Nanoparticles and polymers for contaminant removal

Abstract

A treatment formulation for removing target impurities from a system can include a synergistic combination of a polymer and a nanoparticle compound. In one aspect, a treatment formulation includes a contaminant removal agent and a solvent. The contaminant removal agent of one embodiment includes at least one nanoparticle compound, and suitable nanoparticle compounds are nitrides, oxide nanoparticles, clays, and carbon-based nanoparticles. In another embodiment, the contaminant removal agent includes at least one polymer. Suitable polymers are sulfonated PEEK polymer, sodium carboxy cellulose, poly(ethylene glycol) diamine, polyvinyl pyrrolidone functionalized with sodium salt of chloroacetic acid, polyvinyl pyrrolidone functionalized with propyl sulfonate, polyethyleneimine, 4-aminonapthalenesulfonic acid, 3-(1-pyridino)-1-propanesulfonate, and octadecylphosphonic acid. In another aspect, methods for removing a target impurity from a fluid involve identifying the target impurity, providing a contaminant removal agent with at least one polymer and at least one nanoparticle compound, and contacting the fluid with the contaminant removal agent.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.