Lehigh Nanotech nanoiron is a proprietary reagent that is typically used to remediate subsurface environmental contaminants on an in situ basis. Nanoiron is a water suspension of extremely small elemental iron particles. Thus, nanoiron is essentially a natural formulation, which is composed almost totally of iron - the most common metal on earth.

The nanoiron is injected into the contaminated source or groundwater plume areas via gravity or under pressure. It remains suspended in the groundwater for long periods, and travels with the groundwater to destroy contaminants such as chlorinated hydrocarbons, nitroaromatics, pesticides and certain toxic metal ions, such as hexavalent chromium.

Our nanoiron is a proprietary formulation of nanosized (10-9 meters) iron particles, which are mixed with an additive and a noble metal catalyst in a water suspension. More than 99% of the formulation is elemental iron, and the proprietary additive and catalyst constitute only trace amounts of the formulation. Moreover, the additive and catalyst are chemically bonded to the iron particles, such that the injected formulation will travel with the groundwater as an elemental iron suspension, looking like and having a similar consistency to concentrated black coffee mixed with water.

Given the relatively innocuous nature of the nanoiron constituents, our work on projects in the United States, Europe and Asia has demonstrated that the injected nanoiron should not be considered a contaminant or foreign material that is regulated by Underground Injection programs, but rather a beneficial remedial agent that cleans rather than degrades the ambient groundwater. Upon encountering the contaminant, the nanoiron effects a rapid remediation via the oxidation- reduction process, where the contaminant serves as the electron a cceptor (to dechlorinate chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminants) and the nanoiron serves as the electron donor, effectively rusting or oxidizing the elemental iron. The resulting spent nanoiron is similarly innocuous, since it is composed almost entirely of oxidized (rusted) extremely small particles of elemental iron.

LINK TO MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (PDF)