Breakthroughs come from new theories in forces, materials & water
Heavy Metal Removal
Specially designed naturally based surfactants are used to bind heavy metals in a counterflow bubble column. Contaminants are then removed via foam floatation, a simple, low cost and highly scalable solution already used at enormous scale in mining and water treatment facilities globally. Using naturally based surfactants means no environmental concerns.
Why it’s a game changer
Heavy metal pollution is often naturally occurring, with the combination of high toxicity and very low concentration making treatment expensive. We have developed a simple process that specifically binds heavy metal ions, allowing safe removal in a simple single stage process. Using only a naturally derived binding compound and air, this foam floatation process is simple, highly efficient and enormously scalable, ideal for large mine or groundwater treatment even in remote locations.
How it works
Our specially designed surfactant physically binds the heavy metal ions allowing them to be captured in the resulting foam. Foam is then collected from the surface, collapsed and disposed. Depending on the application, the surfactant may even be reused.
Desalination
Ion Exchange is the oldest, simplest process known for desalination. Its major limitation is in regeneration of the ion exchange medium. Our process solves the regeneration problem, making Ion Exchange not only the simplest but also the cheapest method available. Efficiency may be further enhanced with the use of new Ion exchange mediums with significantly greater capacities.
Why it’s a game changer
Whilst the simplest salt removal process possible, Ion Exchange’s “Achillies heal” is the difficulty in regenerating the exchange resin, ie removing the salt to allow the resin to be reused. Traditionally this has meant two separate “beads”, with opposite charges (one removes sodium, the other chloride). These beads must then be separated to allow cleaning with concentrated acid and alkaline solutions. This degrades the resins and produces dangerous waste.
We have developed a new process for regenerating the resins which doesn’t require separation, harsh chemical or high energy or pressure. This allows resins to be regenerated in situ drastically reducing the time and cost of regeneration and making Ion Exchange the cheapest desalination process possible.
How it works
Once the exchange resin is deleted (ie full of sodium chloride), our specially designed regenerating solution removes the sodium and chloride allowing the resin to be reused. The cleaning solution is then easily purified and recycled producing only concentrated brine and desalinated water.
PFAS Removal
Similar to Heavy Metal removal, a Bubble Column foam flotation process and targeted surfactant is used to remove over 80% of PFAS in a single step. With surfactant and air the only inputs, this process is simple, cheap, and safe operate at large scale. No heat, pressure or toxic chemicals used or produced.
Why it’s a game changer
Using the same process as our Heavy Metal removal technology, our specially designed surfactant binds the full range of PFAS molecules and safely floats then off allowing simple, safe disposal. With the only inputs our naturally based surfactant and air, costs are minimised, and no harmful by-products are produced, making this the safest PFAS removal process for both water and soil applications.
How it works
Our specially designed surfactant physically binds the PFAS chains allowing them to be captured in the resulting foam. Foam is then collected from the surface, collapsed and disposed.
Hot Bubble Water Sterilisation
“Hot bubbles” have proven highly effective in the destruction of various solutes, especially viruses and bacteria. Taking advantage of the properties of a bubble column, this low energy, simple solution destroys contaminants without high pressures, chemical additives, or expensive membranes. Using hot gas means energy costs are low and solution temperatures remain relatively low.
Why it’s a game changer
Heating water takes more than 3,000 times the energy for the same volume of air, but that’s not even the most significant part. The physical effect of different gases is as, if not more significant. The discovery of CO2 ‘s unique ability to kill viruses and bacteria is a paradigm shift leading a complete reassessment of biological immune and respiratory systems, with implications from water sterilisations through treating COVID-19.
How it works
Hot CO2 bubbles destroy virus and bacteria on contact rendering them harmless and the water sterilised.
Targeted Thermal Solar
Concentrated sunlight can produce extremely high temperatures especially in countries like Australia. The problem with traditional thermal solar approaches is the energy lost in getting this heat energy to the point of application. We have solved the energy transportation issues, allowing enormous amounts of heat to be collected and deployed with significantly greater precision energy retention.
Why it’s a game changer
Our revolutionary Thermal Solar technology not only provides heat where it is needed in the most efficient way possible, its simple design provides a robust, low maintenance approach, scalable from small portable applications through to the largest imaginable. Our revolutionary design also allows maximum solar collection through the entire day with minimal infrastructure or energy costs.
How it works
Solar energy is collected and directed to the desired site providing maximum heat throughout the day with minimal energy loss.
Fire Suppression
For thousands of years water has remained the principal method for suppression of fire, despite its limited effectiveness. Our technology utilises the specific properties of naturally occurring materials to capture and thermally release large volumes of CO2. With the potential to suppress ember attacks as well as improved firefighting and liquid suppression, this technology has a wide range of potential applications from coatings to firefighting liquids.
Why it’s a game changer
Water is an effective fire suppressant but only when it makes direct contact with the site of combustion. A large portion of the water applied to a fire either evaporates before it can reach the combustion site or runs off without directly affecting combustion. This excess water often causes more property damage than the fire itself, further compounding the costs. Our technology not only allows suppression in direct contact at the site of combustion, but utilising CO2 allows exponentially greater volumes of effective suppression as gas expansion is thermally activated.
How it works
Our specifically designed mineral is charged with large amounts of CO2 which is only released with thermal activation. When released however, the volume of CO2 is around 100-200 times the volume of suppressant deployed creating an enormous oxygen barrier which starves the fire. This application can be used for house and property fires without the normal water damage as well as large scale bushfire interventions.
It is also an effective carbon capture process as large amounts of CO2 can be stored indefinitely until thermally released.
Sludge Dewatering
Many processes, particularly mining, produce large volumes of waste sludge with fine to very fine suspended solids. Removing the bulk of the liquid is critical not only to reduce cost but to allow safe storage and or disposal. Various high energy, delicate membrane and other complex methods have been tried to solve this problem. Our method takes advantage of the unique properties of different gasses coupled with the unmatched efficiency of the bubble column to remove over 80% of water from even the lowest micron sludge.
Why it’s a game changer
Fine solutes make existing membrane-based solutions problematic. Regardless of the technological process, removing the finest particles from water remains an issue as any pores become clogged. Our process utilises the power of the Bubble Column along with specific gas effects to remove water through enhanced vaporisation. No membranes means nothing to foul or clog so even the finest solutes can be significantly dewatered.
How it works
Heated gas is supersaturated and removes water through evaporation/condensation process. As a result, the water removed is pure and the remaining sludge can the dewatered to the desired level.
Naturally Based Surfactants
Naturally based surfactants have significant environmental and biohazard advantages over synthetic based alternatives. The problem with naturally sourced surfactants is the high cost of extraction and low relative availability. Previous methods for synthesizing such surfactants have provided only very low yields. This new approach provides yields above 95% in a simple two step process, allowing not only potentially tailored naturally based surfactants, but much lower costs through synthesis rather than extraction.
Why it’s a game changer
Synthetic surfactants have a range of health and/or environmental side effects as they are, or produce compounds not normally found in nature. These side effects vary from minor irritations to carcinogenic and from minor pollution to full ecosystem destruction.
Current methods either don’t allow naturally based compounds to be synthesised, or their effective yields make then uneconomic. Therefore any naturally based surfactant must be derived from a natural source (eg coconuts), which is expensive given the processes involved and relative yields. Our process combines the very best of both worlds, natural compounds that are safe even to ingest, that can be made simply and at large scale and yields.
How it works
Our simple two-step process uses an activating agent that allows the desired two surfactant components (head and tail compounds) to be combined. As the activating agent can be recycled yields are above 95% dramatically increasing scalable whilst reducing costs.
