SMI-PS Inc. holds the exclusive patent rights to water treatment technology based on the use of sulfur-modified iron, an extremely effective and economic media for removing a wide assortment of contaminants from water. SMI® represents a significant departure from current methods of removing contaminants from water and wastewater and creates substantial competitive advantages for SMI-PS Inc. SMI® is an effective water treatment solution for a wide range of inorganic and organic contaminants. To date, SMI has been successfully tested on arsenic, nitrate, hexavalent chromium (Cr VI), vinyl chloride, trichloroethelene (TCE), chlorinated solvents, halogenated pesticides, technetium and a variety of petroleum hydrocarbons. SMI is capable of removing contaminants down to non-detectable levels (e.g. < 2 μg/l) in most applications, and also has the capability to extract rare earth minerals.
Unlike conventional separation technologies (e.g., reverse osmosis, electrodialysis, other membrane separation technologies) and ion exchange, SMI® does not create a secondary, concentrated waste stream that still represents a potentially substantial disposal cost. Instead, spent SMI® is a stable iron-based material that passes EPA’s TCLP leachate test and can be recycled as scrap iron in most applications or safely deposited in a landfill.
SMI® is extremely cost competitive with competing technologies for removing contaminants (i.e., reverse osmosis and electrodialysis.) In most applications, no pretreatment of contaminated influent is required since SMI® is unaffected by high or low pH (ranges pH 3.5–pH 11). In metal removal applications, SMI® does not slough off previously adsorbed ions when it has reached its adsorbent capacity, unlike ion exchange resins that can have major contaminant releases once they become saturated. SMI-PS, Inc. in association with its strategic partners have developed standard system designs for specific applications to facilitate product marketing, minimize engineering, design and fabrication costs, and simplify installation and service.
SMI® represents a new industry in water treatment. This opportunity is international in scope and cuts across numerous water industry segments, such as the remediation of industrial wastewater inside and outside the factory or process plant, including the reduction of coal combustion products in water polluted by coal powered electricity generation plants, and groundwater remediation.