Here is how we make manufacturing sustainable
UB receives $3 million to create new industrial membranes
This new technology could reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with food, pharmaceutical and chemical production.
Miao Yu, SUNY Empire Innovation Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the grant’s principal investigator, will lead the U.S. Department of Energy-funded project that could make everyday goods more affordable and lessen their environmental impact.
The current industry standard for developing ingredients needed for food, medicine, chemical and other products involves distillation and crystallization, two processes that require a significant amount of heat and energy. Membranes can separate molecules without heat and other costly steps, but most current membranes are made from plastics that degrade easily.
Yu, his graduate students, and the companies GTI Energy, Marquis Energy, and Media and Process Technology, Inc. will develop industrial membranes that can enhance the harsh energy-intensive industrial separation process. These new membranes are made from sturdier materials—titanium oxide and carbon—that stand up to the intense process.
The UB-led effort works towards solving current challenges brought on by rising energy costs and concerns about greenhouse gases.
