Mamadou Diallo
KAIST and Caltech
Session Co-Chairs: M. S. Diallo, C. T. Hunt
| 1:30PM | Introduction |
| 1:40PM | Recovery of Clean Water and Critical Materials from Mining Wastewater and Solutions Using Nanofiltration; T. Young*, P. Aerts |
| 2:10PM | Water: A Critical Material Enabling Space Exploration, K. Pickering |
| 2:40PM | Sustainable Water Technology as Key element for Global Nutrient Recovery: The Wetsus Research Program, B. Hamelers |
| 3:10PM | Break |
| 3:30PM | Next Generation of Multifunctional Membranes for Resource Recover, M. S. Diallo*, M. Kotte |
| 4:00PM | Separation Science and Technology Education: A Perspective from the Interface of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, S. L. Scott |
| 4:30PM | Panel Discussion (Moderator: C. T. Hunt) |
Speaker Abstracts
Recovery of clean water and critical materials from mining wastewater and solutions using nanofiltration
T. Young, Dow Chemical
Over the last decade, the mining industry has been transforming with increased focus on achieving more sustainable operations by looking for higher removal efficiencies, new separation technologies to enable resource recoveries from waste, and implementing mine water management practices to improve the social-economical life in the communities surrounding the mines. In particular, water has been one of the key resources being discussed in the mineral market because of the high level of consumption in the mining process. Water is critical to both the mining operation and also enabling ore removal. As a result, mining companies are focusing more closely on membranes to evaluate water reuse options to improve their water efficiency. Not only is the environmental impact considered in water usage, but also the economic aspects due to the cost of water in arid locations.
Today, there is legislation and regulations concerning mining and mined landreclamation in almost all countries to minimize the environmental impact to mined lands. In addition to efforts focused on water reuse, the mining industry has also been increasing focus on evaluating new membrane treatment technologies to remove and/or enable recovery of waste residual matter. This paper will address some of the recent technology efforts in tailored nanofiltration membranes and optimized operational control which are enabling technology advancement in mining reclamation for recovery of solutions and improved water treatment technologies to enable water reuse and contaminant removal in waste streams.
Water: A critical material enabling space exploration
K. Pickering, NASA
Water is one of the most critical materials in human spaceflight. The availability of water defines the duration of a space mission; the volume of water required for a long-duration space mission becomes too large, heavy, and expensive for launch vehicles to carry. Since the mission duration is limited by the amount of water a space vehicle can carry, the capability to recycle water enables space exploration. In addition, water management in microgravity impacts spaceflight in other respects, such as the recent emergency termination of a spacewalk caused by free water in an astronaut's spacesuit helmet. A variety of separation technologies are used onboard spacecraft to ensure that water is always available for use, and meets the stringent water quality required for human space exploration. These separation technologies are often adapted for use in a microgravity environment, where water behaves in unique ways. The use of distillation, membrane processes, ion exchange and granular activated carbon will be reviewed. Examples of microgravity effects on operations will also be presented. A roadmap for future technologies, needed to supply water resources for the exploration of Mars, will also be reviewed.
The Wetsus research programs on separation science and technology for sustainable water purification and resource recovery
B. Hamelers, Wetsus
This presentation will give an overview of Wetsus's research programs on separation science and technology for sustainable water purification and resource recovery.
Next generation of multifunctional membranes for resource recovery
M. Diallo, KAIST and Caltech
Polymeric membranes have become the critical components of a broad range of sustainability and resource recovery applications including:
- energy generation and storage,
- water desalination and reuse and
- biopharmaceutical separations and purifications.
During the last two decades, substantial research efforts have been devoted to the development of mixed matrix membranes with embedded functional particles and nanomaterials. Such membranes are being designed to carry out multiple functions (e.g. retention, sorption and catalysis) with improved properties and performance including higher permselectivity and flux, greater mechanical strength and lower fouling propensity. Polymeric particles could provide greater flexibility for the preparation of mixed matrix membranes with improved particle-matrix compatibility, particle loading, flux and selectivity. Polymeric particles can be prepared with different sizes, shapes and morphologies. Their chemistry can be tuned to produce functional particles that can serve as organic sorbents, ion exchange media and affinity/chelating media making them particularly attractive as building blocks for multifunctional membranes for the recovery of critical materials and resources from solutions and impaired water including saline water and wastewater. In this presentation, we will describe a facile and simple route to the preparation of mixed matrix membranes with embedded functional polymeric particles.
The critical step of our novel methodology is the in-situ synthesis and functionalization of polymeric nano/microparticles in a dope solution prior to membrane casting. We highlight two applications of our new mixed matrix membranes with in-situ synthesized polymeric particles: 1) weak-base membrane absorbers for protein separations by ion exchange membrane chromatography and 2) high flux and fouling resistant ultrafiltration membranes for microalgae recovery and harvesting from wastewater and culture media.
Separation science and technology education: A perspective from the interface of chemistry and chemical engineering
S. Scott, University of California, Santa Barbara
Separations represent a large (often the largest) fraction of the energy used in chemical processing, and can also consume enormous quantities of solvents (including water). Learning to design processes to maximize separation efficiency is a crucial part of sustainability education in both chemical engineering and chemistry. A newer consideration is learning to design products to facilitate subsequent separation and recovery of their chemical components, particularly those that are readily recycled, or those that are considered critical elements. This talk will discuss needs and strategies for integrating design of separations into the post-secondary curriculum, by building on often under-appreciated synergies between chemistry and chemical engineering.
