A new project started this autumn: GELTHERM (from the Spanish description “Geles nanocompuestos para la purificación de aguas mediante calentamiento magnético”). The project addresses one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century defined in the Plan estatal de investigación científica y técnica y de innovación 2017-2020 (Reto 5): Providing water universally in a safe, reliable and affordable manner.
The GELTHERM solution to this challenge is based on the development of novel materials and the application of novel strategies and technologies for water remediation. In particular, the project aims to develop magnetic-activated multifunctional nanocomposite gels as a platform for multiple activated water treatments: ion removal, dye degradation, oil spill clean-up and pathogen inactivation.
The technology developed during the project will be directly applied in a gravity filter prototype to be further implemented in a cartridge filter for a water purification pitcher.
The project is led by Pablo Guardia from the Functional Nanomaterials group at IREC.
This grant (RTI2018-102006-J-I00) is given under the 2018 call for R+D+i projects «RETOS INVESTIGACIÓN» and is cofinanced by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agencia Estatal de Investigación and European Regional Development Fund.