Development of ultrastable high flux hydrophobic pervaporation membranes for organic separations. Perfluorinated glassy polymers (Teflons AF) as membrane materials are endowed with unique fluxes and excellent stability when in contact with various liquid organic mixtures. However, they have never been explored as membrane materials for pervaporation. The aims of this project are therefore to evaluate the applicability of composite membranes based on amorphous Teflons AF to the separation of orga ....Development of ultrastable high flux hydrophobic pervaporation membranes for organic separations. Perfluorinated glassy polymers (Teflons AF) as membrane materials are endowed with unique fluxes and excellent stability when in contact with various liquid organic mixtures. However, they have never been explored as membrane materials for pervaporation. The aims of this project are therefore to evaluate the applicability of composite membranes based on amorphous Teflons AF to the separation of organic mixtures and the removal of organic pollutants from water. The outcomes of this project will be the development of novel environmentally friendly processes in the petrochemical and biotechnology industries as well as ecologically efficient methods of waste water treatment.Read moreRead less
Optimising Fouling Control in Membrane Bioreactors. Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are growing in importance for wastewater treatment because they offer an alternative for producing higher effluent quality wastewater within a more compact space compared to conventional processes. However, due to the pumping and bubbling used to keep the membranes clear of foulants resulting from the biological processes in MBR's, controlling fouling incurs significant energy usage and costs. The proposal aims to red ....Optimising Fouling Control in Membrane Bioreactors. Membrane bioreactors (MBR) are growing in importance for wastewater treatment because they offer an alternative for producing higher effluent quality wastewater within a more compact space compared to conventional processes. However, due to the pumping and bubbling used to keep the membranes clear of foulants resulting from the biological processes in MBR's, controlling fouling incurs significant energy usage and costs. The proposal aims to reduce the costs of fouling control by understanding the optimal conditions to remove these depositions and improve the design of MBR modules, operating conditions and shear delivery in the membrane system.Read moreRead less
Macromolecular Fouling in Membrane Bioreactors. As the demands for domestic and industrial water increasing in Australia and overseas, membrane bioreactors (MBR) offer an alternative for producing higher effluent quality wastewater compared to conventional processes. However, aeration costs used to remove fouling deposits (which reduce the operating performance) need to be further minimised. The proposal aims to study fundamental mechanisms involve in the deposition of foulant components by usin ....Macromolecular Fouling in Membrane Bioreactors. As the demands for domestic and industrial water increasing in Australia and overseas, membrane bioreactors (MBR) offer an alternative for producing higher effluent quality wastewater compared to conventional processes. However, aeration costs used to remove fouling deposits (which reduce the operating performance) need to be further minimised. The proposal aims to study fundamental mechanisms involve in the deposition of foulant components by using model systems of polysaccharides, proteins and microbial cells and comparing these with real MBR systems. The effect of bubbling varied gas compositions (air/H2S ratios) a novel approach in this study will be investigated to prevent or remove foulants in MBR systems. Read moreRead less
Electrocoagulation as a low-cost option for the continuous treatment of highly polluted wastewater. Water is a critically important 'raw material' with less than 0.01% of Earth's total supply being readily available. 'Once through' utilisation of this resource is no longer an acceptable industrial practise. Recycling/reuse of industrial wastewater must become the norm with economic pollutant recovery being seen as integral to the solution. The food/beverage industries are major water users. Deta ....Electrocoagulation as a low-cost option for the continuous treatment of highly polluted wastewater. Water is a critically important 'raw material' with less than 0.01% of Earth's total supply being readily available. 'Once through' utilisation of this resource is no longer an acceptable industrial practise. Recycling/reuse of industrial wastewater must become the norm with economic pollutant recovery being seen as integral to the solution. The food/beverage industries are major water users. Detailed scoping work in 2005 has identified electrocoagulation as a technically simple and economically viable option for this industry sector. Our industry partner is part of a global multi-national corporation within which successful wastewater treatment technology will be rapidly exploited and exported. Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0882833
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$120,000.00
Summary
Advanced infrared imaging facility for micro to macro systems. This state-of-the-art infrared imaging equipment will provide significant benefits towards research and development in a wide variety of important areas such as: green house gas reduction through efficient and clean energy production and usage, using solar thermal and solar photovoltaic energy; understanding fire propagation in buildings, and efficiently growing stem cells. This equipment will help maintain Australia's position as a ....Advanced infrared imaging facility for micro to macro systems. This state-of-the-art infrared imaging equipment will provide significant benefits towards research and development in a wide variety of important areas such as: green house gas reduction through efficient and clean energy production and usage, using solar thermal and solar photovoltaic energy; understanding fire propagation in buildings, and efficiently growing stem cells. This equipment will help maintain Australia's position as a leader in these fields, and thus attract international customers to research and development services in rapidly growing markets such as alternative/renewable energy and biotechnology.Read moreRead less