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Product Proposal

Production and Statement of Purpose

At the base of Maslows Hierarchy of needs is food, shelter, and water - clean drinking water
to be more exact. Even in our current age of modernity, access to clean water is still
nonexistent in communities far and wide. With the recent crisis in the United States of Flint,
MI, the topic of global access to purified, safe, drinking water is at the forefront of many
humanitarian groups and world leaders. Keeping in mind the stakes of this issue, I will set out
to create a purification system which will make unclean water safe to drink. This system will
include at least three different filtering components, including a physical filter and at least
two different chemical processes. Specifically, the process will target the following
contaminants: Sediment, Fluoride, Nitrates, Bacteria, and Lead, If at all possible, the product
will strive to represent the humanitarian nature of the topic by being cheap, portable, and
effective. After completing the majority of the product, I will then begin testing the product
and researching how to make it more effective. This phase of production is meant to replicate
what chemical engineers often do in industry. As well, testing the product extensively will
ensure that the product is useful and practical, as it is my goal to have my final product as an
interactive aspect of my presentation.

Review of Skills and Research

The research phase of production will be pivotal in creating this product as I will have to
identify the contaminants found in a source of unclean water, and research how to best target
eliminating these contaminants. As well, I will need to do further research on how tap water
is regulated and at what levels certain contaminants are deemed acceptable for drinking. With
this knowledge in mind I will then be able to start planning the purification processes which
should take place in my product. I will also need to research how to test my product and
analyze the outcome of these tests to ensure the products effectivity.

Creating this product will give me an extensive knowledge about a topic of chemical
engineering I am interested in. By studying this particular topic I will be gaining a deeper
knowledge of a chemical field which has humanitarian impact, which is something I hope to
focus my career around. The product will also allow me to participate in an engineering
aspect in each phase of production an industrial process undergoes when being created. While
this may be similar to the role of a chemist or a different field of engineering, being versatile
and able to perform relevant tasks in my topic of area will be useful. Most importantly,
analyzing my own work and using data to understand how it can be improved will be pivotal
to understanding the work a chemical engineer does. By doing an analysis over the
effectiveness of my own work I will also be held accountable during the production of my
product since I will want to ensure minimal improvement needs to be completed after I begin
testing the product.
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Methodology

In order to complete this product I will need to:

Identify a source of unclean water
Perform tests to identify contaminants within the source
Research processes to target specific contaminants
Create a purification system by replicating purification processes
Perform tests and analyze the safety of water purified by the product
Make improvements upon the initial product
Ensure the product is safe and simple to use

Materials

Materials necessary for this may include:

Contaminated Water source
Replicate Contaminated Water
Chemical Contaminants: Sediment, Fluoride, Nitrates, Bacteria, and Lead
Charcoal Filter
Clay Filter
Sample cups
Analysis equipment

Timeline:

The phases of the product will be completed in accordance with the following timeline:
Completion and compilation of relevant research by March 17th
Completion of the physical filtration aspect of the product by March 31st
Completion of the initial purification process as a product by April 14th
Testing of water samples and analysis of subsequent data complete by April 28st
Finishing touches and true completion of the product in its entirety by May 1st

Conclusions

The outcome of this product will not only be clean water that is safe to ingest, but my first
experience in creating a product relevant to the chemical industry. Besides being a venture
into one aspect of chemical engineering: researching and implementing new processes to
make a product more effective and therefore profitable, my product will raise awareness in
my community about the lack of global access to safe drinking water. The relevance of the
issue problem Ive chosen to address may very well mean that the hands-on experience and
deeper understanding of the chemistry behind this issue I take away will be relevant to the
work I do in the future.