Publication

Process and device for purifying liquids, especially water

Michael Graetzel
1989
Patents

Abstract

A process and device are disclosed for purifying liquids, in particular water, contaminated with inorganic and/or organic impurities. The impurities are transformed and/or precipitated through the use of the catalytic and photocatalytic properties of semiconductors, if necessary with the addition of an oxidizer. For that purpose, a semiconductor in the form of at least one semiconductor layer, for example a porous layer, is applied on an equally porous substrate (17), in order to form a filter capable of being activated by the light of at least one lamp (22); the liquid flows therethrough and is thus purified. The light stimulus starts redox reactions at the surface of the semiconductor layer that lead to the transformation of harmful chemical substances, or to the precipitation of dissolved noble metals.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/2898a5bc-3c37-4115-8d97-7ce843ec0f6b

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Michael Graetzel
1989
Patents

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/2898a5bc-3c37-4115-8d97-7ce843ec0f6b

About this result

Related concepts (32)

Semiconductor device

A semiconductor device is an electronic component that relies on the electronic properties of a semiconductor material (primarily silicon, germanium, and gallium arsenide, as well as organic semiconductors) for its function. Its conductivity lies between conductors and insulators. Semiconductor devices have replaced vacuum tubes in most applications. They conduct electric current in the solid state, rather than as free electrons across a vacuum (typically liberated by thermionic emission) or as free electrons and ions through an ionized gas.

Semiconductor

A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical conductivity value falling between that of a conductor, such as copper, and an insulator, such as glass. Its resistivity falls as its temperature rises; metals behave in the opposite way. Its conducting properties may be altered in useful ways by introducing impurities ("doping") into the crystal structure. When two differently doped regions exist in the same crystal, a semiconductor junction is created.

Noble metal

A noble metal is ordinarily regarded as a metallic chemical element that is generally resistant to corrosion and is usually found in nature in its raw form. Gold, platinum, and the other platinum group metals (ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium) are most often so classified. Silver, copper and mercury are sometimes included as noble metals, however less often as each of these usually occurs in nature combined with sulfur. In more specialized fields of study and applications the number of elements counted as noble metals can be smaller or larger.

Related publications (20)

Process and device for purifying liquids, especially water

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