Development of a novel nano coating and 2D advanced material structure for ceramic membrane technology

在世界范围内，我们正面临着水危机，有17个国家，占全球人口的1/4，面临着极高的水压力。由于气候变化、人口增长、人口结构变化和城市化，对水的需求正在增加，水资源正在变得稀缺。为了实现联合国可持续发展目标（SDG 6），进展速度需要翻一番。纳滤膜在安全饮用水的生产中发挥着重要作用，能够以比反渗透更低的能源需求过滤出几种微量有机化合物，重金属和污染物。纳滤膜的选择性和弹性是饮用水生产中的关键指标，因为它们直接关系到客户风险，而水生产率和技术稳健性对水务公司很重要，因为它们决定了资本成本，资产寿命和维护频率。聚合物纳滤膜广泛使用，但是，表面污染，清洁方法的限制，机械破损，和低的膜渗透性使得这是一种昂贵的解决方案，这可能会使供水的弹性风险，从而使消费者和运行中的水公用事业处于风险之中。随着气候变化、人口增长和对水质的严格监管，原水中有机物含量的增加也增加了纳滤生产饮用水的压力。该项目旨在开发和测试2D先进纳米材料涂层，以创造一种具有弹性和更可持续的陶瓷膜纳滤技术，用于低碳饮用水处理，并降低总拥有成本。它利用Molybdenum Limited的专业知识，（曼彻斯特大学分拆，开发一种新型纳米材料涂层，作为膜过滤的2D先进材料结构），Xtract Filtration Systems Limited的陶瓷过滤系统专家，以及该科学领域的学术专家，克兰菲尔德大学水科学研究所的水工程和管理。先进的陶瓷纳米过滤技术将在防止/最小化结垢、减少清洁周期、科普波动（温度和pH）的能力以及降低水处理的通量（穿过介质的压降）。所有这些都是延长使用寿命、提高可持续性以及最重要的是为水行业用户构建改进的总拥有成本模型的重要因素。

Worldwide, we are facing a water crisis with 17 countries, home to 1/4 of the global population, facing extremely high water stress. Demand for water is increasing and water resources are becoming scarce as a result of climate change, population growth, demographic changes and urbanisation. To meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal for water (SDG 6), rate of progress needs to double.Nanofiltration membranes play an important role in the production of safe drinking water, with the ability to filter out several trace organic compounds, heavy metals and pollutants at a lower energy demand than reverse osmosis. Selectivity and resilience of nanofiltration membranes are critical metrics in drinking water production as they directly relate to customer risk, while water productivity and technology robustness are important to water utilities as they define capital cost, asset lifetime, and maintenance frequency.Polymeric nanofiltration membranes are widely used however, surface fouling, constraints on cleaning methods, mechanical breakage, and low membrane permeabilities make this an expensive solution, that can risk resilience in water supply putting customers and the operating water utility at risk. An increase in organics levels in raw water linked to climate change, population growth and tighter regulations on water quality, has also increased the strain on drinking water production by nanofiltration.This project seeks to develop and test a 2D advanced nanomaterial coating to create a resilient and more sustainable ceramic membrane nanofiltration technology for low-carbon drinking water treatment with a lower total cost of ownership. It leverages the expertise of Molymem Limited (University of Manchester spin out, developing a novel nanomaterial coating to be applied as a 2D advanced material structure for membrane filtration), specialists in ceramic filtration systems from Xtract Filtration Systems Limited, and academic experts in in the science, engineering and management of water at Cranfield University's Water Science Institute.The advanced ceramic nanofiltration technology will have major USPs in preventing/minimising fouling, decreasing the cleaning cycle, the ability to cope with fluctuations (temperature and pH) and lowering flux (pressure drop across the medium) for water treatment. All of these are important factors when it comes to increasing lifetime, improving sustainability and most importantly building an improved total cost of ownership model for users in the water industry.