REDAEM: Anion-Exchange Membranes for Reverse Electrodialysis
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Edinburgh
Department Name: Sch of Engineering
Abstract
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| Description | Current methodology to measure transport of ions and electrical performances for ion exchange membranes involves the use of stacks containing 10 membranes. This leads to average results and an incomplete picture of what is happening in the materials. During the project we designed a new cell for measurements that allows to have more detailled information on single membranes. The amount of data that we can get running different experiments in different conditions allows also to parametrise more complex models compared to what we usually do. These complex models are required to more accurately predict what happens during operation of systems like Electrodialysis for the purification of water or Reverse Electrodialisys for the production of electricity from salinity gradients. More accurate prediction will allow us to optimise the system and the materials to improve performances. |
| Exploitation Route | The new cell design and the protocol of the experiments to find parameters for the Maxwell-Stefan model can be used by other researcher to characterise different systems (membrane materials or different ions in solutions). The new procedure and the cell design will be able in open access publications that are under preparation. |
| Sectors | Chemicals,Energy,Environment |
| Title | IEM characterisation data for commercial samples |
| Description | These are teh raw data of the experiment performed on Fujifilm commercial membranes |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | Thsi is the first set of data that allowed ot validate teh rpotocol we designed. |
| Title | Maxwell Stefan parameters regression |
| Description | This protocol allows to run experimetns and extract parameters for the Maxwell Stefan model description of transport in membranes |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | This protocol will allow more detailled characterisation of IEM and fundamental understanding of interactions of ions and membrane materials ultimately resulting in optimisation of the separation process |
| Description | Collaborative MEng thesis with University of Palermo |
| Organisation | University of Palermo |
| Country | Italy |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This was a joint MeEng final project carried out in collaboration where the student expanded soem of the research in the REDAEM project. I provided supervision to the student on part of the project |
| Collaborator Contribution | This was a joint MeEng final project carried out in collaboration where the student expanded soem of the research in the REDAEM project. Palermo provided supervision to the student on part of the project |
| Impact | MEng final thesis to be submitted in April 2 papers to be submitted |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Surrey |
| Organisation | University of Surrey |
| Department | Department of Chemistry |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We characterised materials developed by the collaborator |
| Collaborator Contribution | They provided novel Ionic Exchange Membranes for characterisation. |
| Impact | Full characterisation of IEM |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Title | 6- compartment RED cell |
| Description | New designed cell for the measuremtn of electrical and transport properties in membrane samples. The new design allows to run a series of experiments that can provide full parameters for singel membranes opposed to the effective properties currently measured on several samples simultaneously. |
| Type Of Technology | Physical Model/Kit |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | The new cell led to new fudning adn new collaboration (please see relevant sections) |