image: Xiaowei Teng.
Credit: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Xiaowei Teng, James H. Manning Professor of Chemical Engineering, has been awarded a $395,886 grant from the National Science Foundation to study an electrochemical system that could be used to address one of the major challenges in water treatment: the buildup of insoluble mineral deposits. Also known as scaling, this buildup in water treatment pipes and equipment reduces the efficiency and lifespan of treatment systems, much like limescale does in household appliances.
Current methods to mitigate scale formation often generate chemical waste and consume large volumes of water. Through this newly awarded grant, Teng will partner with Professor Heath Turner of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Alabama to study the use of aqueous battery electrodes to selectively remove scale-forming-cations (SFC) found in water. SFCs are positively charged ions in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, strontium, or barium. The goal is to develop an electrode-based system that will enable lower-cost, environmentally friendly water purification solutions to increase access to clean water.
The research will utilize these water-based electrodes, computational modeling, and X-ray imaging of ion transport to generate new insights and novel means of understanding and controlling the transport behavior of SFCs in water and their interaction with the electrode materials. Teng hopes this knowledge will accelerate the development of a system that uses an ion-storage electrode to introduce an electrochemical charge to remove only the most scale-forming cations without obstructing other water treatment methods that effectively purify non-SFCs.
“We want this system to be a cost-effective supplement to water treatment methods to address mineral buildup” said Teng. “Since shutting down parts of water treatment facilities for scale removal is costly and time-consuming, this system seeks to prevent the accumulation of harmful minerals, reduce maintenance costs, and extend the operational lifespan of water treatment equipment.”
Teng expects such technology to surpass the performance and sustainability challenges of current water pretreatment technologies based on chemical approaches. The electrochemical system could have applications for facilities that purify large amounts of water, such as municipal water treatment plants and massive data centers.
This project is supported under the Electrochemical Systems program of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems.