CERAMIC HOLLOW FIBRE SOLVENT NANOFILTRATION MEMBRANES

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Organic Solvent Nanofiltration (OSN) is a new separation process for molecular level separations in organic solutions, with many possible applications across chemical and pharmaceutical research and manufacturing. There are currently very few solvent stable membranes, and none available which offer stability and practical fluxes for polar aprotic solvents such as THF, DMF and DMSO, or mixtures of these solvents with water. This research seeks a breakthrough- the formation of ceramic nanofiltration membranes in a hollow fibre form, of typically less than 2 mm outer diameter, through single step fabrication. To achieve this, we will exploit and build upon the novel immersion induced phase inversion of mixed matrices (IIPIMM) method recently developed by the applicants. The project involves the development of the membrane and evaluation of its use for solvent recovery commonly found in pharmaceutical industries. It can be expected that the newly developed membrane should have good thermal resistance, high chemical and solvent stability, long running period in comparison with the organic membranes. The results of the project will aid the UK academic and industrial communities to be at the forefront of some of the key developments made possible by the invention of ceramic hollow fibres.