Granted Patent B2

US 12,365,604 · App. 18/776,678 · Granted Jul 22, 2025

Inventor: Ni-Bin Chang (Orlando, FL)

Assignee: University of Central Florida Research Foundation, Inc.

C02F1/288B01D39/2027B01D39/2055B01J20/20B01J20/28011B01J20/28016B01J20/28059B01J20/28061B01D39/2068C02F1/281C02F1/283C02F2101/38

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A composition for treating water having at least one cyanobacterial toxin, the composition comprising:

a plurality of sand particles comprising about 80 vol %;

a plurality of biochar particles comprising about 5 vol %;

a plurality of perlite particles;

a plurality of zero-valent iron (hereinafter “ZVI”) particles;

wherein the volume percentage of the plurality of ZVI particles is less than or equal to a volume percentage of the biochar particles;

wherein the plurality of biochar particles and the plurality of ZVI particles are chemically bonded, thereby forming a ZVI-biochar honeycomb structure; and

wherein the ZVI-biochar honeycomb structure comprises a plurality of adsorption sites, such that at least one of the plurality of adsorption sites for the at least one cyanobacterial toxin is endothermic, exothermic, or both.

2. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of clay particles comprising about 5 vol %.

3. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the volume percentage of the plurality of perlite particles, the plurality of ZVI molecules, or both is about 5 vol %.

4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of biochar particles are at most about 25 vol %.

5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the ZVI-biochar honeycomb structure interacts with at least one of the plurality of clay particles, thereby forming at least one ZVI-biochar-clay structure.

6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the at least one ZVI-biochar-clay structure of the synergistic composition comprises a point of zero charge (hereinafter “PZC”) of about 9.6 to about 10.6.

7. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the at least one ZVI-biochar-clay structure of the synergistic composition comprises a saturated hydraulic conductivity of 0.6(10 −4 )m*sec −1 to about 2.8(10 −4 )m*sec −1 .

8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the at least one ZVI-biochar-clay structure of the synergistic composition is porous.

9. The composition of claim 8 , wherein the at least one ZVI-biochar-clay structure of the synergistic composition is homogeneous.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the ZVI-biochar-clay structure further comprises a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (hereinafter “BET”) surface area of about 1.35 m 2 /g to about 3.08 m 2 /g.

11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the ZVI-biochar-clay structure further comprises a density of about 2.59 g*cm 3 to about 2.67 g*cm 3 .

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the ZVI-biochar-clay structure further comprises the adsorption capacity of about 1.19 μg/g.

13. A filtration system for treating water containing cyanobacterial toxins, the filtration system comprising:

a media chamber including a homogeneously mixed composition, the homogenously mixed composition comprising:

a plurality of sand particles comprising about 80 vol %;

a plurality of biochar particles comprising about 5 vol %;

a plurality of perlite particles;

a plurality of zero-valent iron (hereinafter “ZVI”) particles;

wherein the volume percentage of the plurality of ZVI particles is less than or equal to a volume percentage of the biochar particles;

wherein the plurality of biochar particles and the plurality of ZVI particles are chemically bonded, thereby forming a ZVI-biochar honeycomb structure; and

wherein the ZVI-biochar honeycomb structure comprises a plurality of adsorption sites, such that at least one of the plurality of adsorption sites for the at least one cyanobacterial toxin is endothermic, exothermic, or both.

14. The filtration system of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of clay particles comprising about 5 vol %.

15. The filtration system of claim 14 , wherein the volume percentage of the plurality of perlite particles, the plurality of ZVI molecules, or both is about 5 vol %.

16. The filtration system of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of biochar particles are at most about 25 vol %.

17. A method of optimizing cyanobacterial toxin removal from a water supply, the method comprising:

incorporating a homogenously mixed synergistic composition into the water supply, the homogenously mixed composition comprising:

a plurality of sand particles comprising about 80 vol %;

a plurality of biochar particles comprising about 5 vol %;

a plurality of perlite particles;

a plurality of zero-valent iron (hereinafter “ZVI”) particles;

wherein the volume percentage of the plurality of ZVI particles is less than or equal to a volume percentage of the biochar particles;

wherein the plurality of biochar particles and the plurality of ZVI particles are chemically bonded, thereby forming a ZVI-biochar honeycomb structure; and

wherein the ZVI-biochar honeycomb structure comprises a plurality of adsorption sites, such that at least one of the plurality of adsorption sites for the at least one cyanobacterial toxin is endothermic, exothermic, or both; and

wherein the incorporation of the homogenously mixed synergistic composition into the water supply thereof optimizes the cyanobacterial toxin removal within the water supply.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the homogenously mixed synergistic composition further comprises a plurality of clay particles comprising about 5 vol %.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the volume percentage of the plurality of perlite particles, the plurality of ZVI molecules, or both is about 5 vol %.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the plurality of biochar particles are at most about 25 vol %.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (78)