Patent

The invention relates to the use of maghemite nanoparticles at pH < 5 to remove sulphate, manganese, copper, nickel, cobalt and zinc metal ions from acid mine drainage (AMD). In a conventional way of AMD treatment, these pollutants are only removed at higher pH and requires costly alkaline chemicals...

Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is an aquatic weed which has one of the highest growth rates of all plants in the world. This fast-growing plant causes numerous problems in water bodies.  These problems are related to navigation, recreation, irrigation and hydropower generation. The complete...

The Natural Biostimulant developed at the University of the Western Cape is a proudly South African, cost-effective, safe, natural and organic botanical fertiliser with promising commercial applications in the agriculture sector. Derived from an indigenous plant extract, the product contains a...

The invention relates to the design of a robust membrane for desalination using membrane distillation (MD). Although MD technology has advanced over the years, its industrial application for the treatment of brackish water and seawater is still lagging. This invention exhibits advantages over the...

The technology relates to a new generation of telecommunications and data processing technology with improved wavelength sensitivity in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths range rather than microwave communication in 2–4 GHz. The technology provides the realisation of optical sources (LEDs)...

The invention entails an energy-generating system that makes use of polyethylene plastics that would otherwise result in environmental pollution to produce synthesis gas (syngas). Unlike conventional gasification systems that rely on oxygen, this system ensures that the gasification of polyethylene...

A system which harvests thermal energy from various sources such as sunlight, cars, power plants, factories and other industries, and converts it into electricity. The harvested heat energy is stored in a storage tank, with water used as an energy storage medium. This then flows along a gradient to...

A low-cost, portable, self-aligning rooftop wind turbine designed to capture moderate velocity wind and generate electricity efficiently for household use. Large-scale wind turbines in South Africa are located far afield, and the energy generated must be transported back to communities via huge...

Wits researchers have developed a new compound for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, through the modulation of the laminin receptor in humans and animals. The developed compound is an antibody administered intranasally, for AD treatment, specifically treating the neuronal loss characteristics of...

The technology is capable of treating high-temperature wastewater as a membrane for removing oil from wastewater

One of the key challenges with membrane filtration devices is the issue of fouling and concentration gradient build-up on the surface of the membrane, which subsequently decreases its...