STTR Phase I: Development of a zeolite filter to dry biomass in an energy efficient, cost effective, and gentle manner

STTR 第一阶段：开发沸石过滤器，以节能、经济且温和的方式干燥生物质

• 批准号: 2210385
• 负责人: Jennifer Goggin
• 金额: $ 25.57万
• 依托单位: Startle Innovation LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-15 至 2023-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2210385&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Development; zeolite; filter

The broader impact of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to develop a novel method of drying agricultural products that is more energy efficient than current commercial devices and preserves the nutritional value of the dried products. This project is based upon fast dehydration of wet biomass using desiccants comprised of particles of a certain size and arrangement. According to preliminary trials, this method may be 10 times more energy efficient than other drying methods. This project will produce a reusable particle filter that can be used to efficiently dehydrate food and agricultural products. This drying method can preserve nutritional value within the US food system while simultaneously reducing production costs, make agricultural industries more economically viable, and be easily powered by renewable energy sources thereby reducing fossil fuel consumption within the food industry.The technical innovation of this STTR Phase I project is the development of efficient and effective drying methods for agricultural products. The technology is based on the incorporation of zeolite particles onto a substrate while maintaining their porosity. In order to achieve rapid dehydration of wet matter, the zeolite must be small in size and supported on a substrate so that its surface retains functionality. This methodology requires careful chemical synthesis. The key research goals are to conjugate or physically bind zeolite particles to a porous substrate, maintain the accessible surface area of the zeolite, and create a new material that can endure many cycles of brief low-power microwave heating to accomplish dehydration. In this project, several approaches will be investigated, starting with the synthesis of porous substrates, then modifying the surface to contain a controlled number of chemical functional groups, and then coating the substrate with zeolite using covalent linkages. In addition to covalent monolayer linkages, the project will also aim to optimize substrate coverage using other binding mechanisms such as hydrogen bonding.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该小企业技术转让 (STTR) 第一阶段项目的更广泛影响是开发一种干燥农产品的新方法，该方法比现有的商业设备更节能，并保留干燥产品的营养价值。该项目基于使用由一定尺寸和排列的颗粒组成的干燥剂对湿生物质进行快速脱水。据初步试验，这种方法的能源效率可能比其他干燥方法高10倍。该项目将生产一种可重复使用的颗粒过滤器，可用于有效地对食品和农产品进行脱水。这种干燥方法可以保留美国食品系统中的营养价值，同时降低生产成本，使农业产业在经济上更加可行，并且易于通过可再生能源提供动力，从而减少食品工业中的化石燃料消耗。 STTR 阶段的技术创新我的项目是开发高效、有效的农产品干燥方法。 该技术基于将沸石颗粒掺入基材上，同时保持其孔隙率。为了实现湿物质的快速脱水，沸石的尺寸必须小并支撑在基底上，以便其表面保留功能。这种方法需要仔细的化学合成。关键的研究目标是将沸石颗粒缀合或物理结合到多孔基材上，保持沸石的可接触表面积，并创造一种可以承受多次短暂低功率微波加热循环以完成脱水的新材料。在该项目中，将研究几种方法，从多孔基材的合成开始，然后修饰表面以包含受控数量的化学官能团，然后使用共价键用沸石涂覆基材。除了共价单层连接之外，该项目还将旨在使用氢键等其他结合机制来优化基质覆盖。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。