The life support system on the space station requires the extraction of humidity, airborne pathogen and pollutants from the air, prohibit it from becoming toxic to inhale. These sorbents or purifying agents typically lose their potency within a limited time frame, making it necessary for the filtration systems to be replaced regularly.

 As astronauts venture to explore locations father out into the solar system, the benefits of frequent replenishment of mission supplies will not be possible. It is hence necessary to consider the weight and space limitations associated with packing all the necessary supplies that will be required for such long term exploratory mission.

THE  PRIMARY  SOLUTION

The service lifetime of a sorbent material, depends on its surface area. The higher it is, the longer the system will last in its role of air purification. To resolve the issues of both space and weight, the surface area of the sorbent and or purifying materials needs to be substantially increased.

THE ESSENCE OF QUANTUM MATERIALS

Quantum materials, by virtue of their ultrafine nanoscopic scale, posses a much higher surface area than regular materials, which makes them more reactive and effective in performing their duty at very minute volumes. 

To put this into perspective; 1 kg of particles of 1 mm3 have the same surface area as 1 mg of nanoparticles of 1 nm3 . This means, to achieve the same gaseous sorbent goals as attained by 1kg of the regular 1  mm3 particles, only 1 mg of 1nm3 nanoparticles would be needed. 

The surface area of NANOARC's quantum materials range currently between 40 to 60 m²/g  while that of correspondent standard chemically similar materials used for the same air purification processes are typically in the 1 - 16 m²/g range or less.  For this reason, much smaller volumes of NANOARC's quantum materials can be used to achieve the same goals and extend the service life of filters used in pollutant adsorption.

This enables a substantially huge deduction in  both weight and space, thus creating more room for much needed payload and fuel savings, without compromising the quality air onboard. In fact, there will be much less need for replenishment and more filters made with NANOARC's quantum material nanopowders, can be easily stored for back up, should the need for their replacement arise. 

MITIGATING AIRBORNE PATHOGENS

Besides the higher surface area of quantum materials, they posses unique properties in the mitigation of harmful pathogens, that standard materials can not achieve: Quantum-effects enable anti-pathogenic activity in both illuminated and dark environments while regular nanomaterials and corresponding bulk systems require photoactivation, in order to perform the same duty. 

As filters do not necessarily operate in illuminated areas and space missions are not likely to be in well illuminated areas for extensive periods of time, materials that can mitigate airborne pathogens under such operational circumstances, are essential.

One thing is certain: the high surface area of quantum material nanocatalytic beds, will substantially extend the service lifetime of filters and enhance the efficacy air purification in life support systems for extensive space missions. 

ECO RN

COLOUR : White Nanopowder

SURFACE AREA (BET) : 35930 m²/kg

AVERAGE NOx ABSORPTION : approx. 49.7 mg of NOx per gram of nano-biomaterial

AVERAGE DOSAGE IN COATINGS* (e.g. in flue systems, on walls of buildings, seed silos, freestall barns & manure storage walls) : ~ 0.2 g per litre

AVERAGE DOSAGE PER m3 OF MANURE:  8.3 g

1 cubic metre (m3) of manure = 400 kg

AVERAGE DOSAGE IN SOIL IRRIGATION WATER (for ~ 19.8 kg of N ha−1 year−1 ) *: 0.0004 wt % (i.e. 0.1 g per 25L) - per year or 1.09 kg per hectare, per year. (more info in applications section below)

1 hectare is irrigatEd with approx. 250,000 L of water

APPLICATIONS : 

• Anti-pathogenic agent against Gram-negative (E. coli) and Gram-positive (S. aureus) bacteria, the fungi Aspergillus niger and Penicillium oxalicum ( ~ 150 - 250 μg/mL or 0.15 to 0.25g per litre)

• It helps preserve surfaces from acidic rain damage resulting from SOx and NOx pollutants

• Effective nano-sorbent for SO2 (wet flue), propionaldehyde, benzaldehyde, ammonia, dimethylamine, N-nitrosodiethylamine and methanol. Smoke suppression and flame retardant.

• Effective nano-sorbent for phosphates, NO2 and NH3 capture. 

Upon reaction with NO2 , a mixture of nitrate (NO3 ), NO and nitrogen (N) are formed nan-biomaterial surface. NO3 is a thermally stable specie that typically decomposes at temperatures between 177 and 327 °C.. 

When these adsorbates are bound to the nano-biomaterial surface however, NO2 species are retained on the nano-biomaterial surface up to about 327 °C , and the NO3  tends to be stable at temperatures up to 527  °C. 

This means the nano-biomaterial can retain NOx  can help minimise the emissions from manure

Nitrates (NO3 ) in the soil are a primary source of nitrogen which is essential for plant growth. Essentially, plant roots absorb nitrates for healthy growth. and they need the nitrate for producing amino acids which are then used to form proteins. It regulates the overall nitrogen metabolism and provides uninterrupted nitrogen for chlorophyll biosynthesis. This makes the thermal stability of the absorbed NOx important because : 

•  The emission rates of  NOx  can be curbed in hot climates and drought situations and

•  Due the high soluble and biodegradable nature of NO3 fertiliser specie being bound to the nano-biomaterial surface, where the paticles act as nitrate storage systems. NO3 fertiliser is hence retained in the soil via the nano-biomaterial surface longer periods throughout the year in a delayed release mechanism.

An extended availability of NO3 reduces the need for repetitive fertiliser usage and saves farmers millions of dollars, preserves soil health, cleans the air and restores a balance in the ecosystem. 

This approach is designated to keep N in the soil longer and released slowly to plants over time via diffusive mechanisms as the N content deminishes in the surrounding soil, rather than being emitted into the atmosphere as a harmful NOx air pollutant.

Being bound to a water insoluble mineral nano-biomaterial is also likely to reduce the excessive runoff of nitrogen into waterways and minimise aquatic pollution.

• Reduces soil acidity.

• Soil amendment, soil conditioner

• Contains an essential element to most biological systems, which becomes available to soil and groundwater microbial populations during metals remediation, as an added benefit.