ConFluReM | Controlling Fluid Resistances at Membranes

Summary
Today’s materials research in the field of synthetic membranes gives access to highly permeable and extremely selective membranes. However, their potential will remain ineffective as high and selective transport rates always go along with resistances emerging at the membrane fluid interface in the form diffusion limitations in the laminary boundary layers. In order to make full use of the very many new materials, also new means to control and minimize such fluid based resistances need to be developed. Yet another phenomena disturbs the full potential use of membranes: retained solutes, colloids and biological matter accumulates at the membrane interface and causes irreversible fouling and scaling.
The proposed research aims to develop a rigorous translational methodology to control and improve mass transport through the fluid/membrane interface. ConFluReM will establish Strategic Tools and New Instruments to:
(1) comprehend and quantify the prevalent mass transport resistances in representative membrane separation processes,
(2) synthesize and fabricate new nano-, micro- and mesoscale material and device systems as instruments to control and overcome the limitations of concentration polarization and fouling,
Strategic Tools are experimental and simulation methods to quantify and engineer the mass transport and hydrodynamical properties of the new membrane systems. These encompass flow imaging (flowMRI, microPIV and microfluidic transport studies) as well as computational fluidic dynamics (CFD and CFDEM). New Instruments are synthetic and fabrication means as well as process condition means to improve mixing at the membrane/fluid interface. These encompass (a) lateral patterning of chemical topology of the membrane surface by printing and stamping, (b) shaping the 3D geometry of channels using additive manufacturing techniques and (c) imposing dynamical gradients to destablize fluid side resistances.
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More information & hyperlinks
Web resources: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/694946
Start date: 01-09-2016
End date: 31-08-2021
Total budget - Public funding: 2 500 000,00 Euro - 2 500 000,00 Euro
Cordis data

Original description

Today’s materials research in the field of synthetic membranes gives access to highly permeable and extremely selective membranes. However, their potential will remain ineffective as high and selective transport rates always go along with resistances emerging at the membrane fluid interface in the form diffusion limitations in the laminary boundary layers. In order to make full use of the very many new materials, also new means to control and minimize such fluid based resistances need to be developed. Yet another phenomena disturbs the full potential use of membranes: retained solutes, colloids and biological matter accumulates at the membrane interface and causes irreversible fouling and scaling.
The proposed research aims to develop a rigorous translational methodology to control and improve mass transport through the fluid/membrane interface. ConFluReM will establish Strategic Tools and New Instruments to:
(1) comprehend and quantify the prevalent mass transport resistances in representative membrane separation processes,
(2) synthesize and fabricate new nano-, micro- and mesoscale material and device systems as instruments to control and overcome the limitations of concentration polarization and fouling,
Strategic Tools are experimental and simulation methods to quantify and engineer the mass transport and hydrodynamical properties of the new membrane systems. These encompass flow imaging (flowMRI, microPIV and microfluidic transport studies) as well as computational fluidic dynamics (CFD and CFDEM). New Instruments are synthetic and fabrication means as well as process condition means to improve mixing at the membrane/fluid interface. These encompass (a) lateral patterning of chemical topology of the membrane surface by printing and stamping, (b) shaping the 3D geometry of channels using additive manufacturing techniques and (c) imposing dynamical gradients to destablize fluid side resistances.

Status

CLOSED

Call topic

ERC-ADG-2015

Update Date

27-04-2024
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Horizon 2020
H2020-EU.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE
H2020-EU.1.1. EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
ERC-2015
ERC-2015-AdG
ERC-ADG-2015 ERC Advanced Grant