Highly Selective, Regenerable Perchlorate Treatment System

[Susan Gawarecki <loc@icx.net>]

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The Highly Selective, Regenerable Perchlorate Treatment System, 
developed by Baohua Gu, Gilbert Brown and  David Cole of Oak Ridge 
National Laboratory (ORNL) and Spiro Alexandratos of the University of 
Tennessee won a  R&D 100 Award.  The awards are presented annually by 
R&D Magazine in recognition of the year's most significant technological 
innovations. ORNL's total places it first among DOE laboratories and 
second only to General Electric.

The Highly Selective, Regenerable Perchlorate Treatment system uses a 
unique, highly specific resin to trap the perchlorate, or ClO4, destroy 
it, and regenerate itself so it can be reused.  Perchlorate, the primary 
ingredient of solid rocket propellant, is increasingly being discovered 
in soil and water.  The chemical disrupts function of the human thyroid 
gland, which regulates metabolism in adults and physical development in 
children.

The system created by ORNL uses a process known as selective ion 
exchange, which is the preferred treatment technology for removing 
contaminants such as perchlorate from water.  However, the resins often 
absorb chemicals other than those targeted for cleanup. They also become 
contaminated and must be disposed of, destroyed or stored, which is 
costly and often impractical.

The reaction in the ORNL treatment system that destroys the perchlorate 
also produces a chemical that regenerates the resin, breaking the 
perchlorate down into harmless chloride and water.  The result is an 80 
percent reduction in costs over other ion exchange procedures and 
elimination of the problem of secondary waste.

From a July 1, 2004, ORNL Press Release, see http://www.ornl.gov/news.

MEDIA CONTACT: Mike Bradley
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Communications & Community Outreach
(865) 576-9553

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