Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CUMERI (Customised membranes for green and resilient industries)
Reporting period: 2022-12-01 to 2024-05-31
CUMERI in particular, will develop and demonstrate customised membranes in two key industries: the steel sector to recover H2 and capture CO2 in one comprehensive system; the Oil & Gas sector to recover base oil and additives from used lubricant oil in a two-step process. To maximize impact, transferability of results to other applications will be ensured, and recycling of membranes validated.
WP1 - Activities have re-fined the targets and guidelines for the project, to ensure sustainability and impact of the gas separation and liquid treatment membranes and processes in development. Based on input from partners, a simplified environmental and techno-economical evaluation was performed, providing first directives for all technical developments. Furthermore, in discussion with the industrial demonstration partners the industrial benchmark processes and requirements for the greener alternatives were detailed, and test and material down-selection protocols defined.
WP2 - WP2 developed materials for 3 membrane types: biobased block copolymer PEBA membranes for CO2 separation, SiC/SiCN membranes for H2 separation, ceramic membranes with customized grafting for used lubricant oil purification. Activities resulted in a first down-selection: PEBA compositions leading to high gas separation performance, stability and mechanical properties to allow hollow fibre spinning; SiC supports with pore size tuned for further coating; SiC/SiCN precursors fit for fine-porous layers on SiC supports; grafting methods and groups providing high flux and impurity removal in ultrafiltration and membrane extraction of viscous oil.
WP3 - Activities lead to further down-selection of membranes and processes fit for demonstration of the intended gas and liquid separations. Optimized hollow fiber spinning recipes are developed using kg-scale of the selected PEBA powders. Optimized SiC/SiCN membranes are selected based on gas separation performance of a variety of precursor and tubular support combinations. Oil purification processes are fine-tuned based on upscaled membrane performance, fouling and cleaning behavior, optimization of extraction solvent, oil pre-treatment and filtration parameters. A broad range of modelling tools is used to support down-selection.
WP4 - Activities aim for the first step in upscaling the synthesis of all materials and membranes selected. Upscaling is running for: PEBA powder up to 10 kg, PEBA membrane spinning up to 1 m2, SiC tubular supports up to 50 cm single channel tubes, adaptation of the SiC/SiCN coating technology to the larger supports, ceramic membrane coating and grafting up to 120 cm long 19-channel tubes for the liquid filtration processes. First steps are also taken to ensure PEBA membrane circularity, studying de-crosslinking, degradation of the polymer into its building blocks, followed by re-polymerization.
WP5 - Dedicated to pilot production and demonstration of the aimed gas and liquid separations at two industrial sites. To ensure piloting in the last 6 months of CUMERI, pilot and module (pre)-designs were already realized in the first year. The gas separation pilot will comprise gas cleaning and compression elements, membrane modules, and an oxycombustion. The total will be manufactured by an external actor, ready to subcontract. The heart of the liquid treatment pilot is an existing ATEX filtration unit, being modified to allow larger membrane areas and back-flushing, as well as membrane extraction. Contracts for all parts are signed or ready to sign.
WP6 - Activities aim to perform a more detailed social, environmental and economic assessment for the selected value chains, re-fining and expanding the first assessment done. The goal and scope have been revised during a workshop in the last consortium meeting, based on all results obtained up to now. Parameters fit for sensitivity analysis have been discussed. The workshop has also been used to explain and debate on the social life cycle assessment.
WP7 - In the first half year a general plan was submitted. Accordingly, a visual identity and project website was created, and a first social media campaign launched. A general CUMERI presentation was used by many partners, and different actions were promoted via social media. Currently, an industrial Advisory Board with players from different parts of the value chain is being created.
WP8 - In the first half year a SharePoint for information exchange was created, template management tools were developed, and a first Data Management Plan ensuring IPR protection was submitted. The project kicked-off with a meeting in Brussels. For status updates six-monthly F2F consortium meetings are organized, and in-between online SteerCo meetings. Innovations and risks are closely monitored by the coordinator.
WP2 - WP2 developed materials for 3 membrane types: biobased block copolymer PEBA membranes for CO2 separation, SiC/SiCN membranes for H2 separation, ceramic membranes with customized grafting for used lubricant oil purification. Activities resulted in a first down-selection: PEBA compositions leading to high gas separation performance, stability and mechanical properties to allow hollow fibre spinning; SiC supports with pore size tuned for further coating; SiC/SiCN precursors fit for fine-porous layers on SiC supports; grafting methods and groups providing high flux and impurity removal in ultrafiltration and membrane extraction of viscous oil.
WP3 - Activities lead to further down-selection of membranes and processes fit for demonstration of the intended gas and liquid separations. Optimized hollow fiber spinning recipes are developed using kg-scale of the selected PEBA powders. Optimized SiC/SiCN membranes are selected based on gas separation performance of a variety of precursor and tubular support combinations. Oil purification processes are fine-tuned based on upscaled membrane performance, fouling and cleaning behavior, optimization of extraction solvent, oil pre-treatment and filtration parameters. A broad range of modelling tools is used to support down-selection.
WP4 - Activities aim for the first step in upscaling the synthesis of all materials and membranes selected. Upscaling is running for: PEBA powder up to 10 kg, PEBA membrane spinning up to 1 m2, SiC tubular supports up to 50 cm single channel tubes, adaptation of the SiC/SiCN coating technology to the larger supports, ceramic membrane coating and grafting up to 120 cm long 19-channel tubes for the liquid filtration processes. First steps are also taken to ensure PEBA membrane circularity, studying de-crosslinking, degradation of the polymer into its building blocks, followed by re-polymerization.
WP5 - Dedicated to pilot production and demonstration of the aimed gas and liquid separations at two industrial sites. To ensure piloting in the last 6 months of CUMERI, pilot and module (pre)-designs were already realized in the first year. The gas separation pilot will comprise gas cleaning and compression elements, membrane modules, and an oxycombustion. The total will be manufactured by an external actor, ready to subcontract. The heart of the liquid treatment pilot is an existing ATEX filtration unit, being modified to allow larger membrane areas and back-flushing, as well as membrane extraction. Contracts for all parts are signed or ready to sign.
WP6 - Activities aim to perform a more detailed social, environmental and economic assessment for the selected value chains, re-fining and expanding the first assessment done. The goal and scope have been revised during a workshop in the last consortium meeting, based on all results obtained up to now. Parameters fit for sensitivity analysis have been discussed. The workshop has also been used to explain and debate on the social life cycle assessment.
WP7 - In the first half year a general plan was submitted. Accordingly, a visual identity and project website was created, and a first social media campaign launched. A general CUMERI presentation was used by many partners, and different actions were promoted via social media. Currently, an industrial Advisory Board with players from different parts of the value chain is being created.
WP8 - In the first half year a SharePoint for information exchange was created, template management tools were developed, and a first Data Management Plan ensuring IPR protection was submitted. The project kicked-off with a meeting in Brussels. For status updates six-monthly F2F consortium meetings are organized, and in-between online SteerCo meetings. Innovations and risks are closely monitored by the coordinator.
WP1 - A first sustainability and economic assessment with benchmarking was performed on the innovative membrane systems proposed for the two separation applications in focus for CUMERI. Results are positive confirming energy and resource efficiency of our solutions, and defined guidelines for all technical developments.
WP2 - CUMERI material developments surpass the state of the art: 100% biobased PEBA copolymer tuned for easier upscaling and hollow fiber spinning, SiC supports with decreased pore size and new SiC/SiCN precursors fit for gas separation membranes, ceramic supports and grafting layers customized to filter viscous organic media.
WP3 - Model-assisted membrane developments surpass state of the art: hollow fiber membranes of new spinnable PEBA copolymers, unique coating of SiC/SiCN layers on oxide free SiC supports for high hydrothermal stability, grafted ceramic membrane process for used lubricant oil recovery combining ultrafiltration and extraction.
WP4 - In CUMERI all innovative materials and membranes with the relevant properties and performance, are being scaled in order to allow demonstration at pilot level. Further developments are dedicated to tackle end of life issues and ensure circularity of the membranes.
WP5 - CUMERI will demonstrate at TRL7 the performance of the three innovative membrane solutions, relevant for important gas and liquid separation issues in two key industrial sectors. Prototyping is foreseen for 6 months, on-site at the industrial end-users. Results are expected to be transferrable to other applications.
WP6 - Detailed life cycle and techno-economic assessment allows for quantification of sustainability and economic impact for the innovative CUMERI membrane processes compared to the current benchmark solutions. Particularly groundbreaking is the integration of social sciences in the CUMERI assessment.
WP7 - Actions have attracted attention of different industrial companies over the CUMERI value chain. Several of them have already been engaged in an industrial Advisory Board, to further steer the project toward maximal impact.
WP8 - WP8 activities aim at smooth collaboration and information exchange between partners. Moreover, data management, innovations and related IPR management, as well as risk monitoring aims at maximizing technical output and impact, in line with the time plan of the project.
WP2 - CUMERI material developments surpass the state of the art: 100% biobased PEBA copolymer tuned for easier upscaling and hollow fiber spinning, SiC supports with decreased pore size and new SiC/SiCN precursors fit for gas separation membranes, ceramic supports and grafting layers customized to filter viscous organic media.
WP3 - Model-assisted membrane developments surpass state of the art: hollow fiber membranes of new spinnable PEBA copolymers, unique coating of SiC/SiCN layers on oxide free SiC supports for high hydrothermal stability, grafted ceramic membrane process for used lubricant oil recovery combining ultrafiltration and extraction.
WP4 - In CUMERI all innovative materials and membranes with the relevant properties and performance, are being scaled in order to allow demonstration at pilot level. Further developments are dedicated to tackle end of life issues and ensure circularity of the membranes.
WP5 - CUMERI will demonstrate at TRL7 the performance of the three innovative membrane solutions, relevant for important gas and liquid separation issues in two key industrial sectors. Prototyping is foreseen for 6 months, on-site at the industrial end-users. Results are expected to be transferrable to other applications.
WP6 - Detailed life cycle and techno-economic assessment allows for quantification of sustainability and economic impact for the innovative CUMERI membrane processes compared to the current benchmark solutions. Particularly groundbreaking is the integration of social sciences in the CUMERI assessment.
WP7 - Actions have attracted attention of different industrial companies over the CUMERI value chain. Several of them have already been engaged in an industrial Advisory Board, to further steer the project toward maximal impact.
WP8 - WP8 activities aim at smooth collaboration and information exchange between partners. Moreover, data management, innovations and related IPR management, as well as risk monitoring aims at maximizing technical output and impact, in line with the time plan of the project.