Technology Transfer of Metal Salt Adsorbent Manufacturing Based on Appsfeel Technology
A prototype metal salt adsorption filter manufactured using electron beam grafting technology. (Photo by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute)
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] On the 8th, the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute announced that it signed a technology implementation contract to transfer the 'electron beam graft technology-based metal salt adsorbent manufacturing technology' to Appsfeel. If the technology is successfully scaled up, Korea will be able to enhance the level of functional textile processing technology like the United States and Japan.
The Atomic Energy Research Institute will transfer two patents and one know-how related to adsorbent manufacturing technology under the conditions of a fixed technology fee of 50 million won and a 3% royalty on sales.
The institute explained that grafting is a technology that attaches a kind of functional branch to a polymer compound without function, allowing the integration of other polymer compounds to impart various new functions. Electron beams have a high energy density, enabling efficient adjustment of chemical bonds. This technology is mainly used in the United States and Japan. Now, the door has opened domestically to manufacture adsorbents for removing metal salts in water using graft technology.
For example, hydrofluoric acid used in semiconductor manufacturing processes must remove metal salt impurities such as silver ions to be recycled. In nuclear facilities, there are times when radioactive metal salts such as cesium must be removed. Adsorption filters manufactured using electron beam graft technology are attracting attention because they can efficiently and selectively remove metal salts in water.
According to the Atomic Energy Research Institute, until now, ion exchange resins, a type of synthetic resin, have been used to filter metal salts in water. This method has slow adsorption speed and low adsorption capacity. Adsorbents made by applying electron beam graft technology are superior in both adsorption speed and capacity compared to existing methods and are more efficient.
The technology can also be usefully applied to remove various metal salts. By adjusting the solvent concentration in a solution containing polymer compounds, the grafting of polymer compounds can be easily controlled. Adjusting the solvent concentration increases the number or length of polymer branches, allowing various functions to be freely added.
The Atomic Energy Research Institute stated that through the application of this technology, adsorbents capable of selectively removing various metal salts can be produced. Thanks to this, in the future, the technology can be utilized for various purposes such as purification, adsorption, catalysis, and extraction of gases and liquids not only in large facilities like chemical plants, semiconductor factories, and nuclear facilities but also in everyday settings such as hospitals and ordinary households.
Appsfeel is a company mainly producing liquid filtration filter assemblies and liquid filtration devices. It is a 'partner' of the Atomic Energy Research Institute, having jointly conducted a radiation technology development project related to filter development through a consortium. Through this technology transfer, Appsfeel will become the first domestic company to manufacture metal salt adsorbents using this technology.
Park Wonseok, director of the Atomic Energy Research Institute, said, "We believe that metal salt adsorbents born from the institute's technology can be widely used in the semiconductor, display, and chemical plant industries," adding, "By succeeding in domesticating adsorption filters, it is expected to significantly replace the volume previously dependent on imports."
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