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Bio-based copolymers for membrane end products for gas separations

Project description

Efficient chemical separation membranes based on high-performance copolymers

Industrial chemical separation processes such as distillation account for 10–15 % of the world's annual energy use. Membrane-based chemical separations can be an order of magnitude more energy efficient than those driven by heat. Their wider implementation demands materials that have specific functional properties for a given application. The EU-funded BIOCOMEM project plans to synthesise and design bio-based copolymer precursors that can be processed into membranes with improved mechanical, thermal and permeation properties. Recycling of the membrane polymers via chemical and enzymatic ways will also be a part of the study.

Objective

The main objective of the BIOCOMEM is to develop and validate gas separation membranes at TRL 5 using bio- based polyether-block-amide copolymers (PEBAs) specially designed to give: higher processability into monolithic hollow fiber membrane; higher gas separation performance, higher resistance to chemical attack (aging), higher bio- based content.
The project started with a bio-based PEBA copolymer (A, Reference bio-PEBA) that is already avaible from Arkema at TRL8 and shows (at TRL3 - dense flat sheet membrane) better gas permeation properties than the fossil fuel counterparts (PEBAX® MV 1074 and PEBAX® MH1657). Several synthesis pathways were followed to further improve the properties and gain the necessary added value for market competitiveness. The modification of the chemical structure was done systematically with the purpose to fully understand the relation between the chemical structure, morphology and properties. In one research line (B, New bio-PEBAs Pathway 1) the polyether block was be kept constant, the same as for the reference bio-PEBA, and only the polyamide block was modified using bio- based monomers with aromatic/cycloaliphatic structure. The main objective of the first research line was to induce spinnability by making polymers with better solubility keeping at least similar mechanical properties compared to the reference polymer. In a parallel research line (C, New bio-PEBAs Pathway 2), the polyamide part was kept constant as for the reference bio-PEBA (i.e. poly(11-undecanoic acid)), and the chemical structure of the polyether block was modified using monomers derived from lignin as a starting point to connect hydrophilic chains. The objective of the second research line is to produce a polyamide-polyether block copolymer with bio-based components in both blocks and the processability into monolithic hollow fiber membranes was evaluated. At M18 it was demonstrated lignin-polyether-block-PA11 PEBAs could not be prepared successfully. Therefore, a modified prototype C was developed by copolymerization of a biobased polyamide synthesized from diethyl sebacate, diethyl galactarate (GalX) and 1,10-diaminodecane with a commercial, biobased poly(1,3 propanediol) polyether derived from starch (Velvetol®).

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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RIA - Research and Innovation action

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-BBI-JTI-2019

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Coordinator

FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 730 730,75
Address
PARQUE CIENTIFICO Y TECNOLOGICO DE BIZKAIA, ASTONDO BIDEA, EDIFICIO 700
48160 DERIO BIZKAIA
Spain

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Region
Noreste País Vasco Gipuzkoa
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

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.

€ 811 923,08

Participants (8)

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