PFI: Polymeric Membranes for Energy and the Environment

这个创新合作伙伴关系（PFI）项目--一个由弗吉尼亚理工大学（VT）和两个新加入PFI项目的机构（定义为从未获得PFI资助的机构），即南卡罗来纳州北部大学（USCU）（南卡罗来纳州斯帕坦堡）和圣保罗学院（弗吉尼亚州劳伦斯维尔）组成的III型（A：C）合作伙伴关系--是由膜分离技术的潜力推动的，它可以显著提高全球清洁水和清洁天然气的供应。在项目过程中获得的知识将通过基础广泛的国家和国际讲习班和合作转移到大型和小型公司。目前的反渗透（RO）系统利用轻度交联的亚微米厚的芳香族聚酰胺膜。它们对氯消毒剂缺乏耐化学性。该项目正在开发两亲性、延展性、氧化和水解稳定的聚合物膜，该聚合物膜由含聚（亚芳基醚）离子的系统制成，具有良好的脱盐率和水通量。新的膜大大提高了对消毒氯化物的稳定性和抗污染性。这些材料可以按比例放大（由合作伙伴之一Akron Polymer Systems）并加工成各种有用的产品（由Dow Water Solutions），包括不对称薄膜，薄支撑膜和不对称中空纤维。与韩国和澳大利亚的同事一起发现了基于聚酰胺和聚苯并恶唑的超高性能天然气分离膜。 VT/UT的多学科研究与康菲石油公司合作，将加速实用系统的成功开发。成果将包括关于水和天然气净化膜的结构，材料和性能关系的基本知识体系。 该项目为学生提供了一个重要的机会，作为多学科全球研究团队的一部分接受教育。该项目的一个主要特点将是来自参与的美国学术机构（弗吉尼亚理工大学、德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校、南卡罗来纳州北部大学和圣保罗学院）的本科生/研究生/教师交流，这将为工业合作伙伴提供有才华的多样化科学家和工程师。实习将拓宽学生的视野远远超出他们的研究，并向他们灌输团队解决问题的方法的价值，这对跨学科领域的进步至关重要。该项目的合作伙伴是学术机构：弗吉尼亚理工大学（牵头机构）、德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校、南卡罗来纳州北部大学、圣保罗学院和汉阳大学（韩国首尔）;私营部门组织：Akron Polymer Systems、Dow Water Solutions、ConocoPhillips和Polymer Solutions;政府实验室：联邦科学和工业研究组织（CSIRO）（克莱顿，维多利亚，澳大利亚）。

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project--a Type III (A:C) partnership between Virginia Tech University (VT) an NSF PFI graduated grantee(0650277), and two institutions new to the PFI Program (defined as ones that have never been PFI grantees), University of South Carolina Upstate (USCU) (Spartansburg, SC) and St. Paul's College (Lawrenceville, VA)--is driven by the potential for membrane separations to dramatically improve the global availability of clean water and clean natural gas. The knowledge gained in the course of the project will be transferred to large and small companies through broad-based national and international workshops and collaborations. Current reverse osmosis (RO) systems utilize submicron-thick aromatic polyamide membranes which are lightly crosslinked. They lack chemical resistance to chlorine disinfectants. This project is developing amphiphilic, ductile, oxidatively and hydrolytically stable polymeric membranes from poly(arylene ether) ion-containing systems which provide good salt rejection and water flux. The new membranes have greatly enhanced stability against disinfecting chlorinated compounds and resistance to fouling. The materials are amenable to scale-up (by one of the partners, Akron Polymer Systems) and processing into a variety of useful products (by Dow Water Solutions) including asymmetric films, thin supported membranes and asymmetric hollow fibers. Ultrahigh performance natural gas separation membranes based on polyamides and polybenzoxazoles have been discovered in conjunction with Korean and Australian colleagues. Multidisciplinary research at VT/UT, partnering with ConocoPhillips, will accelerate successful development of practical systems.Outcomes will include a fundamental body of knowledge regarding structures, materials and property relations for water and natural gas purification membranes. The project provides an important opportunity for students to be educated as part of a multi-disciplinary global research team. A major feature of the project will be undergraduate/graduate/faculty exchanges from the participating U.S. academic institutions (Virginia Tech, University of Texas at Austin, University of South Carolina Upstate, and St. Paul's College that will provide talented diverse scientists and engineers to the industrial partners. Internships will broaden students' perspectives well beyond their research and instill in them the value of team approaches to problem-solving that are so critical to progress in interdisciplinary fields. Partners at the inception of the project are Academic Institutions: Virginia Tech (lead institution), University of Texas at Austin, University of South Carolina Upstate, St. Paul's College, and Hanyang University (Seoul, Korea); Private Sector Organizations: Akron Polymer Systems, Dow Water Solutions, ConocoPhillips, and Polymer Solutions; and Government Laboratories: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) (Clayton, Victoria, Australia).