Urease-Immobilized Catalyst for Ultra-Pure Water Urea Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing ultra-pure water, such as those used in semiconductor processes, face challenges with long response times and increased process steps when removing urea from feed water, particularly with chlorine oxidation treatment and microbial active carbons.
Innovation Solution
A method involving urease-immobilized catalyst particles, where the surface of a support is modified with organic functional groups, a linker is coated, and urease is immobilized, allowing for efficient decomposition of urea in feed water followed by reverse osmosis to produce ultra-pure water, with the catalyst particles being reusable.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If chlorine oxidation treatment or microbial active carbons are used to remove urea from feed water, then urea removal is achieved, but the response time increases and process steps increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the chemical state of urea by using urease enzyme to catalyze hydrolysis reaction, converting urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. This biochemical transformation approach replaces traditional physical adsorption or oxidation methods, achieving faster response time while maintaining effective urea removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical/physical treatment methods (chlorine oxidation, microbial active carbon adsorption) with a biochemical catalysis system. The urease-immobilized catalyst particles provide a controlled enzymatic reaction environment that is both faster and more efficient than biological or physical adsorption processes.
2Reliability
If chlorine oxidation treatment or microbial active carbons are used to remove urea from feed water, then urea removal is achieved, but the number of process steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention combines the urea decomposition function and the catalyst support function into a single integrated system. The urease enzyme is immobilized on support particles, creating a unified catalyst that performs both structural support and catalytic activity, thereby reducing the number of separate process steps required.
Solution Approach 2:
The urease-immobilized catalyst particles serve multiple functions simultaneously: they provide structural support, catalyze urea hydrolysis, and can be easily separated and reused. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate treatment steps and simplifies the overall process flow.
3Manufacturing precision
If traditional methods are used for ultra-pure water production, then water purification is achieved, but time consumption and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary decomposition of urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide before the reverse osmosis step. This pre-treatment converts complex organic molecules into simpler substances that are more easily removed by subsequent filtration, thereby improving both water purity and production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The urease-immobilized catalyst particles act as an intermediary substance that facilitates the conversion of urea into removable compounds. This intermediary catalytic step enables more efficient separation and purification in subsequent processing stages, improving overall productivity without compromising water purity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the time and steps required to produce ultra-pure water by effectively decomposing urea and removing ionic substances, maintaining high efficiency even with repeated use of the catalyst particles.
Implementation Method 1
treating urea-containing feed water with catalyst particles on which urease is immobilized
Implementation Method 2
catalyst particles on which urease is immobilized are prepared by inducing a surface of a support for the catalyst particles to have an organic functional group thereon by modifying the surface of the support, coating a linker on the surface of the support, and immobilizing urease on the support
Implementation Method 3
removing ionic substances from the first treated water by reverse osmosis
Data Source
AI summary
An ultra-pure water manufacturing method using catalyst particles includes preparing first treated water by treating urea-containing feed water with urease-immobilized catalyst particles, and removing ionic substances from the first treated water by reverse osmosis, wherein the catalyst particles on which urease is immobilized are prepared by inducing a surface of the support to have an organic functional group thereon by modifying the surface of the support, coating a linker on the surface of the support, and immobilizing urease on the support in a buffer solution having a pH in a range of about 6 to about 8.