Problem:
Contaminated water resulting from offshore oil and gas platform drilling contains mercury and other toxic heavy metals. Mercury concentrations in these retrieved waters can be as high 2,000 parts per billion, therefore they need to be treated before they can be safely discharged to the environment. The complex mixture of constituents including salts and petroleum hydrocarbons presents a challenge for mercury removal using currently available conventional technologies.
Smart Solution: Smart Nano Sponge
Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have developed a novel nanoporous sorbent thiol-SAMMS, or thiol-functionalized Self Assembled Monolayers on Mesoporous Supports, to specifically remove mercury and other contaminants such as cadmium and lead from produced waters and condensate liquids from natural gas. Working with a filtration equipment company in Texas, PNNL recently demonstrated that thiol-SAMMS was effective in removing more than 99 percent of mercury from gas condensate liquids containing approximately 800 ppb mercury.
The thiol-SAMMS technology is a recipient of a R&D 100 award and recently received the 2006 Federal Laboratory Consortium award for successful technology transfer for commercial use.
ETA: 2006
Steward Advanced Materials in Chattanooga, Tenn., is now licensed to commercially produce thiol-SAMMS.
SAMMSTM is a registered trademark.
Intelligence Level (1) |
Adapting: |
Modifying Behaviour to Fit the Environment |
x |
Intelligence Level (2) |
Sensing: |
Bringing Awareness to Everyday Things |
x |
Intelligence Level (3) |
Inferring: |
Drawing Conclusions from Rules and Observations |
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Intelligence Level (4) |
Learning: |
Using Experience to Improve Performance |
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Intelligence Level (5) |
Anticipating: |
Thinking and Reasoning about What to Do Next |
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Intelligence Level (6) |
Self-creating, |
Ability to reproduce itself, regenerate |
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Intelligence Level (6) |
Self-organizing |
Ability for components to self-organize |
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Intelligence Level (6) |
Self-sustaining (A) |
Ability to replicate components |
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Intelligence Level (6) |
Self-sustaining (B) |
Ability to process information |
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Intelligence Level (6) |
Self-sustaining (C) |
Ability to steadily consume energy from the environment |
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© 2005-2006
Walter Derzko
Expert, Consultant and Guest Speaker on emerging Smart Technologies, Strategic Planning, Business Development, Lateral Creative Thinking and author of an upcoming book on the Smart Economy "
To explore the opportunities and threats of any new smart technology in your industry - Contact Me
.....Strategy without action is a day-dream; action without strategy is a nightmare"
- old Japanese proverb
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