Matter Network-By Tina Casey:A breakthrough discovery from Sandia National Laboratories could help keep a lid on the rising cost of chemical water treatment and make clean drinking water more affordable in “water challenged” areas of the world. Working with researchers at the University of 
California, the Sandia team substituted one atom in aluminum oxide, a common chemical used to coagulate impurities in water. The new compound promises a more sustainable way to decontaminate wastewater as well as purify drinking water. Next step: Sandia has partnered with the award-winning water technology company Kemira to bring the new compound into commercial production.
Aluminum Oxide and Water Treatment
According to writer Neal Singer of Sandia’s LabNews publication, the Sandia discovery solves one thorny problem in the use of aluminum oxide as a colagulant, its limited shelf life. The new compound resists aggregation so it can be stored for longer periods of time, preventing waste and easing supply logistics. Compared to other commercially available products, he new compound also appears to act more effectively in removing contaminants. It was made by adding a gallium solution to an aluminum solution, effectively adding an atom of gallium to the aluminum oxide clusters. The resulting compound maintains a more stable electrostatic charge, enabling it to bind contaminants more reliably under changing conditions such as pH, temperature, and turbidity.