1. science
2. engineering

Membrane News from Aachen
What is different in Germany?
Many of our international colleagues
have asked me: what is really different in Germany? Is there anything
significantly different as compared
to other countries?
In the past, I have given talks on the
cultural differences between Germany and the Netherlands: there
is sufficient material to fill a whole
evening program. What I had not realized as a distinguishing element in
the German science culture is its current transition initiated some 5 years
ago, i.e. the Excellence Initiative of
the German Research Foundation
(DFG) and the German Council of
Science and Humanities.
mass” (TMFB) and this newsletter
summarizes our work in this cluster.
All chairs of the Aachener Verfahrenstechnik (AVT) contribute to the
Biomass-to-Biofuel part of the Cluster. These research projects are in
strategic alignment with our vision
on Next Generation Processes and
Products (NGP2). Membrane separation processes play a crucial role
in solvent recovery towards a Zero
Liquid Discharge Biorefinery as well
as in the efficient in situ removal of
products from conversion processes.
The Excellence Initiative
DFG has yet another instrument
to support long-term research: socalled Special Research Areas. Typical funding periods are 8 to 12 years
for a consortium offering ca. 20 PhD
positions. In the first quarter of this
year, we succeeded to acquire such a
Special Research Area on Functional
Microgels and Systems.
Driven by the insight that the German science system needed some
serious changes in order to compete
in a vibrant and highly competitive
international science and engineering system, a 1.9 billion EUR were
made available for funding outstanding projects organised as Graduate
Schools and Clusters of Excellence.
RWTH Aachen University has been
successful in acquiring the Excellence Status in the first period, and
recently made it into the second funding period with its unique overarching strategy and concept.
Where are the membranes?
This summer we successfully applied to extend our Cluster of Excellence “Tailor-made Fuels from Bio-
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 of the proposals. Often lasting over
more than a year, completing the
whole process by passing the evaluation through international juries is
gratifying.
Our network of chemical engineering institutes – AVT – has been crucial in streamlining these discussions
beyond the interest of a single chair.
Any further big research
consortia?
During the past three years , I had
the pleasure to enjoy my work at
RWTH Aachen University. What
is different? Any of these large research consortia or the acquisition of
our new research building NGP2 requires extensive preparation, strategic discussions and alignment. What
has surprised me is the intensity of
scientific and strategic discussions
among a large group of peers and
colleagues during the preparation
Matthias Wessling
Head of AVT.CVT
Chemical Process Engineering
RWTH Aachen University
In this Issue
Innovative membrane
separation processes
for biofuel production
2
Across the pond research stays in the
US
4
Publications
6
PhD Defenses
8
A word about us
11
Announcements
12
1
Innovative membrane separation processes for
biofuel production
In the TMFB Cluster of Excellence the AVT.CVT is involved in
several projects dealing with (1) biomass separation in ionic
liquids, (2) a reverse-flow diafiltration concept for continuous
in situ recovery of products from a bioreactor and (3) electrodialysis for concentration / purification of itaconic acid
Pre-treatment
Nanofiltration of solutions in ionic liquids
in biomasss processing
A first step in eventually converting
biomass into biofuel is the enzymatic
hydrolysis of cellulose. In the process
considered, cellulose is converted to
glucose with the commercial enzyme
combination Celluclast®.
In this stage an ionic liquid is used to
pretreat cellulose by means of crystallinity reduction. The nanofiltration is being applied to recover glucose for subsequent fermentation.
It is expected that the separation performance depends on a variety of parameters, such as
• Glucose concentration,
• Ionic liquid concentration,
• Permeate yield, etc…
These were investigated in detail
and depicted by adequate modeling.
Highly purified glucose can be recovered from (partially) hydrolysed
cellulose. The glucose yield varies
with the overall permeate yield.
Electrodialysis will be
applied to remove residual ionic liquid from
glucose . A solvent recovery process including
removal of particulates
and water will be set-up.
Solvent
Recovery
1
Wooden / Green
Biomass
Glucose
Hydrolysis &
Fermentation
Fermentation
broth
Submerged
reverse-flow
Diafiltration
Itaconic acid &
sodium chloride
Tailor-Made Fuels from Biomass is a Cluster of Excellence at RWTH Aachen
University. Research groups from various departments adopt an interdisciplinary approach to develop biomass-based synthetic fuels. The cluster
aims at innovating the customised conversion of plant material into valueadded products.
More information can be obtained at
www.fuelcenter.rwth-aachen.de
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 Electrodialysis
with Bipolar
Membranes
(EDBM)
Itaconic acid
2
2
Submerged reverse-flow diafiltration for in situ product recovery in continuous fermenters
The glucose is fermented by the fungus Ustilago mayidis, producing itaconic acid. This C5-dicarbonic acid is
to be continously extracted from the
fermentation broth.
For this purpose a submerged membrane process was developed and
optimised.
3
Whilst dead-end filtration mode lead
to rapid permeability decline, high
flux and filtration stability could be
achieved operating the system as a
reverse-flow diafiltration.
This proof of principle of pulsed
diafiltration fully integrated in the
fermenter can be considered a milestone on the way towards continous
and high yield itaconic acid production and separation.
The membrane process has been
patented and will be further investigated with respect to long-term filtration behaviour. A new U. mayidis
strain, characterized by less byproduct formation, may also help improving the membrane peformance.
Permeability and flux using dead-end
filtration (top) and reverse-flow diafiltration (bottom)
Electrochemical membrane processes for integrated organic
acid recovery from fermentation broth and solvent recovery
The work compares different 2-chamber bipolar membrane electrodialysis (EDBM) systems using either Anion Exchange Membranes (AEM) or Cation Exchange Membranes (CEM) to recover itaconic acid.
The proof of principle of successfully applying EDBM for processing itaconic acid was demonstrated.
The membrane resistances have been characterized for various itaconic acid solutions and a model for the power
consumption was established
2-Chamber EDBM with AEM
This set-up features the advantage to
recover clean itaconic acid Further,
the feed/base does not exceed pH 11
which causes a lower scaling tendency. On the other hand, a high fouling
tendecy was observed.
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 2-Chamber EDBM with CEM
This process is characterised by a
low fouling tendency and comparitively lower energy consumption.
However the recovered acid still
contains impurities. Overall the process is prone to scaling and suffers
from competitive ion transport.
Outlook
In future research, the operating
point for minimal power consumption and maximum energy efficiency will be identified. The preferred
EDBM will then be integrated in the
reference process.
3
Across the pond
This summer two of our PhD students spent a couple of months at renowned universities in
the USA - an exchange with benefits for their PhD research and for tightening collaborations.
Read about their research stays in California and Colorado.
21st century „Flower Power“
If you‘re going to San Francisco,
be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.
If you come to San Francisco,
Summertime will be a love-in there.“
- Scott McKenzie: San Francisco, 1967 Well, I actually went to Berkeley … and for work!
But working at the University of California, Berkeley,
today the world‘s premier public, nationally top-ranked
university, is certainly an exciting experience. Specifically I joined the Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), a
collaboration between the University of Berkeley, the
University of Illinois, Lawrence Research Lab and BP.
EBI is dedicated to research in the field of energy bios-
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012
cience, focusing on the development of next-generation
biofuels as well as various applications of biology to the
energy sector – a topic perfectly in line with the research
ambition of the “Tailor-made fuels from biomass”
(TMFB) cluster of excellence at RWTH Aachen University. Within TMFB and as part of my PhD work I investigate the membrane-based in situ recovery of itaconic
acid from a fermentation process.
During my three-month stay in Berkeley I worked on
a similar question. I designed and analyzed an optimal
in situ separation process for recovering furfural, a platform chemical for biofuels, from a chemical reaction
process. I worked out the necessary process parameters
to design the optimal separation process. This study was
a cooperation project between the group of Prof. Alexis
4
Bell - where I worked and who supervised me - and the membrane
group of Prof. N. Balsara of the Dept.
of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC Berkeley. Prof. Alexis
Bell, has 40 years of experience in the
pursuit of fundamental issues relevant to catalysis and separation techniques and is member of the International Advisory Board of the cluster
of excellence TMFB.
I was able to transfer some of my
knowledge and findings elaborated
at RWTH Aachen and gained insight into the working environment
of EBI, a world-leading biofuel research center. I gained knowledge
and experiences which will definitely aid me in my future research work
within TMFB.
Frederike Carstensen
PhD Student
T +49 241 80 29948
F +49 241 80 95222
E [email protected]
Solving separation issues in Colorado
Nestled at the foothills of the majestic
Rocky Mountains in scenic Boulder,
Colorado, University of Colorado at
Boulder offers a dramatically beautiful and highly productive campus.
Colorado‘s nicknames are Centennial State, Colorful Colorado, or Rocky
Mountain State - I was there, and I
can say: it‘s true, it‘s beautiful and it
is the Rocky Mountain State!
During my four-month research
stay, I worked in the group of Prof.
Richard Noble at the Department of
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 Chemical and Biological Engineering which features an extremely
active research program. It includes
research centers in biorefining and
biofuels, pharmaceutical biotechnology, photopolymerization, and
membranes. Prof. Noble is a pioneer
and one of the leading scientists in
the area of ionic liquids for membrane gas separations including olefin/
paraffin separations.
In a collaborative project with Prof.
Douglas L. Gin, Professor of Chemical & Biological Engineering and Chemistry &
Biochemistry, I worked
on investigating novel
membranes for olefin/
paraffin separation, a nice
add-on to my PhD work
in Aachen where I work
on adaptive ionic liquid
membranes for olefin/paraffin separations.
My research stay was a worthwhile
and fruitful collaboration and knowledge exchange. I could establish and
intensify valuable contacts, which
will persist beyond my research stay.
Fee Pitsch
PhD Student
T +49 241 80 95996
F +49 241 80 95222
E [email protected]
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Publications
Journal Papers
Abels C, Redepenning C, Moll A, Melin T, Wessling M: Simple purification of ionic liquid solvents by nanofiltration in biorefining of lignocellulosic substrates. Journal of Membrane Science 405/406 (2012), 1-10 - DOI: 10.1016/j.
memsci.2011.12.020
Ajhar M, Bannwarth S, Stollenwerk KH, Spalding G, Yüce S, Wessling M, Melin T: Siloxane removal using silicone-rubber membranes. Separation and purification technology. - 89 (2012), 234-244 - DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2012.01.003
Broens F, Menne D, Pothof I, Blankert B, Roesink HDW, Futselaar H, Lammertink RGH, Wessling M: Water hammer reduces fouling during natural water ultrafiltration. Water research 46 (2012), 4, 1113-1120 - DOI: 10.1016/j.
watres.2011.12.011
Carstensen F, Apel A; Wessling M: In situ product recovery - Submerged membranes vs external loop membranes. Journal of Membrane Science. - 394/395 (2012), March, 1-36 - DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2011.11.029
Carstensen F, Marx C, Andre J, Melin T, Wessling M: Reverse-flow diafiltration for continuous in situ product
recovery. Journal of Membrane Science, Vol. 421-422 (December 2012), pp. 39-50, doi: 10.1016/j.memsci.2012.06.034
Çulfaz PZ, Wessling M, Lammertink RGH: Hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes with microstructured inner
skin. Journal of Membrane Science 369 (2011), 1-2, 221-227 - DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2010.11.063
Dutczak, SM; Tanardi CR, Kopec K, Wessling M, Stamatialis D: Chemistry in a spinneret to fabricate hollow
fibers for organic solvent filtration. Separation and purification technology 86 (2012), 183-189. DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2011.11.003
Harlacher T, Scholz M, Melin T, Wessling M: Optimizing argon recovery: Membrane separation of carbon monoxide at high concentrations via the water-gas shift. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2012, 51 (38), pp 12463–12470. Publication
Date (Web) September 5, 2012 (Article) DOI: 10.1021/ie301485q
Kochan J, Scheidle M, van Erkel J, Bikel M, Büchs J, Wong JE, Melin T, Wessling M.: Characterization of antibacterial polyethersulfone membranes using the respiration activity monitoring system (RAMOS). Water Res. 2012
Oct 15;46(16):5401-9. Epub 2012 Jul 20. DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2012.07.019
Luiten-Olieman MWJ, Raaijmakers MJT, Winnubst L; Wessling M, Nijmeijer A, Benes NE: Porous stainless steel
hollow fibers with shrinkage-controlled small radial dimensions. Scripta materialia. - 65 (2011), 1, 25-28 - DOI:
10.1016/j.scriptamat.2011.03.023
Luiten-Olieman MWJ, Raaijmakers MJT, Winnubst L; Wessling M, Nijmeijer A, Benes NE: Porous stainless steel hollow fiber membranes via dry-wet spinning. Journal of Membrane Science. - 370 (2011), 1-2, 124-130 - DOI: 10.1016/j.
memsci.2011.01.004
Luiten-Olieman MWJ, Raaijmakers MJT, Winnubst L, Bor TC, Wessling M, Nijmeijer A, Benes NE: Towards a generic method for inorganic porous hollow fibers preparation with shrinkage-controlled small radial dimensions,
applied to al2o3, ni, sic, stainless steel, and ysz. Journal of Membrane Sciencee. - 407 (2012), 155-163 - DOI: 10.1016/j.
memsci.2012.03.030
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 6
Peters L, Hussain A, Follmann M, Melin T, Hägg MB.: CO2 removal from natural gas by employing amine absorption and membrane technology-a technical and economical analysis. Chemical engineering journal 172 (2011), 2-3,
952-960. DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2011.07.007
Pitsch F, Krull FF, Agel F, Schulz P, Wasserscheid P, Melin T, Wessling M: An Adaptive Self-Healing Ionic Liquid
Nanocomposite Membrane for Olefin-Paraffin Separations. Adv Mater. 2012 Aug 16;24(31):4306-10. Epub 2012 Jun
21. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201201832
Scholz M, Harlacher T, Melin T, Wessling M: Modeling gas permeation by linking non-ideal effects. Industrial and
Engineering Chemistry Research, 2012 - DOI: 10.1021/ie202689m
Wong JE, Richtering W: Layer-by-Layer Assembly on Stimuli-Responsive Microgels. In: Electrical Phenomena at Interfaces and Biointerfaces: Fundamentals and Applications in Nano-, Bio-, and Environmental Sciences (2012), 275-297 - DOI:
10.1002/9781118135440.ch16
Dissertations
Yu, Liang (2011): Occurrence, Fate and Transport of Trace Organic Contaminants in the Soil Aquifer Treatment
Process for Water Reclamation. Doctoral Thesis presented at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of RWTH Aachen
University
Ajhar, Marc (2011): Membrane-based Removal of Volatile Methylsiloxanes from Biogas. Doctoral Thesis presented
at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of RWTH Aachen University
Fritzmann, Clemens (2011): Micro-structured Spacer for Intensified Membrane Processes. Doctoral Thesis presented at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of RWTH Aachen University
EFCE Excellence Award in Membrane
Engineering for AVT.CVT alumnus
Dr. Steffen Bütehorn is the winner of the European
Federation of Chemical Engineering Excellence Award
2012. He received the prize for its PhD Thesis on the
„Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Hydrodynamics of Microfiltration Processes Using a MultiScale Approach“
which he completed two years ago at AVT.CVT under
the supervision of Professor Thomas Melin.
The jury acknowledged the breadth and depth of the
study, its scientific relevance, innovation and industrial
impact and the number and quality of his publications.
The award was presented in London, UK, during
Euromembrane 2012.
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 7
PhD Defenses 2011
In 2011 a number of PhD students successfully finished their work and defended their theses. However, the exam is the least challenging task for them on that day. The tradition at
the Department of Chemical Process Engineering requires them to endure a funny laudatory
speech prepared by their colleagues, during which the photos below were taken.
Liang Yu
Date of defense: 5 October 2011
Thesis title: Occurrence, Fate and Transport of Trace Organic Contaminants
in the Soil Aquifer Treatment Process for Water Reclamation
Liang‘s study was part of the FP6 EU projects Reclaim Water (018309) and
AQUAbase-a Marie-Curie Host Fellowship for Early Stage Research Training (MEST-CT-2004-505169)
She is now working as Research Associate at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, School of Life Sciences
The main objective of the work was
to elucidate the occurrence, fate,
transport and removal of selected
wastewater-originated trace organic contaminants in the soil aquifer
treatment (SAT) for the purpose of
managed aquifer recharge (MAR).
Firstly the occurrences of trace organic contaminants in effluent from
wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), surface water and groundwater
were reviewed in the work. Current
findings about the transport and fate
of trace organic contaminants in full/
pilot scale SAT as well as in soil/sediment test systems have also been
summarized.
In a case study using the treated
wastewater effluent of the municipal
WWTP Aachen Soers selected trace
organics were measured after having developed a sample preparation procedure and LC-MS/MS based
analytical methods for the detection
and quantification of target compounds.
For the pharmaceuticals carbamazepine, primidone, sulfamethoxazole
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 and the corrosion inhibitor benzotriazole the sorption kinetics and
isotherms were determined in experiments using various types of natural soils that differed in pH, organic
carbon content and particle size distribution. The compounds showed
weak sorption affinities however, organic carbon content and soil pH exhibited large influence on the sorption behavior.
Fate and transport of trace organic
contaminants in soil were further
investigated in a series of laboratory
miscible displacement experiments,
also having regard to the X-ray contrast media (iopromide and diatrizoate). Breakthrough experiments were
conducted in soil columns under
both unsaturated and saturated hydraulic conditions with treated wastewater from Aachen WWTP in order
to simulate the soil condition in the
field SAT application. Sorption and
biotransformation were observed for
certain compounds in different conditions.
Break-through curves of benzotriazole
(top) and iopromide (bottom) in soil
column experiments (squares: Lithium as
tracer substanc)
8
Clemens Fritzmann
Date of defense: 14 October 2011
Thesis title: Micro-structured Spacer for Intensified Membrane Processes
He is now working for Bayer Technology Services in Leverkusen, Germany
The efficiency
of
membrane
processes like
ultrafiltration or
reverse osmosis depends on
the optimised
flow conditions
within the membrane module. Spacers implemented in
flat sheet membrane modules contribute to efficient operation since mass transfer rates are substantially increased by the space-induced flow while fouling is reduced.
The use of spacers is not free of drawbacks and although
generally beneficial to mass transport it is associated
with higher energy dissipation in the flow channel and
can lead to additional operating problems such as intensified bio-fouling. Further the application of membrane
spacers to the treatment of fluids with high solid loads
is prohibited since the spacer filaments imply a high risk
of channel blockage
Within this thesis a new type of micro-structured membrane spacer design resembling structured packings is
introduced that reduces current shortcomings of net
spacers. The new spacer type has been analysed regarding its potential to enhance mass transfer and to reduce fouling. It was further investigated if the new spacer
design can open up new application for flat-sheet mem-
branes systems incorporating spacers where severe fouling and clogging problem so far eliminate the benefits
of spacers.
Evaluation of the spacer induced hydrodynamic showed
that several of the current problems are mitigated due to
higher local as well as overall shear forces on the membrane surface. In addition, the shear pattern imposed
by the micro-structured spacer displays no continuous
region of low shear stress and thus indicates a reduced
risk of particle precipitation and channel blockage.
Intensified mass transport is obtained by application
of the new micro-structured
membrane spaWilly-Hager Prize
cer
compared
to standard net
In 2011 Clemens Fritzmann has
spacers leading
been awarded the Willy-Hager
to a higher ovePrize which honours outstanrall performance
ding theses of young scientists
in terms of memin the field of water and wastebrane flux.
water treatment.
An
economic
He was presented the prize
comparison
of
at the opening of the annual
the micro-strucmeeting of the Water Chemistry
tured and net
Society in Neu-Ulm on 14 May
spacer at similar
2012.
membrane packing density revealed that significant gains in flux are obtained. Under
the selected process conditions a 50% increase in flux at
similar cross-flow power consumption was observed.
Further, higher process selectivity was obtained which
is most relevant in fractionation processes.
All these characteristics point at reduced fouling propensity when applied in high fouling potential applications. The new spacer geometry was thus tested in a
sub- merged membrane systems where application of
spacers so far has been prohibited due to severe fouling
problems. Air sparging was significantly reduced while
at the same time the trans-membrane flux could be increased two-fold without loss in process performance.
Simulated flow conditions in micro-structured spacer
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012
9
Marc Ajhar
Date of defense: 16 December 2011
Thesis title: Membrane-based Removal of Volatile Methylsiloxanes
from Biogas
Project co-funding was received from the Deutsche Bundesstiftung
Umwelt (DBU) under project number 23278.
Marc has taken up a position at Alstom Carbon Capture GmbH,
Wiesbaden, Germany
Both landfill and digester gases are
valuable renewable energy sources
contributing to a carbon dioxideneutral generation of electricity.
However, silicon-containing impurities have made harvesting biomethane increasingly difficult. Volatile methylsiloxanes (VMS) are
rightly considered the most undesirable components of landfill and digester gas. Their detrimental effects
on gas engines, turbines and other
machinery are well known to cause
increasing operating costs, either
by the need of expensive gas purification technology or more maintenance. Man-made siloxanes are
widely used in our industrial world
and their usage is likely to increase
even further.
The focus of this study was to investigate the use of dense, rubbery
membranes for siloxane removal as
alternative concept to state-of-the-art
in biogas purification systems based
on non-regenerable activated carbon.
The work performed comprised:
a) thorough overview of already
established and still developing
siloxane removal technologies,
b) detailed investigation of a viable
sampling and analytical method,
c) screening of different elastomers
to identify siloxane-selective
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012 membrane materials,
d) design of a suitable membrane
structure, i.e. theoretical considerations about the thicknesses
of the active separation layer and
the porous support layer,
e) assessment of the siloxane separation performance of a silicone
membrane module using both
synthetic gas under laboratory
conditions and real landfill gas,
f) comparison between the stateof-the-art technology (adsorption on activated carbon) and
membrane-based processes.
4- end, clearly have the potential
to significantly decrease operating
costs for siloxane removal. Commercially available PDMS membranes
with an active layer thickness of 0.25
µm could most easily be coated with
a layer of Pebax 2533 about 5 times
as thick. Simulations have shown
that the porous support must not be
particularly thin, so both flat sheet
and hollow fibre modules are suitable for the application. If this concept
is pursued, membranes could very
probably replace activated carbonbased siloxane removal as the new
state-of-the-art technology.
Results showed that membranebased silicon removal is competitive in both 3- and 4-end operation.
Central prerequisite is
a membrane with high
siloxane permeabilities
and a carbon dioxide-methane selectivity of say 7
or higher. Commercially
available PDMS membranes cause considerable methane losses if the
desired silicon depletion
is high; decreasing process temperatures will
not remedy this convincingly. However, Pebax
2533 membranes, especially when operated in Membrane pilot plant connected to the landfill gas line
10
A word about us
RWTH Aachen University
RWTH Aachen University is an integrated, interdisciplinary university of technology.
With 260 institutes in nine faculties, RWTH Aachen University is one of Europe’s leading institutions for science and research. Currently around 36,000 students are
enrolled in over 100 academic programs. Over 5,000 of
them are international students from 120 different countries. The scientific education students receive at RWTH
Aachen is firmly rooted in real-world applications. As a
result, graduates enter technical businesses for executive
positions. Graduates have a high aptitude for managing
complex tasks, constructive problem solving in teams,
and taking on leadership responsibilities. One out of
every five board members at German corporations is an
alumnus of RWTH Aachen.
The strategy of the chair is to integrate various scientific
and engineering disciplines across length-scales as visualized in the figure above.
Within AVT, the research program focusses on membrane process engineering, multi-physics modelling and
device and module design. All materials science related
research is carried within the DWI - The Institute for Interactive Materials Research - as depicted below.
Membrane Research at RWTH
Membrane research is carried out at various locations at
RWTH Aachen University. An integrated interdisciplinary research program on membrane science and technology is established at the Chair of Chemical Process
Engineering. The chair is part of the Aachener Verfahrenstechnik AVT, a Chemical Engineering research and
teaching alliance.
The vision of the chair is to control mass transport and
conversions using selective, functional membranes.
The research program
The research topics on Membrane Science and Technology can be clustered into four programs. SusPro addresses membrane based concepts for sustainable process
solutions. e2chem is a program that focuses on electrochemical membrane reactors for energy storage as well
as conversions. Transport tries to answer fundamental
questions of mass transport through membranes and at
the membrane/fluid interface. Adact develops new interactive, adaptive membrane systems.
The mission of the program is to interact closely with
fundamental science, perform fundamental studies on
membrane transport and develop new membranes, modules and processes for the grand global challenges.
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012
11
OSN 2013
During 12-14 March 2013, Aachen will turn into the
stronghold of organic solvent nanofiltration experts
from industry and academia.
The chair of Chemical Process Engineering will organise
the 4th International Conference on Organic Solvent Nanofiltration, addressing the full spectrum of applications
in the food industry, pharmaceutical and fine chemical
industry as well as the petrochemical industry.
Lectures, posters and discussions will reflect state of the
art and new ideas for technologies and products in the
field of organic solvent nanofiltration.
Follow the update of conference details at our website.
www.avt.rwth-aachen.de/OSN2013
Deadline for abstracts:
15 November 2012
Membrane Course for Water Technologies
In June 2013, the Chemical Process Engineering department of the RWTH Aachen University (AVT.CVT) will
offer for the first time the
“Membrane Course for
Water Technologies” (MCW).
The objective is to supply professionals of different
backgrounds with both a theoretical and practical knowledge about membrane processes in the field of water
treatment technologies.
Present established technologies such as microfiltration
and ultrafiltration (MF and UF), nanofiltration (NF) and
reverse osmosis (RO) will be covered. Considering electrodialysis or forward osmosis will give attention also to
emerging membrane applications.
Special focus will be placed on energy issues, having re-
gard to energy reduction requirements as well as energy
production from water sources.
The course material will not require any specific previous knowledge in membrane technologies and is thus
advisable to any professional, either from R&D, engineering, production or marketing who would like to
obtain a profound theoretical background on the subject
backed by practical experiences.
www.avt.rwth-aachen.de/mcw
Course date: 5-6 June 2013
Course language: English
Imprint
RWTH Aachen University
Aachener Verfahrenstechnik
Chemical Process Engineering
Turmstr. 46, 52056 Aachen, Germany
T +49 241 8095470
E [email protected]
Contact: Rita Hochstrat
Photo credits: Thilo Vogel (Promotion Fritzmann)
Flux | Issue 2 | Fall 2012
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