Versatile membrane separation technology for organics dehydration in biofuels production and myriad chemical industry applications

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The main objectives of the proposed research are to fabricate new hollow fiber membranes and to analyze the performance of the novel membrane materials for the dehydration of organics in several important feedstocks observed in bio-alcohol production and pharmaceutical waste recovery applications. As water is a by-product or solvent in a multitude of commercially important chemical reactions, dehydration processes are widely encountered in the chemical, pharmaceutical, food and energy industries. Water removal, however, is a highly energy-intensive process as most of the commercial dehydration processes are carried out by azeotropic rectification or adsorption operations. Dehydration through membranes instead, has the potential to reduce capital investments, operational costs, minimize waste output and increase the profitability of this energy-intensive process. The new membranes to be designed will be able to operate in water-rich environments and over a wide range of pH-values. During the fabrication process, specific functional groups will be added to the active surface of the membranes to improve their separation characteristics. Depending upon their particular performance results, the membrane materials will be repeatedly modified so as to achieve the best possible performance in terms of flux and selectivity. All experimental achievements will be accompanied by comprehensive transport models. Pilot scale studies, followed by the complete compilation of the research results for commercial plant design, will mark the end of this project. Apart from all the technological benefits, the results of the proposed research will potentially provide an economic boost to Canada's bioenergy sector and also provide an excellent platform for the training of HQP, since the knowledge gained from this project will help them foster many future ties with the Canadian chemical engineering industry due to the wide range of applicability of this technology. The proposal, at its core, is designed to provide advanced training for six HQPs at different levels.