En-Gibton - Granules of Micelle-Clay Complexes
En Gibton`s products consist of either granules of micelle-clay complexes, or mixtures of micelle-clay powder and sand. They are used in water filters as active absorbents for the removal of various contaminating compounds. En Gibton can customize its products to meet specific costumer requirements. En Gibton`s products can be used at various stages of the water adsorption and desorption processes.
The products can purify water contaminated by a wide range of contaminants:
- Microorganismns: bacteria, such as E Coli (K-12), fecal coliforms, fecal streptococci; viruses, such as colliphage MS2; protoza, such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Cyanobacteria.
- Organica pollutants: herbicides; anionic detergents; DOM, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals
- Inorganic pollutants: perchlorates and cyanides
The micelle-clay powder+sand mixture is used for dirty water that includes large particles that can be efficiently removed by the sand component of the mixture.
The effectiveness of En Gibton products in removing a variety of contaminants has been demonstrated in extensive tests.
En Gibton`s technology has the following advantages as compared to state-of-the art purifications technologies:
- High purification effectiveness
- Wide range of adsorbed contaminants
- Easy customization to specific applications
- Low consumption of energy
- Unaffected by salinity, acidity, alkalinity (pH 3-12), and high temperature (up to 60Co)
- Low replacement frequency
- Environment friendly, can be regenerated for repeated use
En Gibton’s products are based on a novel proprietary technology for the adsorption of water contaminants by micelle-clay complexes.
The complexes have a very large surface area per weight, contain large hydrophobic parts, and have an excess of positive charge.
They are very well suited for the adsorption of anionic organic molecules such as herbicides, humic acid, dissolved organic matter, antibiotics, perchlorates, and ferric cyanide. They can remove chlorine-resistant microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites (e.g.. cryptosporidium and giardia).
En Gibton`s technology is protected by patents in the United States, in Europe (United Kingdom), and in Israel.
The technology is approved for the purification of potable water by the Israeli Ministry of Health.
Yashresh is an agricultural village in the central part of Israel. Its well of 5 m3 per hour supplied for many years the irrigation needs of the farmers of Yashresh. Then it became heavily contaminated, mostly by perchlorides penetrating from a large industrial plant, and the use of Yashresh water was forbidden by the Israeli authorities.
En Gibton conducted a purification pilot project in Yashresh applying its technology. Perchlorate concentrations were lowered to below 16 ppb. After being inspected by specialists of the Israeli Ministry of Health and the Israeli Water Authority, the use of Yashresh water was allowed again.
In addition to removing perchlorates, En Gibton filters reduced to zero level Coliform bacteria from1,000 per 100mL , and Streptococcus bacteria from 240 per 100 mL and also significantly lowered water turbidity (from 5.1 NTU to 0.15 NTU).
En Gibton has conducted extensive tests to validate its technology. Most of the tests were carried out in the laboratory at slow flow rates and with small amounts of filtration material. The Yashresh pilot plant verified the laboratory results at large commercial flow rates.
Some of the test results are presented below:
Removal of bacteria
50 liters of water contaminated with E. coli bacteria (3 millions per mL) were filtered through an experimental filter made of En Gibton granules mixed with sand. 100% purification was achieved. When a regenerated filter was used purification effectiveness decreased to 90%.
15 liters of water contaminated with fecal Streptococci (20,500 per mL) were filtered by an En Gibton filter and compared with an activated carbon filter. The En Gibton filter removed 100% of the bacteria, while active carbon removed 51%.
Removal of parasites
1 liter of water was contaminated with 10,000 Cryptosporidium parvum parasites. 99.9% were removed by the En Gibton filtering.
Removal of agro-chemicals
Water contaminated with herbicides Bromacil (500 ppm) and Sulfentrazone (75 ppm) was filtered at a flow rate 20 mL/min and compared to active carbon filtration. The deterioration rate of both filters was also compared.
The En Gibton products, either in the form of granules, or in the form of powder mixed with sand, are applicable for purifying contaminated water at all stages of water adsorption and desorption systems:
- Purification filters for drinking water that removes traces of hazardous chemicals, drugs and pathogens from various sources:
- large water sources such as wells, rivers, lakes, etc.
- domestic uses
- outdoor uses
- Recovering contaminated water wells or other water reservoirs
- Preventing the fouling of membranes
- Gray water purification
The granule formulation is suitable for most applications. The powder mixed with sand is used in situations where the water to be purified has high concentrations of large dirt particles.