Objective
The 2024 European Critical Raw Materials Act exemplifies the urgent need to secure stable supplies of transition metals such as Co, Ni, and Mn. Battery recycling can address supply issues but requires effective separation of these metals from one another. Currently, this separation relies on highly toxic chemicals and organic solvents. Membrane-based separation offers an environmentally friendly alternative. However, state-of-the-art membranes do not offer selectivity for transition metals.
MemTran's ambition is to rationally design a class of membranes for selective transition metal separation. The important fundamental question is how structure-property relationships govern membrane selectivity, permeability, and stability. MemTran will explore this by designing ligands, polymers, and membranes at previously unexplored energy ranges, timescales, and environments.
MemTran's interdisciplinary approach combines principles from aquatic chemistry, polymer chemistry and physics, and membrane science. We will first design ligands with moderate interaction energies for reversible ligand-ion interactions, then incorporate these ligands into polymers with low glass transition temperatures to accelerate ion transport. Finally, we will develop coatings that enhance membrane stability in acids and demonstrate the membrane's separation capability under industrially relevant conditions.
MemTran's main scientific impact is translating fundamentals in the structure-property relationships of transition metal ion transport to applications in selective membrane-based separation. This fundamental knowledge also translates to many other applications in water- and energy-related fields. Success will enable environmentally friendly membrane-based transition metal separation and will define a basis for the sustainable and closed-loop battery recycling and production pipelines in Western Europe.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology environmental engineering waste management waste treatment processes recycling
- engineering and technology materials engineering coating and films
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1015 Lausanne
Switzerland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.