Application of solvent-resistant nanofiltration membranes at industrially relevant conditions

This project will characterize the performance of state-of-the-art polymeric membrane chemistries at enhanced pressure and temperatures for a selection of industrially relevant solvent classes. General structure-property relationships will be formulated to describe the behavior of the diverse membrane classes at these challenging conditions. This fundamental knowledge will allow both short-term implementation of solvent-resistant nanofiltration in new industrial applications as well as assisting future membrane development by developing guidelines. Subsequently, these insights will be applied to explain recently observed solvent (de)activation effects on membrane performance and explore their potential for practical applications. Finally, the influence of post-synthesis membrane conditioning, commonly applied in industry, will be studied with regards to its influence on separation performance.