Oct 2022
The membrane separation as already mature technology is widely used for gas and liquid separations on the small and large scales such as water desalination, air separation, in food and diary industry. However, wider implementation of membrane separation processes quite often requires the development of new membranes that can provide successful, robust, and long-term performance under the real operation conditions. Considering these new membranes, we probably do not need to seek for new polymers, but to have a look back to a big variety of polymers, which are available in the laboratories and commercially produced, including in Saudi Arabia. In my presentation, a special attention will be given on how to use different techniques in the development of new membranes with outperform characteristics for gas and liquid separation, both high free recitational volume and conventional glassy polymers can be used as examples. At the same time, many research groups around the world use different molecular design platforms to synthesize new polymers, which can be good candidates for tomorrow’ membrane. However, there might be a long, time and materials consuming journey to go from the polymer to the membrane with optimized properties and performance. New high throughput techniques, which will be discussed, can cut some corners to facilitate the evaluation process of new materials and optimization of membrane casting conditions.
Alexey Volkov was graduated from Moscow State University, chemical department (Russian Federation) in 2001. Doing his PhD, he spent about 2 years in University of Twente (the Netherlands) as visiting scientist in the groups of Prof. G.F.Versteeg and Prof. M.Wessling. Alexey Volkov received his PhD degree in polymer science and membrane separation in 2017, and his Dr. Habil. degree in membrane science and petrochemistry in 2017. From 2009, he is holding position of deputy director of Topchiev Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis, Russian Academy of Sciences, and head of Polymeric Membranes Laboratory in the same Institute from 2018. Alexey Volkov is also serving for membrane community as Vice-President of European Membrane Society, and board member of World Association of Membrane Societies. In KAUST, Alexey Volkov is holding the position of Visiting Professor of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division (BESE), Advanced Membranes and Porous Materials (AMPM) Center.