Sodium salts fill our oceans, but may pollute our streams. Effluent from paper mills and power plants, as well as millions of gallons of DOE-stored radioactive waste is rich in toxic sodium salts. To transform these wastes into valuable chemicals, a highly stable material is required. Tolerant to acids, bases, high temperatures, and even radioactivity, Nasicon is ideal to selectively transport sodium ions in the presence other 1+, 2+ and 3+ ions present in the waste to NaOH side of the two compartment system to generate concentrated and pure caustic. Its unique tailorable ceramic properties excludes other ions from transporting from the industrial by-products to transport through the membranes and allow for processing at room temperature.

NaSICON Applications:

• Pulp and Paper- recovery of sodium from NaHSO4 by products
• Synthesis of value added chemicals such as organic acids: tall oil, acetic acid, lactic acid and sodium containing chemicals, etc. from sodium precursors.
• Recovery of caustic (NaOH) at room temperature and Molten sodium at high temperatures from pulp and paper, and other byproducts industrial wastes.
• Salt Splitting of radioactive wastes to selectively remove sodium from nuclear waste streams.
• Recovery of sodium from effluents from powder plants
• Sodium Sensors for industrial applications; Insitu measurement of sodium concentration in PPB and PPM ranges.
• Recovery of sodium from Alumina wastes
• Low Temperature H+ and H3O+ conductors from 25 to 150 C