Award Data

Coal-fired utilities emit 48 tons of elemental mercury into the atmosphere each year. Rising costs and escalating energy demands are expected to increase our reliance on energy produced by these facilities. However, with the Clean Air Mercury Rule (CAMR), mercury emissions from these utilities must ultimately be decreased to 15 tons for Phase II by 2018. To meet this mission cap, new technolo ...

Lead in household paint and dust is a serious health hazard, as low-level lead exposure can result in a number of adverse health effects, especially in children. Onsite and real-time detection and quantification of lead in paint/dust are very important to homeowners and certified lead-based paint removal professionals. Toward this end, both field-portable equipment (such as X-ray fluorescence inst ...

Over the past 150 years, copper mining in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan has resulted in the accumulation of approximately 1/2 gigaton of tailing piles. These wastes occur in a number of forms on the uplands and in the lakes and waterways. Today these tailings are drifting along the lakeshore and affecting the beauty of the otherwise pristine coastline of Lake Superior, depreciating the valu ...

The proposed Phase I SBIR project is expected to lead to the development of a low-cost portable instrument capable of making real-time measurements of phosphate in water and soil samples. The sensor system for this instrument will be based on the highly selective phosphate binding properties of a co-polymer to be synthesized in this research. In many areas, the rapid growth and intensification o ...

Reduction in dependency on imported petroleum and the quest to identify renewable energy sources has led to a search for innovative biofuels derived from renewable biomass, which promise long-term reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Butanol is one possible biofuel. It is an industrial fuel that can be produced from crops using acetone-butanol (AB) fermentation by butanolagenic microbes, such a ...

Biocidal polymers have begun to find applications in areas where traditional small biocidal molecules are unable to compete. For example, a biocidal polymer based on halamine chemistry has recently been introduced to disinfect water supply on aircrafts. Several major medical supply companies started marketing beddings, linens, and wipes treated with biocidal polymers to hospitals and nursing homes ...

Water security has become a national priority following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. This project specifically addresses the threat of radionuclide contamination, such as that resulting from a terrorist release of radioactive material into the water supply, but is expected to result in technology that is broadly applicable to other waterborne contaminants. More specifically, this ...

The proposed Phase I SBIR research is expected to lead to the development of a low cost portable instrument capable of making real time measurements of phosphate in water and soil samples. The sensor system for this instrument will be based on the highly selective phosphate binding properties of a co-polymer to be synthesized in this research. In many areas, the rapid growth and intensification ...

Lead in household paint and dust is a serious health hazard, as low level lead exposure can result in a number of adverse health effects, especially in children. Onsite and real time detection and quantification of lead in paint/dust are very important to homeowners and certified lead based paint removal professionals. Toward this end, both field-portable equipment (such as X ray fluorescence ins ...

RESEARCH WILL BE CONDUCTED BY HICHEM CORPORATION, TO DEVELOP A NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR PYROLYSIS OF SCRAP TIRES. DISPOSAL OF USED TIRES IS A BIG PROBLEM IN THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY USA, SINCE MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION TIRES ARE DISCARDED EACH YEAR. MOST OF THESE TIRES ARE DISPOSED IN LANDFILLS. PYROLYSIS OF SCRAP TIRES HELPS TO RECOVER AND REUSE MOST OF THE VALUABLE CHEMICAL AVAILABLE IN TIRES. PYROLYSIS OF S ...