Nanoporous Membranes

Department

Pilotanlage zur Reinigung farbstoffbelasteter Textilabwässer mit 5 m² keramischen NF-Membranen
Plant for cleaning of colored waste water of textile industry equipped with 5m² nano filtration membranes.
Stainless steel module wit 12m² zeolite NaA membranes.
Porous ceramic membrane support in tubulare geometrie
Porous ceramic membrane support in tubular geometry.

Objects of research

 

Nanoporous membranes are characterized by pores with diameters in the range of nanometers and sub nanometers which are able to separate liquid or gaseous mixtures. The separation of the fluids bases on the different size of the components (mole sieving), different adsorption (adsorption selectivity), wetting or steric hindrance. Ceramic nanoporous membranes are distinguished by high thermal, chemical and mechanical stability. Most interesting selective materials are amorphous metal oxides (sol-gel synthesis), zeolites and carbon.

 

Services offered

 

  • Preparation of asymmetric constructed membranes with adjustable pore diameters between 3 µm and < 1 nm on tube geometries of a length of up to 1.2 m
  • Sample production of Zeolite membranes and membranes for liquid filtration and equipping of prototype plants with up to 1000 m²/plant
  • Development of nanoporous membranes for customer specific applications in gas separation, pervaporation, vapor permeation and liquid filtration
  • Membrane preparation on ceramic substrates of our own as well as of the customer
  • Up-scaling of membrane preparation up to the industrial scale including sample production

 

Technical equipment

 

  • Coating, drying and sintering technique for different membrane geometries and tubular geometries up to a length of 1.2 m
  • sinter technique for thermal treatment in different atmospheres
  • Autoclaves for temperatures up to 200 °C and for tubular geometries up to a length of 1.2 m
  • Clean room for coatings in dust free conditions

 

Examples and references

 

  • Pilot plant for the dewatering of bioethanol equipped with 25 m² and 120 m² zeolite membranes
  • Plant for cleaning of colored waste water of textile industry equipped with 5 m² nano filtration membranes
  • Sealing of the sandstone flour of the Dresden Frauenkirche with a nano composite coating
 

Current research

Ceramic separation module

 

Group

Polymer and Mixed Matrix Membranes

 

Group

Membrane Prototypes

 

Group

Zeolite- and Carbon Membranes