THE CHALLENGE
Across global water utilities and industrial treatment markets, the rapid rise in microplastic and nanoplastic contamination is creating a costly, unresolved operational problem that existing technologies cannot reliably solve. Current solutions, such as membrane filtration, adsorption systems, and chemical coagulation, struggle with low capture efficiency for sub-micron particles, frequent membrane fouling, and high energy and maintenance costs, all of which directly impact scalability and return on investment. In addition, widely used coagulants such as aluminum salts and polyacrylamide pose regulatory and liability risks due to potential secondary toxicity and sludge disposal challenges, thereby increasing compliance burdens for operators. Performance inconsistencies across polymer types and water chemistries further complicate deployment, making it difficult for utilities and private operators to ensure treatment standards are met. This combination of technical inefficiency, rising operational expenditure, and tightening environmental regulations highlights a significant market gap for a cost-effective, scalable, and environmentally safe solution capable of consistently removing even the smallest plastic contaminants from diverse water systems.
OUR SOLUTION
Built around a commercially viable and easily deployable approach, this technology uses a hydrophobic and food-grade polymer to address the growing demand for effective microplastic removal across water treatment markets. When introduced into contaminated water, the material binds with plastic particles through van der Waals interactions, triggering flocculation that clusters even nanoscale plastics into larger, removable aggregates. This significantly improves capture efficiency while allowing operators to rely on existing infrastructure such as filtration, skimming, and sedimentation, reducing the need for costly system overhauls. From a business perspective, the use of a non-toxic and biodegradable material minimizes regulatory hurdles and environmental liability, while its compatibility with diverse water sources, including wastewater and seawater, supports broad market adoption. The process is highly scalable and adaptable, making it suitable for municipal utilities, industrial treatment facilities, and consumer level applications such as washing machines, creating multiple revenue pathways while offering a cost effective and sustainable solution to a rapidly growing global problem.
Figure: Schematic and experimental demonstration of microplastic removal using food-grade hydrophobic polymer (FGHP). In the untreated control, microplastic particles remain dispersed in water with no visible aggregation. Upon FGHP addition, hydrophobic interactions induce rapid coagulation, forming larger, dense aggregates. Close-up views highlight the transition from dispersed particles to compact clusters, with aggregate sizes reaching the centimeter scale, enabling simple separation and resulting in visibly clarified water.
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