aerogel adsorbent that can extract trace contaminants from wastewater. It will enable an environmentally friendly way for large-scale filtering of water.

According to IIT Madras, the graphene-modified silica aerogel eliminates more than 76% of trace contaminants (the components per million level) from wastewater. This collaborative research development has been published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.

Speaking on this occasion, Prof. Hadas Mamane, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Israel, said, "This jointly developed GO-SA aerogel 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."

Read: IIT Madras Researchers Develop Intelligence Platform to Support Start-Ups

Researchers to Use Gel Applications for Large-Scale Water Purification

The research team of IIT Madras and Tel Aviv University is now working to improve the results for large-scale gel applications. According to the researchers, aerogels are excellent adsorbents with benefits such as tunable surface chemistry, low density, and a highly porous structure. 

Rajnish Kumar of IIT Madras led the research along with Subhash Kumar Sharma and P Ranjani, research scholars at IIT Madras' Chemical Engineering Department, and Hadas Mamane of Tel Aviv University's School of Mechanical Engineering.

Informing about this development, Prof. Rajnish Kumar, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, "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”.

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