This article is also available in Italian / Questo articolo è disponibile anche in italiano
CrioPura is a project created by a team of researchers at the Italian CNR (National Research Council) and it operates in the global water and wastewater treatment market. It introduced an innovative technology based on macroporous polymeric hydrogels that offers an environmentally friendly and low-cost solution for the removal of toxic contaminants and other heavy metals and phosphates in industrial water and groundwater.
Cryo-polymerised materials possess excellent sequestration capacities against arsenic, chromium and other metallic oxyanions of industrial interest. CrioPura technology is covered by two international patent applications, the first has already been accepted and applies in China and the USA, the second is at an advanced acceptance status.
The development of the material at CNR has already received both public - e.g. from the Ministry of Economic Development - and private funding, and the team is currently engaged in the Terra Next acceleration path. At the end of this path, CrioPura is expected to establish as a company in the shape of a CNR spin-off, beginning negotiations for a subsequent funding round.
“Our efforts led to the development of a more sustainable material for the purification of process water and the recovery of substances with high added value,” says Andrea Scamporrino, future CEO of the company. “The main advantages over commercial resins are the presence of around 80% of active chelating material and the unique interconnected macroporous architecture, which confers super-absorbent characteristics. These result in increasing sequestering efficiency up to 70% compared to current commercial resins. In addition to the increased number of active sites, the macroporous structure provides rapid water diffusion pathways, promoting access to active sites, further increasing the sequestering capacity.
CrioPura is developing a B2B business model involving the sale of filter media to industrial players that produce filtration systems both for water purification and for the recovery of high-value materials from process water. At a later stage, CrioPura plans to enter the market for domestic filtration systems and the recovery of high value-added substances from industrial wastewater. On the other hand, Criopura will develop a second business model to reach end users with specific water treatment problems and propose customised and tailor-made filter materials.
In addition, the simple recovery of sequestered materials from treated water, such as phosphates, lends itself to the development of new market lines and potential earnings. The use of water by industrial activities is today a major issue for the preservation of water resources. Industry uses thousands of tonnes of water every day all over the world, producing effluents that contain various contaminants harmful to the environment and human health. In recent years, government regulations on the release of pollutants into the environment have become increasingly stringent at European and international level, prompting companies to pay more attention to the sustainability of processes and wastewater management.
Website:
Name:
CrioPura
Sector:
Wastewater treatment
Plus:
Capture of toxic contaminants in industrial water and groundwater
Features:
Innovative technology based on the use of macroporous and adsorbent materials
Immagine: Envato