Osmonics, Cargill Receive Grant for Membrane Systems Development
Osmonics, Inc. has announced that the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) jointly awarded Osmonics and Cargill, Inc. of Minnetonka, MN, a five-year, $3.75 million research grant from its Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The grant will fund the development of solvent-resistant membrane systems for separation applications that currently rely on energy-intensive distillation.
"Receiving this grant is a major technology event," said David Paulson, Osmonics' Director of Corporate Research and Development. "It will allow us to develop new polymeric membranes and system designs with widespread applications in food, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical processing."
Once commercialized, these new membrane applications could help U.S. companies save tens of millions in energy costs annually, because membranes typically require around 10% of the energy used in distillation. They will also reduce costs associated with controlling airborne and wastewater emissions.
"The major challenge will be designing polymeric membranes and modules that are compatible with the organic solvents used in industrial processes, often at high temperatures, while maintaining the ability to separate the target components," said Steven Kloos, PhD, who will function as the technical leader for Osmonics' part of the project.
Osmonics will focus on technology development, and collaborate with Cargill on commercial applications. The first targeted food processing application is oilseed processing.
"Using membrane technology in oilseed processing provides several benefits," said H. S. Muralidhara, assistant VP and manager, process technology. "It will reduce the amount of wastewater used in manufacturing, reduce air emissions, and use less energy than other separation methods. It also will provide significant cost savings compared to traditional vegetable oils processing technologies."
The ATP is a government-sponsored program to stimulate commercialization of high-risk technologies that will help U.S. companies stay competitive in global markets. The program selected about 50 projects for grants this year, and just five in the "Selective Membrane Platforms" category.