SBIR Phase I: Low-cost Ceramic Membranes for Drinking Water Treatment

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibilty of a novel approach to the fabrication of ceramic membranes that could result in an 80% reduction in membrane fabrication costs. Membrane filtration is becoming an important aspect in the removal of particulates and contaminates from drinking water. Recent developments in ceramic membrane modules that offset the high manufacturing costs have allowed ceramics to be competitive with polymerics in some markets. By developing the novel fabrication technique, the cost of ceramic membranes modules will be significantly reduced, giving ceramics an advantage over the currently employed polymeric membranes. Increased membrane usage in water treatment will lead to safer drinking water for the 90% of Americans that receive their water from community water systems. For the water systems that employ ceramic membranes, there will be less cost, less maintenance and fewer concerns of system integrity failures. In addition, the technology developed in this program would be applicable to potentially all ceramic microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes for all food, beverage, chemicals, pharmaceutical, energy, wastewater, and water applications.