# Hydraulic Fracturing of Controlled Release Oxidants for Remediation of Low Permeability Zones

> **NIH NIH R44** · AXNANO, LLC · 2020 · $439,723

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract AxNano, LLC SBIR Fasttrack 2019
The EPA estimates that one out of every four Americans lives within three miles of a hazardous waste
site. To meet the growing need for remediating these contaminated sites, the US remediation market has been
increasing steadily since 2009, averaging 2-3% increases per year. The global environmental remediation
technology market is forecasted to expand to $80.5 billion in 2019. Remediation of contaminated sites can cost
upwards of millions of dollars and can last for decades, especially in challenging geological settings such as low
permeability (low-k) zones (e.g., clay and bedrock). Sites where contaminants are concentrated in low
permeability zones are a particular industry headache as these areas can serve as sub-surface “source zones”
providing slow release of contaminants into transmissive zones for decades of longer. Traditional, liquid-phase
remediation injections that are successfully used in more permeable areas, when applied to low-k zones often
result in only partial clean-up followed by chronic site management. Costly re-applications to address
rebounding (increases in contaminant concentration following remediation) and tailings (persistent non-zero
contaminant levels) are one of the biggest pain-points for environmental engineers. These rebounding and
tailings lead to increase liability, increased remediation cost, and long drawn-out remediation schemes. AxNano,
in collaboration with North Carolina A&T, has specially formulated their patented controlled release technology
to address these persistent low-k zones. RemRx® CRI, controlled release injectant, can be emplaced into low k
zones by hydraulic fracturing and provide sustained levels of ISCO reagents directly into the trapped
contaminated area with one/few applications to address these issues of rebounding and tailings.
AxNano has established prototypes and preliminary studies to support a Fasttrack SBIR program. Phase
I of the program will support the development RemRx® CRI, through bench-scale testing of prototypes in low-
k zone 2-D flow chambers and radius of influence estimation by computational modeling. Phase II aims to pilot-
scale demonstrate manufacturing the Phase I-validated MVP and field test at two sites in the Piedmont Region.
Field demonstrations will include comparison to straight oxidant performance. Data from pilot-scale
demonstration and computational modeling will be used to design full-scale deployments. AxNano will design
a full scale manufacturing process to support transition of the RemRxTM CRI technology to future large scale
deployment.
This technology development program leverages a unique intellectual property position to develop this
new RemRxTM family of products. The remediation and broader water/wastewater markets are complex, making
market uptake of new remediation technologies difficult. However, controlled release ISCO agents are of strong
interest. The AxNano Team is committed to achie...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10225761
- **Project number:** 4R44ES031461-02
- **Recipient organization:** AXNANO, LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexis Wells Carpenter
- **Activity code:** R44 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $439,723
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2019-09-17 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10225761

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10225761, Hydraulic Fracturing of Controlled Release Oxidants for Remediation of Low Permeability Zones (4R44ES031461-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10225761. Licensed CC0.

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