Evidence-based Synthesis and Advanced Modeling towards Next Generation of Membrane Science and Technology

膜技术是目前各种水和废水处理以及众多工业和生物医学应用中最有效的方法。膜技术的主要缺点是污染，污染会导致渗透通量下降，拒绝选择性改变，能耗和运行成本增加，使用寿命缩短。通过插入纳米填料（NFs）或通过试错法进行表面改性，可以改善膜的亲水性，从而提高膜的性能。然而，这些方法的成功有限，并产生了额外的问题；具体来说，他们面临着与NFs分散机制相关的多重挑战和缺陷，这些机制会对物理、化学和机械稳定性产生负面影响。因此，在对膜稳定性、性能和寿命的控制方面，存在着实质性的知识差距。此外，缺乏对膜基质内部水传输和溶质相互作用的可视化研究，以及相关的污染机制，阻碍了我们控制膜形态和利用其可调化学，从而影响性能和寿命。关于准确的机械方面的知识，以及将其转化为数学概念和模型描述来预测膜的性能和寿命也很缺乏。这项研究计划的总体目标是开发和合成具有更高稳定性、性能、防污性能和寿命的创新膜。为了实现这一目标，短期（5年）的目标是：(1)开发和优化具有调谐化学的膜设计，以增强膜的亲水性并减少污染物的相互作用；(2)进行一系列现场调查和数据验证，以优化NFs的操作条件和分散机制，以获得最佳的化学、物理和机械稳定性，从而提高性能和使用寿命；(3)研究原位水在膜基质中的运移、相互作用和污染机制，建立有效评价膜性能的综合模型。这项研究计划的长期目标是为多种使用场景和各种应用创造最佳的膜技术。所获得的知识对于开发用于工业分离过程的先进膜技术至关重要，这些技术可解决加拿大和全球水和废水处理的可持续性，保护环境健康以及工业问题。研究结果的潜在用户包括各行各业、环境保护机构和政府决策者。该计划将加强加拿大在可持续发展领域的经济竞争力，并为HQP提供必要的技能，以进入工业、咨询、学术界或政府的未来职位。

Membrane technology is currently the most effective method for diversified water and wastewater treatment as well as numerous industrial and biomedical applications. The major drawback of membrane technology is fouling, which causes a decline in permeation flux, change in rejection selectivity, increase in energy consumption and operating costs, and reduction in lifetime. Membrane performance can be enhanced by improving membrane hydrophilicity through inserting nanofillers (NFs) or undertaking surface modification by trial-and-error methodologies. However, these approaches have limited success and create additional problems; specifically, they face multiple challenges and drawbacks related to the dispersion mechanisms of NFs that negatively affect physical, chemical, and mechanical stability. As such, a substantial knowledge gap exists in terms of understanding the controls on membrane stability, performance, and lifetime. Furthermore, the absence of advanced research on visualization of water transport and solute interactions inside membrane matrices, and associated fouling mechanisms, prevents us from controlling membrane morphology and exploiting their tunable chemistry, which in turn affects performance and lifetime. Knowledge with respect to accurate mechanistic aspects and their translation into mathematical concepts and model descriptions to predict membrane performance and longevity is also lacking. The overall goal of this research program is to develop and synthesize innovative membranes with improved stability, performance, antifouling properties, and lifetimes. Towards this goal, the short-term (5-year) objectives are to: (1) develop and optimize membrane designs with tuned chemistry to enhance membrane hydrophilicity and reduce contaminant interactions; (2) conduct a series of in situ investigations and data validations to optimize the operating conditions and dispersion mechanisms of NFs for optimal chemical, physical, and mechanical stabilities for improved performance and lifetimes; and (3) investigate in situ water transport, interactions, and fouling mechanisms inside membrane matrices and develop comprehensive models that effectively evaluate membrane performance. The long-term goal of this research program is to create optimal membrane technologies for multiple usage scenarios and a variety of applications. The knowledge gained will be critical for developing advanced membrane technologies for separation processes in industrial applications that address water and wastewater treatment sustainability, safeguarding of environmental health, and industrial concerns in Canada and globally. The potential users of the results include a wide range of industries, environmental protection agencies, and governmental decision makers. This program will strengthen Canada's economic competitiveness in sustainability sectors and train HQP with skills necessary to move into future positions in industry, consulting, academia, or government.