Scientists At IIT Mandi Work On Glass That Uses Sunlight To Purify Wastewater

IIT Mandi scientists have created a self-cleaning glass capable of using only sunlight to get rid of microbes as well as organic pollutants such as drugs, detergent, and dyes from wastewater. Wastewater from textile and pharmaceutical industries is one of the main causes of river pollution not just in India but in other places around the world, which in the long term will impact our environment.

According to Associate Professor Rahul Vaish at IIT Mandi, solid pollutants can be removed with existing purification techniques, but it is not easy to get rid of dissolved organic compounds.

Vaish said:

So Vaish recommends using photocatalysis process instead to prevent harmful contaminants in wastewater can make their way into the rivers.

The team, which also includes Sandeep Kumar and Gurpreet Singh, have created TiO2 crystallized glass nanocomposites and transparent calcium borate glasses which can break down organic chemicals and eliminate microbes using sunlight.

The study was in the Journal of The American Ceramic Society. Vaish, who is the study’s corresponding author, said:

And this technology can be used for many different applications. These glasses are easy to made and can be used to make self cleaning glass water bottles or large cleaning tanks for industrial use.

Vaish explained:

Many researchers have succeeded in filtering such toxic substances out of the water at a laboratory scale. However, existing technologies prove to be costly and not as efficient. In contrast, this new process if Vaish, is cost-efficient.

He said: