(349a) Commercialize a Membrane Technology – Scale up from Lab to Pilot to Commercial Plant

Many new membrane technologies are invented in labs, but most of them fail to be commercialized, and in many cases because of issues that arise during technology scale-up.

Scaling up membrane technology from lab to pilot to commercial plant is a crucial step in producing high performance products. The scale–up of membrane technology involves three main technical areas:

1. New membrane chemistries:

• Fundamental understanding of membrane formation via interfacial polymerization
• The functions of chemical additives in the membrane formulation and the reaction mechanism
• Membrane physical and chemical properties and its effect on final formation and long-term stability

1. Manufacturing process

• Proper process design to accommodate the transition from batch operation to continuous production
• Considering fluid dynamic effect of high-speed coating process
• Proper make-up solution strategies to ensure a stable manufacturing process
• Environment friendly and economical operation are critical criteria
• Implement all necessary safety measures

1. Manufacturing equipment

• Integration of process technology into equipment via special design of the machine
• Incorporation of advanced automation to streamline daily production, and reduce waste and downtime due to human error

If technology transfer or licensing is involved, some additional important aspects will need to be addressed in order to have a successful scale-up process for a commercial production.