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.
