Polymer membranes based on renewable copolymers
In this project, the researchers from UM and SABIC will produce polymer membranes, that can be applied in, for example, water purification. To do this they will need to develop new block and graft copolymers that arrange themselves on a nanoscale.
By selectively degrading / removing one of the components, pores appear in the membranes. The polymer that is removed, bio based (not fossil) and can be reused, which makes this research very ‘green’. During the research, knowledge will be gathered to steer the characteristics of the porous membranes.
The project will be headed by Maastricht University’s Dr. Katrien Bernaerts, university docent and specialist in polymer chemistry for biobased materials. For SABIC, Rob Duchateau, chief scientist, is responsible for the polymerization catalysis and the development of new polymers.
Subsidy
NWO has announced that in the context of the ‘Fonds Nieuwe Chemische Innovaties’ (NCI), they have granted a subsidy for the collaboration between Maastricht University and SABIC for the research on polymer membranes based on renewable copolymers. The subsidy is meant for public-private collaborations between a company and a university to tackle research questions set by the business world.
Contact: Katrien Bernaerts