International collaboration on membrane technology project

A $1.36 million grant will enable a University of Sydney research team to continue its work in the field of membrane technology.

Dr Ali Abbas, from the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, leads a research team developing mathematical models to simulate gas separation membranes used in the oil and gas, petrochemical and biofuel industries. The team is working on process designs for applications in future green and sustainable energy processes and in clean technologies such as carbon dioxide separation and capture.

The researchers recently received a $1.36 million grant from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) which will enable the project to go ahead. The Sydney team will collaborate with partners from KAUST in Saudi Arabia and Jilin University in China.

Gas separation by membranes has emerged as an alternative to conventional methods such as distillation, absorption and crystallisation, which are often energy and capital intensive.

The development of new technologies has boomed in recent years, driven by stricter environmental regulations and scientific advances. The global membrane technology market was worth more than US$15 billion last year and is expected to grow to US$25 billion over the next five years.

“By simulating the membranes we can help to develop new materials and optimise the design of the gas separation process,” said Dr Abbas. “Hopefully that will achieve significant economic savings.”

The project has received interest from the international energy sector and has applications across a range of other industrial processes including seam gas mining, landfill bioreactors and biogas.

The work is being led by Associate Professor Zhiping Lai, a membrane expert at KAUST. “The KAUST researchers are experts in membrane materials and provide a perfect partner to achieve our goal of developing innovative membrane systems,” said Dr Abbas.

Dr Abbas hopes that the project will also lead to an exchange of research staff, and master’s and PhD students between the three universities.