Method for removing ionic species contained in an aqueous phase using a sol gel composite material
View Patent ↗Disclosed is a method for removing an ionic species contained in an aqueous phase. The method includes contacting an aqueous phase containing the ionic species with a sol-gel composite material, where the sol-gel composite material is a sol-gel composition having a porous matrix and containing a reactive metal incorporated into at least a portion of the porous matrix, under conditions sufficient to remove the ionic species contained in the aqueous phase.
1. A method for removing an ionic species contained in an aqueous phase, the method comprising:
contacting an aqueous phase containing an ionic species with a sol-gel composite material, said sol-gel composite material comprising:
a sol-gel composition having a porous matrix, said sol-gel composition swellable to at least 1.5 times their volume and
a reactive metal incorporated into at least a portion of said porous matrix,
under conditions sufficient to remove said ionic species contained in said aqueous phase.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reactive metal is a catalytic metal.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said reactive metal is zero valent aluminum, zero valent iron, zero valent magnesium, zero valent nickel, zero valent zinc or combinations thereof.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said catalytic metal is, zero valent iron.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein said contacting comprises passing said phase containing an ionic species through a bioretention system comprising said sol-gel composite material.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said bioretention system further comprises soil, sand, compost or combinations thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the ionic species are nitrates, phosphates or combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 6 wherein the ionic species are nitrates, phosphates or combinations thereof.