Project director: Jemal Shengelia

Key personnel: Tamaz Agladze, Marine Donadze, Maia Gabrichidze, Shalva Kikabidze, Archil Benashvili, Levan Beriashv

State Applied Science Grants Competition 2013

   The goal of the project was development and testing of technology to receive filtering material   modified by manganese dioxide and metallic argentum for cleaning drinking water from harmful mineral admixes and bacteria.

As a result of Project fulfillment two main technological novelties were implemented:

• Technology was developed for fabrication of new type filtering material: zeolite-containing porous ceramics on the basis of natural zeolite clinoptilolite  and clays.
• Original technology was developed for modification of zeolite-containing porous ceramics with active components, manganese dioxide and metallic argentums, which was based on indirect electrochemical redox method.

   Both types of filters were tested in the process of water cleaning. It was proved that zeolite-containing porous ceramic filter modified by manganese dioxide efficiently cleans drinking water from manganese, ferric and arsenic ions. After filtering of artificially polluted model drinking water   (ion concentration exceeded the maximum permissible level by 1-2 order) concentration of these ions  was reduced to  the norm stipulated by European Union Commission Directives. The feasibility of application of zeolite-containing porous ceramic filter modified by metallic silver in the process of cleaning of water from facultative anaerobic (inclusive E.coli) and aerobic bacteria was also proved. As a result of filtering of artificially extremely contaminated drinking water (coli index exceeded 1100) coli index and microbial number decreased to the norm: coli index was less than 3, while microbial number – 10 colony forming units.

For fabrication of filters only local raw material was used: zeolite, clinoptilolite of Khekordzula (Mtskheta region) deposit; red and white clay of Shrosha (Zestafoni region); nitric acid of JSC “Azoti” of Rustavi; Manganese of Chiatura and chalcopyrite ores of Madneuli.

   Filters can be used in the high risk zones polluted with the above stated admixes and bacteria (Chiatura and Uravi industrial basin, corrosive pipelines, natural and artificial water reservoirs) to resolve problem of harmless drinking water in household conditions.

  Four patents were issued by the “SakPatent” for technological novelties implemented within the frames of the Project and two scientific papers were published.