Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis - Membrane Research

Research Profile

Membrane research was initiated at the "Department of Interphase Chemistry" of the K.U.Leuven in the beginning of the nineties. Initially, it was closely linked to catalysis, the main emphasis of the department, but new research lines developed later on. Because of internal reorganisation its now a part of the Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems (M²S).

Focus remained on the development of new membranes, with applications in

• (Solvent resistant) nanofiltration - (SR)NF
• Reverse osmosis - RO
• Pervaporation
• Membrane bioreactors - MBR
• Gas separation
• Catalytic membrane reactors - CMR

Main current research activities

• Development of new membranes (polymeric, ceramic and organomineral)
• Incorporation of fillers (zeolites, CNTs, MOFs, metalnanoparticles, …) in polymeric membranes for improved performance
• Membranes based on advanced polymer systems (segmented polymer networks, polyelectrolyte complexes, block copolymers, self-assembly, …)
• Description of membrane transport mechanisms
• Study of transport of solutes and solvents through (SR)NF and RO membranes
• High-throughput testing of membranes
• Development of equipment and strategies to allow fast, automated screening and optimisation of membranes and process parameters (creation of a spin-off company: HTML)
• MBR
• Fundamental study of biofouling, its remediation via novel concepts and in-situ characterisation
• CMR
• Incorporation of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts in polymeric membranes to improve their performance
• Coupling of catalysed reactions to membrane separations to allow catalyst recycle or facilitated product purification

Typical applications

• SRNF: preparation of membrane stable in organic solvents combining high flux and high selectivity
• NF/RO: removal of micropollutants and fractionation of ions
• PV: bio-ethanol recovery
• GS: CO2 selective membranes for applications in biogas upgrading, natural gas processing and flue gas treatments; membranes for air separation
• CMR: removal of homogeneous catalysts, separations of ionic liquids from solvents, product fractionation
• MBR: waste water treatment

Membrane Crew

Courses

Since 2003, an under-graduate course on Membrane Technology is organised by the Department (Master's in Bioscience Engineering: Catalytic Technology). Courses on Adsorption and Chromatography focus on other separation processes.
Under-graduate students also participate directly in membrane research via short projects that are part of the courses Projectwerk Interfasechemie, Begeleid integrerend groepswerk en Practicum analytische chemie.

Facilities

Only non-HT membrane equipment is shown below. All HT-equipment available in the lab is presented on the HTML-website.

Membrane synthesis

• Thin film applicator
  
  
• Several other types of laboratory made equipment for small-scale coating of flat sheet membranes
• Spin coater
• Forced air oven
• Vacuum ovens
  
  

Filtration equipment

• 4 dead-end microfiltration cells
  
  
• 4 nanofiltration/reverse osmosis cells (P < 60 bar)
  
  
• 1 cross-flow filtration cell
  
  
• 1 evapomeation cell
  
  
• 3 dialysis cells
  
  
• 5 pervaporation cells (2 single cell set-ups, 1 set-up with 3 cells in series)
  
  

Catalytic membrane reactors

• 1 tubular catalytic membrane reactors
  
  
• 2 flat sheet catalytic membrane reactors
  
  
• Several (reactor/membrane module) coupled set-ups
  
  

High-throughput membrane testing and combinatorial membrane synthesis

• 2 liquid handling robots
• Several ultra-fast GCs and HPLCs
  
  
• All other HT-equipment: see the dedicated pages at HTML-website.
  
  

Click here to see a video showing the automated preparation of membrane casting solutions, casting via phase inversion and the high-throughput testing in solvent resistant nanofiltration. 

Publications: For an up-to-date list, click here

Patents

Method for preparing membranes, said membranes, separation methods using said membranes and the use of said membranes as catalytic membranes.
I.F.J. Vankelecom, P.A. Jacobs, J.B. Uytterhoeven
European Patent, 1996, EP 96201340.5-2113, 16 p.

High throughput screening of membranes
Pieter Vandezande, Lieven E.M. Gevers, Johan S. Paul, Ivo F.J. Vankelecom, Pierre A. Jacobs
Patent, WO 2006/002500 A1   PCT/BE2005/000110   EP05763984.1

Integrated process consisting of a catalytic reaction step and catalyst recycling step by reversible phase separation of a non-aqueous ionic liquid and organic solvents
Adi Wolfson, Ivo Vankelecom, Pierre Jacobs
Patent, GB02222546.4.

Membranes comprising porous hollow particles
Katrien Vanherck, Steliana Aldea, Alexander Aerts, Johan Martens, Ivo Vankelecom
Patent GB0709115.0

Amine cross-linked polyimide membranes for SRNF
Katrien Vanherck, Pieter Vandezande, Ivo Vankelecom
Patent GB0709228.1

Pressure driven separation of liquid feeds
Vankelecom Ivo, Jacobs Pierre, Gevers Lieven
Patent PCTLBE2004/000177

The preparation of porous materials via emulsion templating with a polymer based continuous phase and the use of said porous materials
Ivo F.J. Vankelecom, LE.M. Gevers, Sebastien Kremer, Johan Martens, J. Vermant, P.A. Jacobs
Patent GB0422937.3.

Process for fractionating a mixture of polyisocyanates
Robert Carr, Rabah Mohazer, Angels Cano-Odena, Ivo Vankelecom
Patent United States 20100213126

Zeolite-like membranes from nano-zeolitic particles
Anita Buekenhoudt, Pierre Jacobs, Ivo Vankelecom, Johan Martnes
Patent WO2007/045053 A1; CN101325997

Presentations

Awards

Laureaat 2002 of the Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België voor Wetenschappen en Kunst, Klasse van de Natuurwetenschappen.

Winner of the Donald W. Breck-award 1998 for the most significant contribution to molecular sieve science and technology, presented by the International Zeolite Association at the IZA ’98 in Baltimore, USA.

Price for the best paper 1998 in Clean Products and Processing for
Clean catalytic technology for liquid phase hydrocarbon oxidation
G. Langhendries, D.E. De Vos, B. Sels, I.F.J. Vankelecom, P.A. Jacobs, G.V. Baron
Clean Products and Processing, 1998, 1, 21-29.

Koen Desmet
DSM-award 2nd price 2004.

Kristien Desitter
Poster price 11th PhD Symposium on Applied Biological Sciences, 6 oktober 2005, Leuven.

Lieven Gevers
DSM-award 2nd price 2006.

Kris Desitter
'NanoMemPro Presentation Award' at Euromembrane 2006
Preparation and characterisation of organomineral membranes prepared by incorporation of nanoparticles in polymers.

Lieven Gevers
European Membrane Society Award for Best Paper 2006

Xianfeng Li            
Best Poster Award, 12th NMG-BMG Membrane Symposium, Antwerp, Dec 6th 2008.

Pieter Vandezande
Poster price at NAMS 2008, Hawai, USA

Solidification of Emulsified polymer Solutions via Phase Inversion (SEPPI): a Generic Way to Prepare Polymers with Controlled Porosity.
Vandezande P., Gevers L., Vermant J., Martens J.A., Jacobs P.A., and Vankelecom I.F.J. (COK - K.U.Leuven)
Chem. Mat., 20, 3457-3465, 2008
received the 2nd price for the Best Membrane Related Paper for 2008

Pieter Vandezande
Prize-winner of the DSM Awards for Science and Technology 2009

Contact

Prof. Ivo Vankelecom
Centre for Surface Science and Catalysis
Faculty of Bioscience Engineering , M²S
K.U.Leuven
Kasteelpark Arenberg 23
3001 Leuven
Belgium
Tel: + 32-16-32.15.94
Fax: + 32-16-32.19.98
E-mail: ivo.vankelecom@biw.kuleuven.be