Award Data

The Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop new standardization protocols and methodology for preconcentration, preparative-scale separation, and catalytic conversion of CH4 contained in mixtures of atmospheric gases for carbon-14 (14CCH4), carbon-13 (?13CCH4), and hydrogen-2 (?2HCH4) isotopic tracing. The approach addresses challenges with safely performing gas conversion ...

Methane is one of the most potent greenhouse gases in our atmosphere, with various anthropogenic factors increasing its prevalence. Methane has 28 times greater heating capacity than carbon dioxide and its atmospheric concentration has increased roughly from 800 parts-per-billion (ppb) in the early 1900s to an alarming 1800 ppb in 2016. With approximately 3.2 million abandoned wells in the US, mit ...

The impact of accelerating human industrial activities on the environment and climate are becoming increasingly clear. Petroleum-derived colorants used in consumer goods are of particular concern due to their toxicity profile, persistence, and tendency to leach into the environment. As more companies make the switch to bio-based/biodegradable plastics, greater access to bio-based dyes will be need ...

As the single largest consumer of materials and energy use worldwide, the construction sector remains a prime target for materials reuse reform. (Krausmann et al., 2009; De Ia Rue du Can & Price, 2008). Construction and ongoing operation of the built environment extracts a significant amount of resources -- and on an ongoing basis. According to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), buildings ac ...

The COVID-19 pandemic has evidenced the pressing and substantial need for sustainable and more effective solutions to prevent the transmission and spreading of pathogens of public health concern, including the SARS-CoV-2. Imminent challenges for the US Nation include emerging pathogens resulting from disease outbreaks or manufactured and released by terrorists. In this regard, high-touch surfaces ...

The safety, security and survivability of mankind are dependent on clean water. Nearly 41% of Earthfs population lives in water]stressed areas, and this will be exacerbated by continuing population growth. To obtain an adequate and sustainable supply of water, it is important to improve already existing methods and develop new and effective technologies for water reuse, reclamation and purific ...

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have emerged as a pervasive and persistent threat to drinking water throughout the world. Called ‘forever chemicals” because their high stability leads PFAS to build up in the environment. PFAS accumulates in the blood from exposures and is associated with various cancers and other illnesses. There is an urgent need for a technology that can both remo ...

The current COVID-19 pandemic has evidenced the pressing and substantial need for sustainable and more effective solutions to prevent the transmission and spreading of pathogens of public health concern, including the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. High-touch surfaces in high traffic areas represent a particular public health challenge. Cost effective disinfectant coatings with long-term e ...

Current reliance on petroplastics is unsustainable. Efforts to replace ubiquitous petroplastics polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) with bioplastics is currently hindered by cost. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is a biodegradable polymer with properties suited to replace PP and PE. Unlike many bioplastics, PHB does not require industrial composting; rather, PHB degrades into water and trace amount ...

The objective of this EPA SBIR program is to develop a clean manufacturing process for the fabrication of environmentally-friendly pigment particles and show how the manufactured materials can be used to color a variety of different fabrics and other materials. NanoSonic will work with researchers in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Virginia Tech to develop and demonstrate multi-layer nan ...