US 12582972 B1Patent grantUnited States

Zirconia Photocatalyst for Water Cleanup

Official patent title

Zirconium dioxide/calcium silicate/graphitic carbon nitride nanocomposite and method of use as a photocatalyst

Arabic title: مركب نانوي من ثاني أكسيد الزركونيوم/سيليكات الكالسيوم/نتريد الكربون الغرافيتي وطريقة استخدامه كمحفز ضوئي

Invention

Problem

Waterborne pollutants can resist conventional treatment, while graphitic carbon nitride photocatalysts may be limited by low surface area and rapid electron-hole recombination.

Why it matters

A porous light-responsive composite could support water-purification research, but actual utility requires verified degradation, mineralization, byproduct safety, catalyst recovery, durability, and real-water performance.

Approach

The method mixes polluted water with a ZrO2/CaSiO3/g-C3N4 nanocomposite, exposes the mixture to light to catalyze photodegradation, and removes the solid material afterward.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include photocatalysis researchers, water-treatment laboratories, environmental-remediation teams, specialty catalyst manufacturers, and advanced-oxidation process developers.

Potential value

The disclosure combines zirconia and calcium-silicate nanoparticles on carbon-nitride nanosheets with defined bandgap, surface area, pore volume, particle size, and trimodal porosity.

Background

Photocatalysis uses light-generated charge carriers to transform pollutants, but treatment performance depends on absorption spectrum, charge separation, accessible active sites, hydraulic contact, and catalyst stability. Graphitic carbon nitride is visible-light responsive yet can suffer low area and rapid recombination; adding inorganic phases may alter those properties. The publication describes zirconia and calcium-silicate particles dispersed on carbon-nitride nanosheets and specifies optical and pore characteristics. It does not identify a tested pollutant or report degradation percentage, kinetics, mineralization, transformation products, energy efficiency, reuse, particle recovery, leaching, or real-water results.

Technology overview

Spherical ZrO2 and CaSiO3 particles are dispersed on g-C3N4 nanosheets. Their stated diameter is 2–25 nm, with narrower ranges down to 7–10 nm and a stated 8.5 nm value. Bandgap is 1.5–4 eV, with a stated 3.0 eV value. BET area reaches 66.5 m2·g−1 and pore volume reaches 0.26 cm3·g−1. The trimodal pore distribution is maximized at 6.2, 9.53, and 17.2 nm. The method mixes contaminated water with the material, irradiates it, and then removes the material.

Potential applications

Laboratory photocatalytic water-purification studies.
Visible-light catalyst structure-property research.
Advanced-oxidation process development.
Nanoparticle recovery and catalyst-reuse research.

Evidence-supported advantages

Three identified material phases are integrated.
Nanoparticle size and nanosheet dispersion are specified.
Bandgap, surface-area, pore-volume, and trimodal pore values are provided.
A light-contact and post-treatment removal sequence is described.

Development stage

Laboratory material characterization and a proposed light-driven water-contact method are described; pollutant-specific degradation, mineralization, reuse, recovery, leaching, real-water validation, scale-up, and commercial treatment were not established.

Commercial opportunity

The concept may interest photocatalytic water-treatment developers, but no treatment performance is demonstrated. Independent studies must identify target pollutants and quantify degradation, mineralization, byproducts, kinetics, light and energy efficiency, catalyst recovery, reuse, phase leaching, toxicity, real-water interference, reactor scale-up, and cost before purified-water or commercial claims can be assessed.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J21/06Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus

CPC

B01J21/066Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J23/02Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/39Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/45Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/51Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/613Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/633Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/647Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J35/695Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/009Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/04Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/06Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/343Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C02F1/32Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F1/725Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/22Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/306Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2101/308Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2305/08Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
C02F2305/10Treatment of water, wastewater, sewage or sludge
Y02W10/37Climate-change mitigation technologies related to wastewater treatment or waste management

Inventors

First inventorMohamed Khairy Abdel Fattah Omran
InventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair

Keywords

zirconium dioxide
calcium silicate
graphitic carbon nitride
photocatalysis
water purification
bandgap
trimodal porosity
advanced oxidation

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.