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/商业潜力是缓解全球淡水危机。世界上许多地区的水供应都面临压力。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项目中建议的技术将提供一个机会，以低成本以连续格式生产大规模高性能反渗透膜，以促进低成本的水净化。该项目的第一阶段将以批量形式论证所提出的方法的可行性，并为大产量连续生产奠定坚实的基础。这项计划还将使人们对沸石纳米晶体的合成、基于静电相互作用的自组装和化学反应有进一步的科学/技术了解。该第一阶段研究项目的技术目标是开发一种商业上可行的基于喷雾的逐层(LBL)沉积方法，以制备具有更多工艺控制的薄膜纳米复合(TFN)反渗透膜。目前的反渗透净化系统需要很高的驱动压力，主要原因是水通量低和膜污染。该方法可以制备高度交联的聚酰胺(PA)纳米复合膜，具有对膜厚度的纳米控制、最小的粗糙度、均匀的纳米颗粒分布以及确定的局部化学和聚合物组成。与传统的反渗透PA膜相比，该膜具有水通量提高2~3倍、驱动压力低、污染少、易于清洗等显著优点。该SBIR项目旨在开发一种喷雾组装技术，在多孔载体上制备高度交联的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.