STTR Phase I: Three Dimensional (3D) Printed Mixed Matrix Membranes for Biogas Upgrading

STTR 第一阶段：用于沼气升级的三维 (3D) 打印混合基质膜

• 批准号: 2223083
• 负责人: Imman Jebaraj
• 金额: $ 27.5万
• 依托单位: MEMBRANEX, LLC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-01-01 至 2024-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2223083&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: STTR; Phase; Three; Dimensional; 3D

The broader impact /commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to derisk a new membrane manufacturing technology for biogas upgrading. Renewable natural gas (RNG) is attractive as a carbon neutral energy source as it is derived from organic wastes such as food waste, agricultural waste, and municipal biosolids. RNG is part of biogas and requires cost- and energy-effective separation from carbon dioxide. The company has developed an additive manufacturing technology that enables the fabrication of high performance membranes to enable lower cost biogas upgrading. These membranes offer energy and system design benefits over more traditional separations technologies for the production of RNG. The membrane printing approach may lead to the production of best-in-class membranes for RNG production and could enable carbon capture and utilization from biogas sources.This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project seeks to demonstrate the production of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) comprised of polyether block amide polymer and zif8 zeolite. The proposed method uses electrospray based additive manufacturing to precisely control membrane thickness and zeolite loading, allowing customized membrane properties for biogas upgrading. Furthermore, the additive manufacturing, or printing, method enables increased loading of the zeolite over conventional casting techniques without the formation of defects that would lessen selectivity. The goals of the project include quantification of the maximum zeolite loading while avoiding loss of selectivity. The company will produce small membrane leaves up to 1 ft2 in area and demonstrate consistent performance across the leaf using mixed gas testing.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该小型企业技术转让 (STTR) 第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是消除用于沼气升级的新膜制造技术的风险。 可再生天然气 (RNG) 作为一种碳中性能源很有吸引力，因为它源自有机废物，如食物垃圾、农业废物和城市生物固体。 RNG 是沼气的一部分，需要以经济高效的方式与二氧化碳分离。 该公司开发了一种增材制造技术，可以制造高性能膜，从而实现更低成本的沼气升级。 与用于生产 RNG 的更传统的分离技术相比，这些膜具有能源和系统设计优势。膜印刷方法可能会生产出用于 RNG 生产的一流膜，并且可以实现沼气来源中的碳捕获和利用。该小型企业技术转让 (STTR) 第一阶段项目旨在展示混合基质膜的生产(MMM) 由聚醚嵌段酰胺聚合物和 zif8 沸石组成。 所提出的方法使用基于电喷雾的增材制造来精确控制膜厚度和沸石负载，从而为沼气升级提供定制的膜特性。此外，与传统铸造技术相比，增材制造或印刷方法能够增加沸石的负载量，而不会形成会降低选择性的缺陷。 该项目的目标包括量化最大沸石负载，同时避免选择性损失。该公司将生产面积达 1 平方英尺的小型膜叶，并通过混合气体测试展示整个膜片的一致性能。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。