Advances in separation science are critical to future U.S. economic competitiveness in the industries and the I/UCRC Program. The objectives of the Center for Separations Using Thin Films at the University of Colorado, Boulder are to: (a) conduct basic research and related development activities for the use of thin film technology in separation processes and b) provide rapid technology transfer between Center research projects and industrial participants. Thin films such as ceramics and polymers offer new separation possibilities with a resulting impact on the capital, operating costs, and energy consumption in industries that can use the technology such as the chemical, petro chemical and gas separation industries. The proposed center plans to work on acid/gas separation using ion-exchange membranes and separation of olefin isomers using novel transport membranes. It will also focus on membrane fouling in liquid phase cross-filtration, modeling, and laboratory studies for control of solvent-cast membrane morphology in gas separation applications, etc. This Center is being cost-shared with the Separations and Purification Program of the Division of Chemical and Thermal Systems (E.I. Frances, Program Director). The Program Director recommends that the University of Colorado, Boulder be awarded $60,000 per year for a five year continuing grant. Near the end of each 12 month period the Program Manager and/or the Director of the Engineering Center Division will review the progress of the center on a number of criteria, including the following: (1) the extent to which the university-industry interaction and collaboration is developing; (2) The extent to which the support base is expanding; (3) the extent to which a robust research program is developing. If the review is satisfactory, the Program Director will recommend support of the next period of this continuing grant.
