Title: Rotation-in-a-Spinneret Produces Helical-Ridge-Membranes for Mass Transfer Enhancement

 

Abstract:

New membrane geometries have the potential to increase mixing at the feed and permeate side to counteract concentration polarization and fouling. Such membrane geometries can be of very different architecture. Here, we address a new class of hollow fiber membranes having helical ridges. We present Helical-Ridge-Membranes produced by our Rotation-in-a-Spinneret platform technology. The used spinnerets feature customized microstructured rotating needles. The microstructured needle orifice includes two grooves to initiate ridge formation on the lumen side of the hollow fiber, while the ridges twist helically upon needle rotation. The spinneret is specifically designed such that rotating spinning parameters enable an adjustable helical ridge pitch. Ridge formation and ridge shape strongly depend on rotational speed. The latter affects characteristic membrane properties such as membrane permeability and molecular selectivity. The helical ridges induce secondary flow in the lumen of the hollow fiber membranes, proven by experimental and simulative investigations. Ultimately, we will present results from filtration and gas–liquid membrane contactor applications to uncover their effect on mass transfer enhancement.

 

Biography:

I studied mechanical and chemical process engineering at RWTH Aachen University in Aachen, Germany. Here I devoted myself to membrane technology at an early stage. In my Bachelor Thesis, I developed hollow fiber membranes featuring a sinusoidal inner diameter. Afterwards, I researched for my Master Thesis abroad in Melbourne, Australia at CSIRO and Monash University in Matthew Hill’s group. I integrated MOFs into thin-film composite gas separation membranes made of PTMSP to control physical aging processes.

Back in Aachen, I did my Ph.D. in Matthias Wessling’s group. My core research was all about the topic “Turbulence Promoting Microstructures inside Hollow Fiber Membranes by a Rotation-in-a-Spinneret Process”. More in detail, I developed microstructured rotating spinnerets using 3D printing techniques. With these spinnerets, I was able to produce membranes with helical ridges or static mixers in the lumen of the hollow fiber. These membranes proved to enhance mass transfer in filtration and gas–liquid membrane contactor applications. Now, I work as an R&D Engineer in healthcare at Baxter striving to improve membrane-based products for kidney care.

www.linkedin.com/in/maik-tepper

#RotationInASpinneret #HelicalRidgeMembranes #StaticMixerMembranes #CustomizedMicrostructuredSpinnerets #3Dprinting #Membranes

 

Date and time: Wednesday, June 7th 2023, at 4:00 PM (CET)

Webinar Link: https://www.youtube.com/c/EuropeanMembraneSocietyEMS