SBIR-STTR Award

The increased emphasis on environmental and health concerns have impacted the operations of combat forces. To comply with federal regulations military equipment must be washed down or decontaminated prior to being transported back to the United States. The proposed Phase I research will demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing Octa-Aqua-Flex's patented environmental pad as the basis for a portable washdown environmental containment system for use by the Department of Defense. Advanced composite materials will be used to construct the lightweight portable environmental pad and incorporate filters and pubmps allowing water to be reused and minimize the volume of waste. Phase I research will demonstrate the strength of the composite material and pad design and the ability to design a filtration and pumping system to allow water to be recycled and provide the desired water pressure. Phase II will involve development and testing of a prototype portable washdown environmental containment system.

The development of a portable washdown/decontamination system is critical for the Department of Defense and specifically the Marine Corps to comply with federal and international regulations on how military equipment must be washed down or decontaminated prior to being transported back to the United States. The objective of this research is to develop and test a prototype portable washdown/decontamination environmental containment pad for use by the Department of Defense and non-military users. In Phase I, the feasibility of designing a filtration and pumping system, which effectively filters the rinse water so it could be recycled, was demonstrated. Phase II will involve further design work and development and testing of a prototype portable washdown/decontamination environmental containment system. Phase II will involve modification of the DOD washdown and containment system to meet the needs of a variety of private sector customers.