PRESS RELEASE 93-31

Immediate 
Linda S. Ellis
(Bus: 216/433-2900)
<h3>Water Purification System May Result from Space Research at NASA 
Lewis Research Center</h3> Cleveland, OH -- A new material for 
removing toxic metals from water may benefit hundreds of industries 
that produce large amounts of contaminated waste water.

Researchers at NASA's Lewis Research Center have developed an ion 
exchange material that in laboratory tests can effectively remove 
contaminants from water such as mercury, lead, cadmium, silver, 
copper, zinc, nickel, yttrium and chromium. 

"The tests also show that the new material is easy to use and 
inexpensive to produce. It is strong, flexible and chemically very 
stable in storage," according to Dr. Warren H. Philipp, Senior 
Research Chemist in the Materials Division. He and Ken Street, Head 
of the Chemical Sampling and Analysis Branch of the Office of 
Environmental Programs, invented the material. 

The ion exchange membrane originally was developed as a separator in 
batteries for use in space flight. The separator can be made in many 
different forms and sizes including thin films, coatings, pellets and 
fibers for use in larger systems.

These various forms allow the material to be usable in many different 
applications, including woven fiber filters for home water filters, 
packed columns of pellets for industrial use and coatings on screens 
which can be drawn through ponds and lakes needing cleaning. 

Drs. Philipp and Street point out that another important feature of 
the ion exchange material is that adsorbed or collected metals can be 
easily reclaimed by either a destructive or a non-destructive 
process.

Through the destructive process, the used ion exchange material is 
ashed and produces carbon dioxide and water vapor. Oxides of the 
adsorbed metals remain as ash and can be recycled.

With the non-destructive process, the heavy metals are removed from 
the ion exchange material and reclaimed by an acid stripping process. 
The material then is reusable, and the metal concentrate can be 
recycled.

To extend the effort beyond the laboratory, NASA Lewis Research Center 
has signed a space act agreement with Aetna Plating Company, 
Cleveland, to validate the ion exchange material in an industrial 
setting.

Under terms of the agreement, Aetna will allow testing of the ion 
exchange material in their industrial electroplating operation to 
assess the material's effectiveness as an agent for removing heavy 
metals.

The Lewis Technology Utilization Office is responsible for project 
management. Cooperating and assisting on the project are the 
Cleveland Advanced Manufacturing Program's Advanced Manufacturing 
Center and Cleveland State University.

This ion exchange material is an example of technology transfer - 
technology developed for one purpose that can be applied to uses 
different from the original intent. 

Through its Technology Utilization Program, NASA seeks to encourage 
greater use of the knowledge bank by providing a link between the 
NASA research community and those that might develop the product of 
that research into a commercial technology or product. 



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