Phase II IUCRC at University of Arkansas: Center for Membrane Science, Engineering and Technology (MAST)

University Of Arkansas, Fayetteville AR

Investigators

Abstract

The Membrane Science, Engineering and Technology (MAST) Center focuses on membrane-based separations. Separation processes are essential to purify and recover products. Separations using synthetic membranes are often cost-effective. Membrane-based separations have broad industrial applications including but not limited to: chemical, biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, food production, biomedical devices and oil and gas production. Membranes are critical for desalination of seawater and for water recycle and reuse. The MAST Center is largely sponsored by corporations as well as federal agencies and national laboratories. The industrial members represent major membrane manufactures and users. By bringing them together, the MAST Center catalyzes the development of new membranes, devices and processes for emerging separations challenges thus directly addressing the national interest by promoting progress in science, advancements in health care, prosperity and welfare. The new membranes and membrane-based separation processes developed in the MAST Center can lead to more affordable human therapeutics, new specialty chemicals and accelerated efficiency for water recovery and reuse. The education and training opportunities provided to students and researchers at the University of Arkansas site are directly leading to the development of a highly trained workforce that is attracting new high-tech industries to Arkansas. The MAST Center focuses on developing new membranes, devices and processes for a range of industries. The Center consists of three university sites. Current center-spanning research themes, aligned with sponsor interests and fundamental challenges include water treatment, bioseparations, membrane fabrication and characterization, organic solvent recovery, gas separations and barrier membranes. The University of Arkansas site focusses on water recovery and reuse, bioseparations and the use of modeling tools to design advanced membranes and membrane processes. A major research area is the removal of emerging contaminates from wastewater in order to facilitate direct potable reuse. Water recycle and reuse for the aquaculture and agriculture industries is another major thrust. The University of Arkansas site has a strong thrust in understanding the performance of commercially available membranes and membrane based unit operations for removal of contaminants such as host cell proteins and DNA as well as validating virus clearance in the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals. A cross-cutting theme on multi-scale modeling leads to unique fundamental insights into separation mechanisms as well as membrane formation processes. These insights will enable the design of new advanced membranes that address the separations challenges faced by membrane users. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.