Industrial | GRAFTA Nanotech Inc.

Industrial Wastewater

Turning Industrial Wastewater from a Liability into a Resource

Industrial operations - from manufacturing, energy production, to resource processing - often generate wastewater streams laden with heavy metals, hydrocarbons, and other persistent pollutants. Discharging or storing this wastewater poses risks: non-compliance with regulations, environmental damage, community pushback, and long-term legacy liabilities.

At GRAFTA, we believe that wastewater doesn’t have to be a burden. Our patented graphene-based nanomaterial, GRAFTA™, transforms the way industry manages contaminated water , offering a robust, high-performance, and scalable solution that integrates seamlessly into existing treatment systems.

GRAFTA™ is a Game Changer for Industrial Wastewater Management

Unmatched Adsorption Power: GRAFTA™ leverages the extraordinary physics of graphene. With a specific surface area of ~ 2,600 m²/gram (that’s 2.6 km² per kilogram!) - each gram has a massive surface area for binding contaminants.
Broad-Spectrum Contaminant Removal: GRAFTA™ is effective against heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury, selenium, cadmium, copper, chromium), dissolved inorganics (nitrate, phosphate, sulfate), as well as stubborn organics - from petroleum hydrocarbons to chlorinated solvents, PAHs, VOCs, BTEX compounds, and more.
Near-Zero Leaching: Once contaminants are adsorbed, they are stably bound. GRAFTA™ shows minimal leaching - a major advantage for safe disposal or long-term containment, removing a common risk associated with many conventional adsorbents.
Versatile Deployment: Whether your wastewater system is in-line, end-of-line discharge, or complex industrial flows - GRAFTA™ can adapt. It can be used in above-ground tanks or vessels or even as part of in-situ groundwater remediation (via permeable reactive barriers), depending on site needs.
Scalable & Cost-Effective: Unlike many graphene-based lab materials that are costly or hard to scale, GRAFTA™ was engineered for real-world deployment. Its manufacturing process leverages accessible base materials and a scalable thermal reaction method, making it competitive for large industrial wastewater volumes.

How It Works - The Science Simplified

GRAFTA™ is composed of micro-scale particles whose surfaces are coated with multilayered graphene and graphene oxide nanosheets. This structure provides a huge surface area and multiple chemical binding sites. Contaminant removal happens through a combination of adsorption mechanisms - van der Waals interactions, covalent binding, and ion exchange - depending on the contaminant type.

Importantly, because the graphene layers are strongly bonded to an inert substrate, GRAFTA™ avoids the risk of releasing free graphene nanosheets into the environment, a concern that has limited many experimental graphene applications.

GRAFTA™ nanoscale graphene layers

For particularly challenging scenarios (e.g. nitrate- or selenate-laden wastewater), GRAFTA™ has a modified variant, GRAFTA™ 2.0 (G2), which brings in a reducing agent that chemically reduces selenate or nitrate before adsorption, enabling removal of contaminants previously hard to treat with conventional methods - and yielding effluent well below regulatory limits.

Real-World Benefits of GRAFTA™ for Industries & Communities

Regulatory Compliance & Risk Reduction: GRAFTA™ helps companies meet or exceed discharge standards for heavy metals, organics, and inorganics;
Lower Lifecycle Costs: Fewer treatment stages, passive operation (when integrated in existing treatment trains), and long service life. GRAFTA™ shows strong performance over thousands of pore volumes - significantly longer than many traditional adsorbents;
Flexible Deployment - Onsite or In Situ: Whether retrofitting old treatment plants or designing a new remediation system, GRAFTA™ adapts, minimizing footprint and infrastructure needs;
Environmental & Social License Benefits: By lowering the load of hazardous contaminants, companies can reduce their environmental impact and build trust with regulators and local communities;
Sustainable End-of-Life Options: Spent GRAFTA™ - once contaminants are securely adsorbed - has been shown to pass standard leaching tests (e.g., TCLP in Canada), opening possibilities for disposal in standard landfills or re-use in construction materials (e.g., road base, low-strength concrete, landfill covers) - turning waste into potential value.

Where GRAFTA™ fits the best

Heavy-industry facilities (manufacturing, chemical, energy) generating complex wastewater streams;
Mining operations — tailings ponds, process waters, discharge streams;
Oil & gas operations with produced water, wastewater, or remediation needs;
Municipal or regional wastewater facilities seeking advanced polishing of industrial inflows;
Environmental remediation projects, including contaminated site clean-up and groundwater restoration.

What to Expect - Implementation & Performance

Easy Integration: GRAFTA™ can slot into existing treatment trains, as an added polishing stage, or as part of discharge treatment;
Flexible Systems: From small modular vessels for pilot tests to large-scale treatment plants, or even in-situ permeable reactive barriers;
High Removal Efficiency: For many heavy metals and organics, >90 % removal in typical contact times (e.g. 15–45 minutes);
Longevity & Stability: Effective through thousands of pore volumes; minimal leaching; predictable end-of-life handling.

Why GRAFTA™ - Not Just a Technology, But a Future-proof Solution

With increasing regulatory pressure, rising remediation costs, and growing public concern over water pollution, industries need more than “good enough” - they need robust, future-ready solutions. GRAFTA™ is more than an adsorbent: it’s a strategic investment in risk reduction, regulatory compliance, and environmental stewardship.

If you’re looking to treat industrial wastewater, remediate legacy contamination, or upgrade your water treatment processes - let’s talk. GRAFTA™ doesn’t just clean water; it protects your operations and your community’s future.