This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to develop a ceramic nanofiltration membrane with highly uniform pores oriented perpendicularly to the membrane surface using DNA as a template in a silica sol-gel. This membrane will be optimized to perform molecular separation and purification of fuels and chemicals from cellulosic biomass. The research objectives are to create a membrane with the desired pore size and orientation features. A prototype membrane will be produced and tested for its ability to dewater biofuels by pervaporation. It is anticipated that the selective ceramic membrane layer will provide efficient separations and have high temperature and chemical tolerance. The membrane will have applications for a range of industrial markets including wastewater purification and desalination.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the development of an innovative membrane technology that will contribute significant energy savings to the production of alternative fuels from cellulosic biomass. Potential end users will include biorefineries that convert cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals. A great advantage of molecular separations by membranes rather than distillation is the 40- 50% savings in energy. If successful, this project would lead to a new class of high-throughput ceramic nanofiltration membranes that will have applications to other industrial sectors, including wastewater purification, natural gas purification, and coal gasification. This project promises to contribute significant energy savings to the production of alternative fuels from renewable resources.
Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II/IIB award supported the research and development of a patented nano-technology product, the helix-NFM that is capable of providing significant energy and cost savings for the production of alternative fuels from renewable resources. The helix-NFM is a nano-ceramic coating that uses DNA to create highly efficient ceramic filters capable of operating under harsh conditions. For instance, it can remove large volumes of water to recover dissolved substances in highly acidic environments using 95% less energy than current evaporator technology. The unique combination of durability and high purity filtration means that valuable products can now be recovered under harsh conditions at significantly lower cost. This capability has wide-ranging applications due to ever increasing demands for high product purity across numerous industries. These include wastewater purification, biofuels and bio-derived chemical producers, natural gas producers, and food and beverage producers. Furthermore, the successful commercialization of this technology would lead to a US-manufactured high performance nano-ceramic coating that could be exported and contribute to the growth of the US manufacturing sector of the economy. Specific outcomes due to the SBIR funding included improvements to the nanotechnology method using DNA which has led to three issued US patents, and the development of proof-of-concept prototypes. SBIR funds were also used to employ two undergraduate researchers and three high school students, three of whom were from underrepresented groups in materials science and engineering. Additionally, matching funds from this program were leveraged to raise $261,000 in seed financing from Angel investors which has helped the company hire two additional employees and enhance commercialization efforts. At this time the company is working with a variety of stakeholders- potential customers and strategic partners- to deploy numerous prototypes for pilot studies of this innovative technology.
