I-Corps: Water Purification Membranes Made using Green Solvents

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of new green and non-toxic technologies for water treatment. Applications include providing safe tap water and improved water for systems operating at safe levels but with undesirable aesthetics. The technology can impact industrial and household applications.This I-Corps project is based on the development of solvents to fabricate separations membranes for several applications, including drinking water treatment and face mask fabrication. The technology uses two environmentally friendly solvents, methyl 5-(dimethylamino)-2-methyl-5-oxopentanoate ("PolarClean") and gamma-valerolactone (GVL), as co-solvents to fabricate polysulfone (PSf) ultrafiltration membranes. Based on calculated solubility values, PolarClean/GVL co-solvents showed better performance together than independently. Previous viscosity studies suggest strong performance of this system. The proposed project will explore translation of this technology.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.