SBIR Phase I: High Flux Thin Film Nanocomposite Reverse Osmosis Membrane

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是减轻全球淡水危机。 世界许多地区的供水都面临压力。确保淡水供应以满足人口增长和工业化程度提高的需要是一项全球性挑战。该SBIR项目中的拟议技术将提供以低成本连续生产大规模高性能反渗透膜的机会，以促进低成本的水净化。该计划的第一阶段将以批量形式证明所提出的方法的可行性，并为大吞吐量连续生产奠定坚实的基础。该计划还将使进一步的科学/技术理解沸石分子筛的合成，基于静电相互作用和化学反应的自组装。 在这个第一阶段的研究项目的技术目标是开发一个商业上可行的基于喷雾逐层（LbL）沉积方法，以制造薄膜纳米复合材料（TFN）反渗透膜与更多的过程控制。目前的RO净化系统需要高的驱动压力，主要是因为低的水通量和膜的污染。所提出的方法允许制造高度交联的聚酰胺（PA）纳米复合材料膜的纳米控制膜的厚度，最小的粗糙度，均匀的纳米粒子分布，并确定当地的化学和聚合物组成。与传统的反渗透PA膜相比，可以预期所提出的膜的显著益处包括水通量提高2至3倍，驱动压力降低，污染少且易于清洗。该SBIR计划旨在开发一种喷雾组装技术，以在多孔支撑体上制造高度交联的TFN膜。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to mitigate the global freshwater crisis. Water supplies are under stress in many areas of the world. Securing a supply of fresh water to meet the needs of population growth and increased industrialization is a global challenge. The proposed technology in this SBIR project will offer an opportunity to produce large scale high performance RO membranes in a continuous format at low cost to facilitate lower cost water purification. Phase I of this program will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach in a batch format and lay a solid foundation for large through-put continuous production. This program will also enable further scientific/technological understanding on zeolite nanocrystal synthesis, self-assembly based on static charge interaction and chemical reaction. The technical objectives in this Phase I research project are to develop a commercially viable spray based layer by layer (LbL) deposition approach to fabricate thin film nanocomposite (TFN) RO membranes with more process control. Current RO purification systems require a high driving pressure mainly because of low water flux and fouling of the membranes. The proposed approach allows fabrication of highly cross-linked polyamide (PA) nanocomposite membranes with nanometer control over the film thickness, minimal roughness, uniform nanoparticle distribution, and defined local chemical and polymer composition. Compared with traditional reverse osmosis PA membranes, significant benefits can be expected from the proposed membrane including 2 to 3 times improvement in water flux, lower driving pressure, and less fouling and ease for cleaning. This SBIR program aims to develop a spray assembly technology to fabricate highly cross-linked TFN membranes on a porous support.