24 March 2014 (24.04.2014)

CLAIMS

1. A water disinfecting system usable with an isolated water volume comprising:

a loose mixture of particles of a first metal and a second metal, the first metal particles having a first concentration and the second metal particles having a second concentration, the second metal particles being different from the first metal particles, the first and second metal particles each having an anodic index, the first metal particles having a higher anodic index than the second metal particles anodic index, wherein the loose mixture of the first metal particles and second metal particles form a galvanic coupling when placed into an isolated water volume.

2. The water disinfecting system of claim 1, wherein the first metal particles serve as a cathode and the second metal particles serve as an anode.

3. The water disinfecting system of claim 1 , wherein the system has an electrochemical voltage produced in a range of 100 to 2000 millivolts.

4. , The water disinfecting system of claim 1, wherein at least 50% of the first metal by particles arc located within 1 mm of at least 50% of the second metal by particles.

5. The water disinfecting system of claim. 2, wherein the first and second metal particles arc independently selected from the group consisting of Cu, Cu alloy, Zn, Zn alloy, Ag, and Ag alloy.

6. The water disinfecting system of claim 2, wherein the second metal particles comprises one of Cu, Zn, and Cu/Zn.

7. The water disinfecting system of claim 5, wherein the first melal particles are Ag and the second metal is either Cu or Zn.

8. The water disinfecting system of claim 5, wherein the Ag or Ag alloy has a concentration within the isolated water volume of 50 ppt to 100 ppb.

AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)

48

9. The water disinfecting system of claim 5, wherein the Cu or Cu alloy has a concentration within the isolated water volume of 5 ppb to 2 ppm.

10. The water disinfecting system of claim 5, wherein the Zn or Zn alloy has a concentration within the isolated water volume of 20 ppb to 20 ppm.

1 1. The water disinfecting system of claim 2, further comprising a third concentration of particles of a third metal, wherein the first metal, second metal and third, metal particles form a galvanic coupling when placed into the isolated water volume.

12. The water disinfecting system of claim 11, wherein the first, second and third metal particles form a galvanic coupling comprising Ag-Cu-Zn.

13. A water disinfecting system usable with an isolated water volume comprising:

a water permeable container; and

a mixture of metals disposed within the container, the mixture of metals comprising a first concentration of a first metal and a second concentration of a second metal, the second metal being different from the first metal, the first and second metals each having an anodic index, the first metal having a higher anodic index than the second metal anodic index, wherein the first metal and second metal form a galvanic coupling when placed into an isolated water volume.

14. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, further comprising a third metal which is different from the first metal and the second metal, wherein the first metal, second metal and third metals form a galvanic coupling when placed into the isolated water volume.

1 5. The water disinfecting system of claim 14, wherein, the first metal, the. second metal and third metal are each independently selected from the group consisting of Titanium to Copper to Zinc, Stainless Steel to Copper to Zinc, Titanium to Bronze to Zinc, Stainless Steel to Bronze to Zinc, Titanium to Brass to Zinc, Stainless Steel to Brass to Zinc, Titanium to Cli er to Aluminum, Stainless Steel to Copper to Aluminum, Titanium to Bro.n/,e to Aluminum, Stainless Steel to Bronze to Aluminum, Titanium, to Brass to Aluminum, Stainless Steel to Brass to Aluminum, and Silver to Copper to Zinc.

AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)

49

16. , The water disinfecting system of claim 15, wherein the copper is substituted with bronze or brass.

17. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the container contains less than 5% organic matter of a total dry weight of the container.

18. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the mixture of metals comprises Cu 78-90% by weight, Zn 8-20% by weight, Ag 0-1% by weight, and Cu sulfate 0-1 % by weight.

. 1 . The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the mixture of metals comprises Cu 49-51% by weight, Zn 49-51 % by weight, Ag 0-1% by weight, and Cu sulfate 0-1% by weight.

20. . The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the first metal and second metal have a total weight of up to 1 ,000 grams.

21. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the container further comprises limestone, iron oxide, and/or bone char at 0.1 to 50 % of a combined weight of the first and second metals.

22. A water disinfecting system usable with an isolated water volume comprising:

porous ceramic particles having an external surface area; and

a mixture of particles of a first metal and particles of a second metal covering at least a portion of the external surface of the porous ceramic particles, the first metal particles having a first concentration and the second metal particles having a second concentration, the second metal particles being different from the first metal particles, the first and second metals each having an anodic index, the first metal having a higher anodic index than the second metal anodic index, wherein the first metal and second metal form a galvanic coupling when placed into an isolated water volume.

23. The water disinfecting system of claim 22, wherein the porous ceramic particles are fabricated from fired clay-based montmorillonitc.

AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)

50

24. The water disinfecting system of claim 22, wherein at least 95 percent of the porous ceramic particles are capable of passing through a 20,000 micron screen and at least 95 percent are not capable of passing through a 20 micron screen.

25. The water disinfecting system of claim 22, wherein the porous ceramic particles have an average pore size ranging from about 0.1 to about 20 microns.

26. The water disinfecting system of claim 5, wherein the Ag or Ag alloy has a concentration within the isolated water volume of no more than 1 0 ppb.

27. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the first metal is Ag or Ag alloy has a concentration within the isolated water volume of no more than 100 ppb.

28. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, further comprising a third concentration of a third metal, wherein the first, second and third metals form a galvanic coupling comprising Ag-Cu-Zn.

29. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the first metal is Ag and the second metal is either Cu or Zn.

30. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the system has an electrochemical voltage produced in a range of 1 0 to 2000 millivolts.

3 1. The water disinfecting system of claim 1 , wherein the first metal is Cu or Cu alloy and has a concentration within the isolated water volume of 5 ppb to 2 ppm.

32. The water disinfecting system of claim 13, wherein the first metal is Ag or Ag alloy and has a concentration within the isolated water volume of 50 ppt to 100 ppb.

33. The water disinfecting system of claim, 13, wherein the second metal is Zn or Zn alloy and has a concentration within the isolated water volume of 20 ppb to 20 ppm.

34. The water disinfecting system of claim 14, further comprising a fourth metal which is different from the first, second and the third metals, wherein where the first,

AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19) second, third and fourth metals form a galvanic coupling when placed into the isolated water volume.

35. The water disinfecting system of claim 22, wherein the first and second metals form a layer or film covering at least 35% of the external surface of the porous ceramic particles.

36. The water disinfecting system of claim 22, further comprising a third metal different from the first and second metals, where the first, second and third metals form a galvanic coupling when placed into the isolated water volume.

37. The water disinfecting system of claim 36, further comprising a fourth metal which is different from the first, second and third metals, wherein the first, second, third and fourth metals form a galvanic coupling when placed into the isolated watCT volume.

38. Λ water disinfecting system usable with an isolated water volume comprising:

a composite mixture of porous ceramic particles having at least a portion of an external surface area covered with a layer or film f a first metal and/or a second metal, wherein the first metal has a first concentration and the second metal has a second concentration, the second metal being different from the first metal, the first and second metals each having an anodic index, the first metal having a higher anodic index than the second metal anodic index, wherein the first metal and second metal form a galvanic coupling when placed into an isolated water volume.

39. The water disinfecting system of claim 38, wherein the composite mixture further comprising a third metal which is different from the first and second metals, wherein the first, second and third metals form a galvanic coupling when placed into the isolated water volume.

AMENDED SHEET (ARTICLE 19)