Graphene/Inorganic Hollow Fibre Membranes for Water Treatment

Membrane-based filtration technologies are standard separation processes and are widely used in water treatment; however their performance is still severely limited by the membrane thickness. This project combines the cutting-edge technologies of membrane fabrication and the science of atomic layer materials, graphene, to realize high-performance graphene hollow fibre membranes for desalination of seawater and wastewater treatment. We will develop graphene membranes supported by metal hollow fibre substrates where the thickness of the graphene membrane layer will be less than 5 nm with controlled pore size from 0.3 to 20 nm. The graphene hollow fibre membrane will overwhelm other membranes with the same pore size by at least fifty times higher permeation flux. Furthermore, in this project we will assemble membrane modules of above graphene hollow fibre membranes and build a lab-scale demo plant to evaluate its feasibility in real applications. A set of methodologies and knowledge of preparing graphene hollow fibre membranes and membrane modules will be developed for the first time, making graphene in a real engineering application.

The need for clean water and environment is paramount. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the shortage of water affects more than 40% of the world population due to political, economic and climatological reasons. In addition, over 25% of the world population suffers from health and hygiene problems related to water.

An outstanding challenge is the development of more efficient systems for the production of clean water without affecting the environment. The unique properties of graphene based hollow fibre membranes can open new opportunities in the design of new devices that will have a significant impact in water and environment.

This proposal addresses the need to developing new manufacturing capabilities in graphene based hollow fibre membranes in the UK. The recent economic crisis has highlighted the important role of the manufacturing industry in creating a sustainable economy and promoting job creation.

This research will contribute to the formation of a new manufacturing technology and area where there is an opportunity for UK to take a world-leading role. It is designed to generate new graphene based membrane fabrication technologies with emphasis on industrial translation and whose impact goes beyond the manufacturing process. These technologies will provide new commercial opportunities. The research will also contribute to the formation of new highly skilled professionals who will take a leading role in academy and industry.

Finally the dissemination of the research results and the participation of the team in outreach activities will encourage more high quality students to join the fields of materials science and engineering.