Superhydrophobic membranes for clean water production

Project Information

SuperClean

Grant agreement ID: 101099381

DOI

10.3030/101099381

Project closed

EC signature date 26 October 2022

Start date 1 January 2023

End date 30 June 2026

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 2 497 750,00

EU contribution

€ 2 497 750,00

Coordinated by

"NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ""DEMOKRITOS"""
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SuperClean (Superhydrophobic membranes for clean water production)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Water scarcity is an increasingly urgent global issue, with projections indicating a worsening situation in the years to come. Simultaneously, there is a growing imperative for industries to adopt more sustainable practices, including reducing water consumption and pollution. Effective water resource management strategies and advanced tools are therefore paramount. Membrane technologies offer a promising solution for reclaiming water from industrial waste streams, particularly in heavily polluting sectors such as steel, textile, and food production. Among these technologies, Membrane Distillation (MD) stands out as an emerging solution that holds potential for widespread adoption and commercial success, provided key challenges such as membrane wetting, scaling, and fouling are addressed.
During the FET "HARMONIC" project, two research institutions, the Max Planck Institute of Polymer Research (MPIP) and the National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos (NCSRD), have developed complementary technologies for fabricating superhydrophobic membranes primarily for desalination purposes. Both institutions utilize plasma functionalization to modify membrane surfaces, creating nanostructured polymeric membranes.
The SuperClean project aims to extend the application of superhydrophobic membranes beyond desalination to industrial wastewater treatment, focusing on their technological upscaling and facilitating their transition from the laboratory to the market. Both MPIP and NCSRD are advancing the readiness level of their technologies, aiming for validation and demonstration in relevant environments (Technology Readiness Levels 5-6). Small-scale pilot equipment for producing rolls of superhydrophobic membranes in a roll-to-roll format is currently being designed, constructed, and tested. To facilitate the upscaling process, MPIP and NCSRD are collaborating with two industrial partners: Europlasma and SolSep, renowned companies with extensive experience in roll-to-roll plasma and wet processes, respectively.
Additionally, partnering with SolarSpring, a Fraunhofer spin-off specializing in commercial MD modules for wastewater treatment, contributes not only to technical testing but also supports commercialization efforts, serving as the project's first customer and technology adopter.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The SuperClean project is organized into five cohesive work packages (WP), each serving a specific purpose. WP1 is centered on management (technical, intellectual property, and financial) and dissemination, with a primary focus on project coordination and communicating results to both the scientific community and the public. WP2 entails plasma activation and nanotexturing, including the design and construction of two pilot prototype plasma devices for water membrane processing, along with plasma deposition for achieving superhydrophobicity via an all-dry approach. WP3 involves wet coating of plasma-activated membranes with nanofilaments, integrating wet chemistry with plasma activation as an alternative to plasma deposition. WP4 focuses on applying superhydrophobic membranes in membrane distillation (MD) for industrial wastewater treatment, with the installation and testing of an industrial-scale prototype. Lastly, WP5 centers on commercializing the project's outcomes through entrepreneurship.
During the reporting period, SuperClean made significant strides, successfully executing planned activities and attaining key milestones. Notably, the project achieved a breakthrough in technological advancement by developing 25cm wide membrane sheets capable of efficiently processing highly acidic industrial effluents typically encountered in the steel industry using air gap membrane distillation technology. Simultaneously, efforts towards commercialization progressed, including the formulation of a draft business model and the completion of a market analysis. Furthermore, groundwork was laid for the preparation of a comprehensive business plan, crucial for establishing a spin-off company dedicated to commercializing the superhydrophobic membranes and associated processes.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Superhydrophobic membranes developed by MPIP or NCSRD exhibit a remarkable increase in clean water production, ranging from 15% to 90% compared to currently utilized commercial membranes. However, their most significant attributes lie in their excellent resistance to wetting, scaling, and biofouling, which ensure operational stability and offer a promising solution to the prevailing drawbacks of conventional distillation membranes, thus contributing to alleviating water scarcity issues.
Existing technologies for achieving membrane superhydrophobicity typically involve the deposition of specialized materials onto specific membranes or the synthesis of custom membranes. Unfortunately, both approaches suffer from the limitation of being non-generic and are not readily applicable to widely used and thoroughly tested commercial membranes.
In contrast, the SuperClean project stands out as it offers generic technologies capable of transforming any commercial membrane, whether hydrophilic or hydrophobic, into a superhydrophobic, superhydrophilic (also achievable with SuperClean technology, though not elaborated in this proposal), or even biphilic membrane. Notably, in terms of membrane distillation (MD), SuperClean's membranes surpass known commercial membranes in both high liquid entry pressure and high flux, indicating their substantial potential for adoption by the membrane and separation industries. Implementation of SuperClean technology would seamlessly integrate into existing industrial production chains, representing a significant advancement in membrane technology.