Innovation Cache™: Indiana University

Below you will find a listing of the top technology transfer abstracts from Indiana University.

Title: Polymer-Micelle Complexes for Pollution Remediation

Inventors: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI): Dr. Paul L. Rubin, Jeffrey Banziger, Dr. Gabe Filippelli

About the technology: Environmental contamination by organic compounds is a ubiquitous and costly environmental concern facing society today.  Such contamination is caused by leakage or spillage (e.g. leakage of underground storage tanks for gasoline found at gasoline service stations) of non-aqueous (i.e. organic) liquids, that have limited solubility in water.  These liquids come from solvents used in chemical and other manufacturing production facilities and include benzene, toluene, acetone, xylene, etc. When the organic contaminants are released into the environment, they often travel through groundwater, ultimately finding their way into and contaminating aquifers.  Current solutions for containing the leakage are expensive, cumbersome, and have limited effectiveness.

Researchers in the Departments of Chemistry and Geology at IUPUI developed a micelle-based method for trapping organic pollutants in siliceous material and extracting the trapped organic pollutants or, if desired, retaining them indefinitely.  The application of this technology is the capture of organic compounds that have escaped containment. It can also be used as a filter for removing organic pollutants from water. The advantage of this technology is that it can act as a barrier to the spread of pollutants into groundwater and the organic contaminants can be retained for removal at a later date.  It is cost effective and does not require extensive maintenance.  This technology is protected by US patent 6,524,485.

For more information, please contact:

Jeremy Schieler, PhD
Senior Technology Manager
IU Research & Technology Corporation
jlschiel@iupui.edu
351 West 10th Street
Indianapolis, IN  46202
Phone (317) 278-1948
Fax (317) 274-5902

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