Advanced membrane technologies for water treatment research cluster

The Advanced Membrane Technologies Research Cluster is working to develop the next generation of membrane technology to deliver Australia a safe and sustainable water resource.

• 18 December 2007 | Updated 14 October 2011

• Improving membrane technology  
• Leading Australian science  
• Funding 
• Partners 
• Decision support framework

Improving membrane technology

The increasing global concern over the limited supply of fresh water from conventional sources has led to great efforts towards the utilisation of alternative water sources.

Desalination of saline water (brackish water and seawater) has been considered as one of the most promising techniques as it can be applied to nearly any situation or location where saline water exists.

The aim is to develop the understandings that will deliver the next generation of desalination membrane technologies, vastly improving efficiencies and reducing desalination environmental impact and energy demands.

Leading Australian science

The Advanced Membrane Technologies for Water Treatment Research Cluster, led by Prof Stephen Gray from Victoria University, Australia, brings together scientists from the CSIRO and Australia's leading universities.

The collaborative nature of the Cluster means Australia’s leading scientists in membrane research and development can together improve the fundamental understanding of membrane materials at both a microscopic and atomic level to better understand the way they interact with liquids and solids.

Building on this knowledge, our team will characterise and develop predictive computational models of the separation, fouling and transport processes occurring in inorganic and organic membranes.

The models will be added to existing information as we build the first national database of membrane technology information to improve collaboration and innovation of membrane separation systems or operating strategies.

The Cluster will be utilising nanotechnology, biomimetics and functional materials to deliver new innovations in membrane technology and cost-effective and highly efficient water recovery systems. 

Funding

The partnership will receive A$3.6 million from the CSIRO Collaboration Fund with partner contributions taking the total investment to A$7.6 million over three years.

Partners

The Water for a Healthy Country Flagship established the Advanced Membrane Technologies for Water Treatment Research Cluster with the support of the National Research Flagship Collaboration Fund, through partnerships with:

• Victoria University, Victoria, Australia
• Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia
• Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
• Murdoch University, Perth, Australia
• Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT), Melbourne, Australia
• The University of Queensland, Australia
• The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia
• Deakin University, Victoria, Australia.

Decision support framework

The decision-support framework being developed by the Cluster will be delivered by eight linked research themes:

• Molecular modelling: atomistic simulation of membranes and their fouling led by Professor Julian Gale from Curtin University of Technology
• Molecular modelling: transport and separation in membranes led by Associate Professor Peter Daivis from RMIT
• Feedwater characterisation led by Associate Professor Lingxue Kong from Deakin University and Assoc Prof Rob Trengrove from Murdoch University
• Membrane performance testing led by Dr Sandra Kentish from University of Melbourne
• National membrane database and exergy analysis led by Dr Greg Leslie from University of New South Wales
• New membrane materials: biomimetics led by Dr Gary Rosengarten from University of New South Wales
• New membrane materials: multi-functional RO membranes led by Dr Huanting Wang from Monash University
• Inorganic-organic nanocomposite electrodialysis membranes for high-performance desalination led by Professor GQ Max Lu, The University of Queensland.

Read about the Molecular modelling: atomistic simulation of membranes and their fouling project.