PhoSul® is an organically enhanced rock phosphate fertilizer designed to improve performance while mitigating the hazards associated with traditional phosphate fertilizer production. Conventional methods utilize phosphate-containing rocks that require processing with strong acids, resulting in gypsum waste contaminated with heavy metals.
FluoRork manufactures fluorochemicals in a hydrofluoric (HF) free way. Fluorochemicals are used in every day products like lithium-ion battery electrolytes, agrochemicals, and drugs. All fluorine atoms in fluorochemicals are derived from fluorspar. Traditionally, fluorspar is treated with sulfuric acid in an energy-intensive process to produce hydrofluoric acid (HF), the key precursor in traditional fluorochemical manufacturing. FluoRok aims to revolutionize conventional fluorochemical production with an HF-free fluorination process.
AI-engineeered enzymes for the production of chemicals without fermentation. This company uses AI to engineer enzymes and metal catalysts that do not require fermentation, allowing for the production of molecules at room temperature without toxins and waste. This process uses safe feedstocks, such as sugars, air, and carbon dioxide. It is also scalable and cost efficient. This process also eliminates fermentation, costly immobilization, air emissions, and wastewater emissions. Their factory, Bioforge™, produces one ton of product per ton of feedstock.
Water treatment system designed to control corrosion, deposition, and biological fouling without "bleed-off." Significant reduction in water usage compared to conventional methods because this system does not require makeup water in cooling systems. Bleed-off is the process of flushing water with high mineral concentrations down the drain and diluting the system water mineral concentrations with fresh water to prevent precipitation. From current data in Philadelphia, treating 30,000 tons of cooling water with this system saved about 132 million gallons of water.
Large-scale anaerobic biotreatment system. Asarco's biotreatment system consists of a settling basin and two anaerobic bioreactors discharged into a rock filter polishing cell that are followed by a final aeration polishing pond. Heavy metal pollution occurs when excavated rocks or exposed underground mines get into water. The West Fork Biotreatment plant does not require conventional chemicals often associated with sludge formation nor constant human monitoring and frequent sludge disposal.
Sulfonated polymer membrane technology for cheaper and less energy-intensive water desalination. This technology can withstand higher pressures, allowing for higher water flux and transport rates. These higher rates increase efficiency while lowering costs. The membrane's structure gives it ion selectivity, low electrical resistance, wet and dry mechanical strength, and good dimensional stability in wet and dry conditions. The membrane's resistance to chlorine also makes it a better option than conventional materials that lack chlorine resistance because it avoids the pretreatment process.
Non-toxic surface treatment of cellulosic material for manufacturers of denim fabrics and denim clothes. Dyes and bleaches denim without the use of traditional toxic chemicals like potassium permanganate, sodium hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide. Replaces the environmentally unfriendly sandblasting method with mechanical laser treatment. Reduces energy use, water use, and chemical emissions.
Cellulosic and ecological fiber textiles and non-woven fibers from textile and paper waste. It breaks waste down to the polymer level to create a textile fiber that looks and feels like cotton (cellulose carbamate fiber). Mostly use cotton-rich trashed textiles, but can also be used with other cellulose-rich materials (paper, cardboard, crop residues from wheat or rice straw). The process does not use CS2 (toxic nerve poison) like in traditional methods, but urea (natural biomolecule) instead. Polyester, elastane, and dyes (non-cellulosic particles) are cleaned out in the process.
A high-friction coating that keeps carpet tile in place without additional adhesives, floor sealers, or primers. Eliminates the need for adhesives and reduces labor costs. Reduces materials needed for installation by eliminating the need to primer or seal the floor. The lack of adhesives reduces installation time by eliminating the drying process. Eliminates unnecessary waste, such as peel-and-stick film covers. Eliminates VOC off-gassing, typically associated with floor sealants, improving air quality. Functional under high water vapor emissions.
Exhaust dye process that changes the negative charge of raw cotton when submerged in water to a positive charge, making attraction stronger with negative dye stuff. 20% of global industrial water pollution comes from the treatment and dyeing of textiles. The process uses up to 75% less water than the conventional reactive exhaust dye process. It saves time as the process takes 5.5 hours compared to the traditional 8 hours. Produces less salt than conventional methods (salt traps other toxic chemicals when bound into a solid). 70% lower TDS, makes ZLD plants inexpensive.