Cyclodextrin nanosponges in the removal of organic matter for ultrapure water in power generation

The water treatment processes employed by coal-fired power stations do not completely remove most of the natural organics (volatile component) from the feed water used for power generation. Currently, polyaluminium chloride, polyelectrolyte and ion exchange resins are used to treat water at power stations. The effectiveness of water-insoluble cyclodextrin (CD) polymers in the removal of natural organics, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total organic carbon (TOC) from water collected at a specific power plant is reported. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), a total organic carbon combustion analyser and ultra-violet visible (UV-Vis) spectrometry were used in the analysis of the water samples. Results obtained from this study show that, despite the usage of the current treatment processes, natural organic species emanating from raw water still persist throughout the stages of the water treatment process. The polymers on the other hand demonstrated the ability to remove dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from raw water by as much as 84%.