Kelly Briceno, SDU

1. From fossil to Biobased
Polymers in Membrane
Technology
9 March 2017
DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Kelly Briceno
Plastråvaredagen 2017

2. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Water scarcity and polymeric
membranes
2
 Sorek: Desalination plant in Israel (35MGD)
 20% Total water consumption in the Israel
 There are 21,000 desalination plants in 150
countries around the world.

3. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
What is a Polymeric Membrane?
2 February 2017
3
Microfiltation
Ultrafiltration
Reverse Osmosis
RO (Reverse Osmosis) mainly
membranes installed in desalination
plants
10-0.1 μm
0.1-0.01 μm
<0.001 μm

4. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
What is a Polymeric Membrane?
2 February 2017
4
 A semi-permeable barrier that allow the selective passage of some species meanwhile
retain others
 Reverse Osmosis Membranes (RO) pores are smaller than a bacteria!

5. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
What is a Polymeric Membrane?
Parallelism with Packaging Materials
2 February 2017
5
TetraBrick
Reverse Osmosis Membrane
RO Membrane Image
(Electronic Microscope)
Polyester Base
Polysulfone
Polyamide
Polyethyelene
Polyethyelene
Aluminium
Polyethyelene
Paper
Polyethyelene
 Membranes are composite Materials
 Withstand pressures between 10-100 Bar

6. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Membranes Waste
2 February 2017
6

7. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Sustainability Issues
2 February 2017
7
Component 16"
element
mass of
material
(Kg)
Type of Material
Outer casing 6 Fiberglass with
polyester resin
Membrane
sheet
19.7 Polyester (PET)
base with
polysulfone (PSF)
supporting layer
and polyamide (PA)
active layer
Feed spacer 6.16 Polypropylene (PP)
Permeate
spacer
7.6 Polyester (PET)
Tube and end
caps
7 Acrylonitrile
butadiene styrene
(ABS)
Glued parts 5.2 Polyurethane glue
 Membrane lifetime: 2-5 years
 Elements must be replaced
 Plastic waste Incineration or Landfill

8. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
A Parallelism with Plastic
Packaging: Global Plastic Waste
2 February 2017
8
European Plastic Demand (2011) Global Plastic Production

9. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Threatening natural species
2 February 2017
9
Environmental Pollution 178 (2013) 483-492

10. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Rethinking the future of Plastics
2 February 2017
10
 2016: World Economic Forum (Davos) launched the report:
The new plastic economy: rethinking the future of plastics
 New vision: Plastics never become waste
 Effective after-use economy as a Key to decoupling plastics
 Bioplastics speed reduction of the environmental pollution (72% of
the Plastic Packaging is just not used: Plastic Waste)
72%

11. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Biobased Polymers as an option to
reduce fossil based consumption
2 February 2017
11
Industrially Compostable
coffee capsules (BASF)
Lexus´luggage compartment
BioPET (Toyota)
 Transition from fossil-
Based to Biobased
products depends on final
application
 Production Capacity

12. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Biobased Polymers as an option to
fabricate membranes
2 February 2017
12
Biobased Polymers
Nature´s polymer:
Directly extracted from
Biomass
Produced from
microbials
Synthetic Biopolymers
using Bio-derived
monomers
Polysaccharides Proteins Lipids
Starch
Maize,
potatoes…
Lignocellulose
Seaweeds
Others: pectin,
chitosan, gums
Animals:
casein,
collagen
Plants:
soy, gluten..
Cross linked
triglycerid
Polyhydroxyalkanoates
(PHA)
Polyhydroxybutyrate
(PHB)
Polyhydroxybutyrate-
co-valerate (PHBV)
Microbial
Polysaccharides
Xantan,
Pullulan, gellan
Polylactic acid
Bio-based polyethylene
Bio-based polyethyelen
terephthalate
Bio –based
polypropylene
Example: Triblock Copolymer
from Sugar
PLA-βMδVL-PLA
(Methyl-valerolactone& Lactide monomers)
PNAS, 2014
University of Minesotta

13. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Biobased polymers as an option to
fabricate membranes
2 February 2017
13
Biobased
Polymer
Membrane
Applications
PLA Ultrafiltration
PLA-PEG-
PLA
Ultrafiltration
Chitosan Pervaporation
PLA-PBS Ultrafiltration
PHA Ultrafiltration
PLA-PVP Pervaporation
Collagen Pervaporation
?
Reverse
Osmosis
PLA
Ultrafiltration
 More than 20 publications reported the
synthesis of Biobased polymers membrane
materials
 Main application: Ultrafiltration

14. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Global capacity of bioplastic
2018
2 February 2017
14
 Bioplastics Issues: Land competition for food, composting facilities, recycling

15. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Biobased Polymers as an option to
fabricate membranes
2 February 2017
15
 Explore the fabrication of novel films using
Biobased polymers and nanocomposites for
membranes or packaging applications
 Establish the biodegradability rate of novel
Biobased nanocomposite Polymer
Membranes (PLA)
 Scout the synthesis of novel Biobased
building blocks from Glucose dehydration for
polymer production
Chemical Eng. Res. & Des. 87 (2009) 1318-1327
Research Focus at KBM (SDU):
PLA Film by Phase Inversion
(KBM-SDU)

16. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Membrane Technology Group
2 February 2017
16
Postdoctoral researcher : Kelly Briceno (kebr@kbm.sdu.dk)
Research Technician: Peter Brilner Lund (plu@kbm.sdu.dk )
Lecturer: Birgir Norddahl (bno@kbm.sdu.dk)
Lecturer: Knud V. Christensen (kvc@kbm.sdu.dk)
http://www.sdu.dk/en/om_sdu/institutter_centre/chemicalengineering

17. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING,
BIOTECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL
TECHNOLOGY
Mange Tak!
2 February 2017
17