Sohail Murad, Chemical Engineering Department Primary Grant Support: US Department of Energy Semi-permeable Membranes
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Recycling Regions
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Problem Statement and Motivation •
Understand The Molecular Basis For Membrane Based Separations
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Explain At The Fundamental Molecular Level Why Membranes Allow Certain Solvents To Permeate, While Others Are Stopped
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Use This Information To Develop Strategies For Better Design Of Membrane Based Separation Processes For New Applications.
Solvated Ion Clusters Prevent Ions from Permeating the Membrane
Key Achievements and Future Goals
Technical Approach •
Determine The Key Parameters/Properties Of The Membrane That Influence The Separation Efficiency
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Explained The Molecular Basis Of Reverse Osmosis in a Desalination Process (Formation of Solvated Ionic Clusters).
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Use Molecular Simulations To Model The Transport Of Solvents And Solutes Across The Membrane?
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Used This Improved Understanding To Predict The Zeolite Membranes Would Be Effective In Removing A Wide Range Of Impurities From Water.
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Focus All Design Efforts On These Key Specifications To Improve The Design Of Membranes.
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This Prediction Was Recently Confirmed By Experimental Studies Carried Out In New Mexico.
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Showed That Ion Exchange Is Energetically Driven Rather Than Entropic. Explains The More Efficient Exchange Between Ca And Na In Zeolites.
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Use Molecular Simulations As A Quick Screening Tool For Determining The Suitability Of A Membrane For A Proposed New Separation Problem