Water Treatment Information Center

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American Elements' manufacturing emphasizes production of many innovative materials for treatment of various water sources including industrial wastewater, municipal water facilities, nuclear reactors, groundwater and soils contamination, and swimming pool & spa applications. AE Water TreatmentT chemicals address numerous water and water discharge requirements including algae prevention, pH adjustment, corrosion & scale control, coagulation or flocculation of metallic and other suspended solids, groundwater remediation, and maintenance of atomic reactors.

Algae Prevention. Until recently state-of-the-art technology for the prevention of algae has been to remove or "kill" the algae once it appears visually using one of several algaecides, such as chlorine or quaternary ammonium salts (QAS). While providing a short tem solution, the long term result is to actually create more algae. The reason is that the dead algae decompose into various phosphate compounds which become a nutrient for new algae growth. Additionally, the process results in odor formation and foaming in the treated water because chlorine sanitizers and algaecides form chloro-ammine compounds which generate the distinctive smell of a chemically treated swimming pool. American Elements has developed a new best demonstrated technology to break this cycle based on the unique capability of lanthanum to bind with free phosphates. By adding American Elements' proprietary formulation of lanthanum to water, initial phosphate levels can be reduced to below 150 parts per billion (ppb) which is lower than the level needed by all types of algae to survive. Thus, rather then killing the algae, our lanthanum solution will prevent the algae from ever forming because of the lack of an essential nutrient. American Elements sells this solution in both small package sizes and bulk tote and tanker quantities under its trademark Phosbuster brand.

Additionally, American Elements manufacturers several lanthanum compounds which can used to either produce an algae prevention material or can be applied directly in certain circumstances. These include lanthanum chloride powder, lanthanum chloride solution, lanthanum carbonate, lanthanum sulfate powder and lanthanum sulfate solution.

American Elements also produces copper sulfate and copper sulfate solution which can be used for algae removal or as a general herbicide to remove plant and vegetation from encroaching on water sources.

Groundwater Remediation. American Elements NanometalsT division now produces several nanoparticles which have found important application in remediation of various groundwater contaminants. For example, American Elements Iron Nanoparticles are useful in the removal of carbon tetrachloride, a potentially carcinogenic bi-product of cleaners and degreasers, from ground water and contaminated soils.

Nuclear Reactor Maintenance. American Elements produces several compounds of the rare earth element Gadolinium to absorb the deadly radioactive neutrons emitted by nuclear waste within reactor chambers. These compounds include gadolinium chloride powder, gadolinium chloride solution, and gadolinium nitrate powder and gadolinium nitrate solution. Additionally, in cooperation with the Canadian Atomic Energy Commission (AECL), American Elements has developed Heavy Gadolinium NitrateT, a unique form of gadolinium nitrate hexahydrate in which a proprietary process replaces the six (6) natural water of hydration molecules with six (6) molecules of deuterium (heavy water) eliminating the potential for H2O contamination of the H3O (heavy water) in the reactor core. See related Press Release.

Corrosion & Scaling Prevention. Several American Elements compounds are useful in the prevention of corrosion and scaling in equipment such as cooling towers and water transfer lines. These include zinc chloride powder, zinc chloride solution, calcium carbonate, zinc sulfate powder, zinc sulfate solution, zinc orthophosphate and titanium oxide nanopowder.

Coagulation & Flocculation. Contaminant removal by coagulation and flocculation of suspended solids, such as dye and paint waste, can be achieved using several American Elements compounds and nanoparticles including aluminum chloride powder, aluminum chloride solution, iron chloride powder (ferrous and ferric), iron chloride solution, iron sulfate powder, iron sulfate solution and aluminum chloro hydrate.

pH Adjustment. The alkali and alkaline earth metallic compounds are useful in reducing acidity (raising the pH) in water effluents. Typical compounds for this purpose include, calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, calcium oxide, magnesium hydroxide, magnesium oxide.

American Elements provides customer guidance on topics such as dosing, water analysis, treatment chemical formulation and material safety data. American Elements maintains industrial scale production for all its water treatment and maintenance products.

American Elements will execute Non-Disclosure or Confidentiality Agreements to protect customer know-how.