25-10-2012, 11:32 AM
Freeing Water from Viruses and Bacteria
ABSTRACT
Four years ago, Argonide Corporation, a company focused on the research, production, and marketing of specialty nano
materials, was seeking to develop applications for its NanoCeram[R] fibers. Only 2 nanometers in diameter, these nano
aluminum oxide fibers possessed unusual bio-adhesive properties. When formulated into a filter material, the electropositive
fibers attracted and retained electro-negative particles such as bacteria and viruses in water-based solutions. This technology
caught the interest of NASA as a possible solution for improved water filtration in space cabins. NASA’s Johnson Space
Center awarded Sanford, Florida-based Argonide a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to determine
the feasibility of using the company’s filter for purifying recycled space cabin water. Since viruses and bacteria can be carried
aboard space cabins by space crews, the ability to detect and remove these harmful substances is a concern for NASA. The
Space Agency also desired an improved filter to polish the effluent from condensed and waste water, producing potable
drinking water. During its Phase I partnership with NASA, Argonide developed a laboratory-size filter capable of removing
greater than 99.9999 percent of bacteria and viruses from water at flow rates more than 200 times faster than virus-rated
membranes that remove particles by sieving. Since the new filter s pore size is rather large compared to other membranes, it
is also less susceptible to clogging by small particles. In September 2002, Argonide began a Phase II SBIR project with
Johnson to develop a full-size cartridge capable of serving a full space crew. This effort, which is still ongoing, enabled the
company to demonstrate that its filter media is an efficient absorbent for DNA and RNA.