Tuning Membrane Chemistry for Desalination and Water Reuse Applications. Climate change has led to a dramatic reduction in the availability of fresh water in southern Australia. Consequently, seawater desalination and wastewater recycling facilities are growing in number and size throughout the country. This project will directly benefit operation of these facilities by providing insight into the fundamentals of the membranes they utilise. The development of better predictive models of performan ....Tuning Membrane Chemistry for Desalination and Water Reuse Applications. Climate change has led to a dramatic reduction in the availability of fresh water in southern Australia. Consequently, seawater desalination and wastewater recycling facilities are growing in number and size throughout the country. This project will directly benefit operation of these facilities by providing insight into the fundamentals of the membranes they utilise. The development of better predictive models of performance will lead to more efficient water production. The project will specifically evaluate the ability of these membranes to retain dangerous contaminants such as endocrine disrupting chemicals and boric acid. Ultimately, the project will lead to lower costs for water production in Australia and better guarantee of supply.Read moreRead less
Zeolitic Nanoflake-Polymer Composite Membranes for Low Energy Desalination. The desalination of seawater is becoming an important source of drinking water for Australia. The current desalination process using polymer membranes is energy-intensive. The proposed project will contribute to the development of low energy desalination technology by advancing membrane design and fabrication techniques. The use of zeolitic nanoflake-polymer composite membranes developed in this project is expected to su ....Zeolitic Nanoflake-Polymer Composite Membranes for Low Energy Desalination. The desalination of seawater is becoming an important source of drinking water for Australia. The current desalination process using polymer membranes is energy-intensive. The proposed project will contribute to the development of low energy desalination technology by advancing membrane design and fabrication techniques. The use of zeolitic nanoflake-polymer composite membranes developed in this project is expected to substantially reduce energy consumption in the desalination process. This research will produce important economic and environmental benefits by developing a green technology for fresh water production and water treatment for power generation, irrigation and other industrial uses.Read moreRead less
Optimising dissolved air flotation (DAF) for algae removal by bubble modification in drinking water and advanced wastewater systems. Algal blooms in potable water reservoirs and advanced wastewater treatment lagoons can impact the performance and economic viability of water treatment processes resulting in taste and odour episodes and the risk of algal toxins as well as causing further limitation to already stressed water resources in Australia. This project aims to develop an adaptation of the ....Optimising dissolved air flotation (DAF) for algae removal by bubble modification in drinking water and advanced wastewater systems. Algal blooms in potable water reservoirs and advanced wastewater treatment lagoons can impact the performance and economic viability of water treatment processes resulting in taste and odour episodes and the risk of algal toxins as well as causing further limitation to already stressed water resources in Australia. This project aims to develop an adaptation of the dissolved air flotation process that is already used for algae treatment that will provide a more robust, economic and sustainable barrier to algal cells in accordance with the Australian Drinking and Recycled Water Guidelines.Read moreRead less
Improving the Durability and Performance of Hollow Fibre Membranes with Nanocomposite and Inorganic/organic Hybrid Materials. Water is a critical resource for societies worldwide and Australia is one of the driest nations on Earth. Options to treat ‘used’ or lower quality waters for reuse are becoming a necessity. This project aims to implement advanced nanotechnology solutions to improve performance characteristics of widely adopted water treatment membranes, which have the potential to reduce ....Improving the Durability and Performance of Hollow Fibre Membranes with Nanocomposite and Inorganic/organic Hybrid Materials. Water is a critical resource for societies worldwide and Australia is one of the driest nations on Earth. Options to treat ‘used’ or lower quality waters for reuse are becoming a necessity. This project aims to implement advanced nanotechnology solutions to improve performance characteristics of widely adopted water treatment membranes, which have the potential to reduce water treatment costs in Australia. This is made possible by the collaboration with Australia's largest manufacturer of water treatment membranes. The outcomes will lead towards a lower maintenance water treatment technology available to communities, at lower cost. The application of such a technology will span from local small scale to major installations worldwide.Read moreRead less
Lowering membrane fouling by matching pre-treatment to membrane type. Delivery of potable and recycled water to communities and industry increasingly uses membrane treatment to ensure high standards of water quality, particularly as water scarcity leads to the use of poor quality water sources. Fouling of membranes occurs as water is treated, adding expense and complexity to the process. Reducing fouling will lower the cost of water treatment and improve the economics of treating water in smal ....Lowering membrane fouling by matching pre-treatment to membrane type. Delivery of potable and recycled water to communities and industry increasingly uses membrane treatment to ensure high standards of water quality, particularly as water scarcity leads to the use of poor quality water sources. Fouling of membranes occurs as water is treated, adding expense and complexity to the process. Reducing fouling will lower the cost of water treatment and improve the economics of treating water in smaller systems at source. This will enable greater reliability of localised treatment, which will reduce pumping requirements and decrease both cost and carbon emissions. Read moreRead less