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Contract Opportunity

Opportunity:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its advanced manufactured, interdigitated 3D membrane for use in CO2 capture and fluid filtration.

Background:

There is a plethora of industrial and medical applications that utilize membranes. Ideal characteristics of membranes include high porosity and high membrane surface area per packing volume (for high filtration or separation rates), narrow pore size distribution (for high solute selectivity), low-tortuosity and thin cross-section (to minimize solute adsorption in membrane pores) and excellent antifouling properties (to minimize membrane clogging).

The morphology of commercial membranes is still far from ideal since it is based on thick two-dimensional structures with broad pore size distribution and long tortuous pore geometries. As an example, currently available polymeric membrane-based hemodialysis systems (i.e., Renal Assist Device, RAD) require a bulky extracorporeal circuit with peristaltic pumps to provide enough driving pressure for effective hemofiltration. The drawback of this workaround is it prevents the development of miniaturized and implantable RADs for end-stage renal disease. In addition to the insufficient permeability, proteins in the blood adsorb to the membrane, clogging up the pores, thus presenting another critical issue for hemodialysis. Clearly, there is a great need for developing innovative membrane architectures with precise selectivity, high flux, and ultra-low fouling properties.

Description:

LLNL researchers have developed novel advanced manufactured biomimetic 3D-TPMS (triply periodic minimal surface) membrane architectures such as a 3D gyroid membrane. The membrane is printed using LLNL's nano-porous photoresist technology. LLNL’s 3D-TPMS membranes consist of two independent but interpenetrating macropore flow channel systems that are separated by a thin nano-porous wall. 3D-TPMS membranes can be printed using any 3D printer technology, provided they have the required resolution and appropriate maximum print size (from cubic centimeters to cubic meters). Suitable 3D printing technologies include but are not limited to Projection Micro Stereolithography (PμSL), Direct Ink Writing (DIW), Selective Laser Sintering or Melting (SLS or SLM) powder bed methods. Using LLNL’s porous photoresist technology, the design and synthesis of photoresist monomers also allows for the integration of additional membrane functionalities.

Advantages/Benefits:

LLNL’s advanced manufactured 3D-TPMS membrane design offers:

1) a higher membrane area (compared to that of conventional one or two-dimensional membrane designs for the same volume).

2) a high-porosity membrane wall for enhanced mass transport (up to 95% porosity compared to 20-70% of current state-of-the-art designs).

3) integrated forced mixing of both gas and liquid streams by the branching nature of the flow channels defined by the TPMS can boost the filtration efficiency by actively mixing the liquid flowing through the flow channels (even under laminar flow conditions) thus maximizing the concentration gradient driven mass transport across the membrane wall.

4.) Synthesis of photoresist monomers allows for the integration of additional membrane functionalities including improving anti-fouling properties and blood compatibility, and/or pore size optimization for selectivity and permeability.

5.) potential for creating metallic TPMS membranes using dealloying phase separation methods.

Potential Applications:

• Hemodialysis


• CO2 capture


• Cross flow filtration of biofluids or cell culture


• Heat exchangers

Development Status:

Current stage of technology development: TRL 3

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.

Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL's Advanced Manufactured, High Surface Area, Nanoporous Interwoven Membranes should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1. Company Name and address.


2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.


3. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Advanced Manufactured, High Surface Area, Nanoporous Interwoven Membranes

The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.

Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Innovation and Partnerships Office

P.O. Box 808, L-779

Livermore, CA 94551-0808

Attention: IL-13891

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