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DOE OSTI2026

Bipolar Membranes Electrodialysis for Water Purification and Resource Recovery

Reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) from inland brackish water desalination and wastewater recycling presents moderate salinity, posing significant challenges for treatment and disposal. Existing treatment technologies predominantly rely on energy-intensive thermal methods, large-area evaporation strategies, or deep-well disposal, which often result in the loss of water value. Electrified membrane brine treatment offers a promising alternative by utilizing renewable energy sources, enabling complete water recycling. This work proposes the development of next-generation bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) systems capable of desalinating brine while simultaneously recovering valuable resources. However, several critical challenges remain in the areas of membrane engineering for BMED. These include: 1) decreased current efficiency during desalination due to the low conductivity of feed chambers, 2) fouling and scaling from multivalent ions and contaminants in the feed, and 3) the retention and carryover of ROC contaminants, including PFAS compounds. Our research focuses on the development of novel anion exchange membranes (AEMs) and cation exchange membranes (CEMs) based on synthesized multiblock copolymers. We investigate the effects of block length, ion exchange capacity (IEC), and polymer backbone structure on cation and anion transport (e.g., Na+, Cl-, OH-, H+) for both our synthesized membranes and commercial membranes. Fundamental properties of these membranes, such as water uptake, IEC, and ionic conductivity, are also evaluated to optimize performance for BMED applications.

08 HYDROGEN↗

DOE OSTI2020

Sorption Enhanced Mixed Matrix Membranes for Hydrogen (H 2 ) Purification and Carbon Dioxide (CO 2 ) Capture

The technical objective of this project was to develop sorption enhanced mixed matrix membranes with H 2 permeance of 500 gas permeance units (GPU) and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of 30 at 150-200 °C. These membranes will be the central component in the design of membrane based systems for 90% capture of CO 2 from coal-derived syngas, with 95% CO 2 purity at a cost of electricity 30% less than baseline capture approaches. The unique approach in this proposal is to design crosslinked polymers containing Pd-based nanoparticles achieving strong H 2 sorption and size sieving ability and thus H 2 /CO 2 selectivity. The specific objectives for each budget period (BP) are described below. BP 1: Identify polymer matrix with strong size sieving ability and palladium (Pd)-containing nanomaterials to prepare freestanding mixed matrix films with H 2 permeability of 50 Barrer and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of 30 at 150-200°C with simulated syngas. BP 2: Prepare and optimize thin film mixed matrix composite membranes materials with H 2 permeance of 500 GPU and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity of 30 at 150-200 °C, and complete the modification of the membrane test unit for the field test in the BP 3. BP 3: Conduct a 20-day field test of the membranes with real syngas at Center for Advanced Energy Research (CAER) of the University of Kentucky (UKy). During the BP2, we have successfully prepared thin-film composite (TFC) membranes based on mixed matrix materials (MMMs) containing Pd nanoparticles in polymers, and demonstrated their superior and robust performance for H 2 /CO 2 separation at 150 – 225 °C. (1) Production of the Pd based nanoparticles with a diameter of 4 nm has been scaled up to 200 mg/day. (2) We have prepared TFC membranes with H 2 permeance above 500 GPU and H 2 /CO 2 selectivity above 30 at temperatures up to 225 °C, which meet the targets for the BP2. (3) We have conducted parametric studies of TFC membranes with a mixed gas containing H 2 S and H 2 O and demonstrated the stability of the membranes. (4) We have established a new testing plan at the Center for Advanced Energy Studies (CAER) at the University of Kentucky because NCCC decided to shut down their gasifier. During this project, four Ph.D. students received the inter-disciplinary training and graduated, including Shailesh Konda, Maryam Omidvar, Deqiang Yin, and Lingxiang Zhu. One postdoctoral researcher (Dr. Liang Huang) and two Ph.D. students (Abhishek Kumar and Hien Nguyen) are involved in this project. The project leads to one provisional patent application, eight peer-reviewed articles, and one manuscript in preparation. The details are shown below.

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT↗

DOE OSTI2022

Pilot Test of a Nanoporous, Super-hydrophobic Membrane Contactor Process for Post-combustion CO 2 Capture

GTI Energy and Air Liquide Advanced Separations (ALaS) have been developing a novel hollow fiber membrane contactor (HFMC) technology for post-combustion CO 2 capture. The process combines advantageous features of both absorption and membrane-based separation processes to separate CO 2 from flue gas cost-effectively. The key component of the HFMC technology is the super-hydrophobic, porous hollow fiber, which is made from polyether ether ketone (PEEK). Compared to conventional absorption/desorption technologies, the critical advantage of the HFMC process is the high contact surface area provided by the hollow fibers enabling an increased volumetric mass-transfer rate. In the PEEK HFMC process, the specific surface area has been increased by an order of magnitude over structurally packed or trayed columns, resulting in compact systems with small footprints.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2026

Technology Maturation Plan for Catalytic Membrane Reactors Based on Carbon Molecular Sieve Hollow Fiber Membranes for Sustainable and Modular H 2 Production

The overarching objective of the proposed project was to demonstrate a process-intensified approach to economically viable, modular H 2 production from waste biomass using catalytic membrane reactors (CMRs) based on carbon molecular sieve (CMS) hollow-fiber membranes. Specifically, the CMRs were developed to selectively remove H 2 during the high-temperature water-gas shift (WGS) reaction to circumvent thermodynamic limitations on converting CO to CO 2 and H 2 . To this end, our core technical activities were to (1) develop high-performance CMRs based on thermally stable, processible polymer-derived CMS membranes and (2) design and prepare new multicomponent CO 2 -tolerant nano-catalysts using a unique flame-based aerosol process for WGS reaction.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRS2007

Detergent-Specific Membrane Protein Crystallization Screens

A suite of reagents has been developed for three-dimensional crystallization of integral membranes present in solution as protein-detergent complexes (PDCs). The compositions of these reagents have been determined in part by proximity to the phase boundaries (lower consolute boundaries) of the detergents present in the PDCs. The acquisition of some of the requisite phase-boundary data and the preliminary design of several of the detergent- specific screens was supported by a NASA contract. At the time of expiration of the contract, a partial set of preliminary screens had been developed. This work has since been extended under non-NASA sponsorship, leading to near completion of a set of 20 to 30 different and unique detergent- specific 96-condition screens.

Wiener, Michael↗

DOE OSTI2021

Current research in low temperature proton exchange membrane-based electrolysis and a necessary shift in focus

While hydrogen has limited use in energy markets today, significant growth is possible in grid storage and as an energy carrier in other sectors. Along with lower electricity prices, further hydrogen cost reduction can enable electrochemical water splitting, particularly as the use of intermittent, renewable power sources increases and the quantity and duration of storage requirements limit electrical storage options. With the improved viability of large-scale hydrogen production, research in low temperature electrolysis has dramatically increased. The overwhelming majority of research efforts within proton exchange membrane-based systems has focused on catalyst development, although a smaller set have developed transport layers as well. As proton exchange membrane-based electrolysis shifts into higher technology readiness levels, however, there is a growing need for work optimizing materials integration, developing component-specific and device-level accelerated stress tests, and addressing manufacturing considerations. These areas directly impact electrolyzer performance, durability, and cost, and are critical to advancing hydrogen’s value and electrochemical water splitting.

08 HYDROGEN↗

NASA NTRS2004

High Temperature Polymers for use in Fuel Cells

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is currently working on polymers for fuel cell and lithium battery applications. The desire for more efficient, higher power density, and a lower environmental impact power sources has led to interest in proton exchanges membrane fuels cells (PEMFC) and lithium batteries. A PEMFC has many advantages as a power source. The fuel cell uses oxygen and hydrogen as reactants. The resulting products are electricity, heat, and water. The PEMFC consists of electrodes with a catalyst, and an electrolyte. The electrolyte is an ion-conducting polymer that transports protons from the anode to the cathode. Typically, a PEMFC is operated at a temperature of about 80 C. There is intense interest in developing a fuel cell membrane that can operate at higher temperatures in the range of 80 C- 120 C. Operating the he1 cell at higher temperatures increases the kinetics of the fuel cell reaction as well as decreasing the susceptibility of the catalyst to be poisoned by impurities. Currently, Nafion made by Dupont is the most widely used polymer membrane in PEMFC. Nafion does not function well above 80 C due to a significant decrease in the conductivity of the membrane from a loss of hydration. In addition to the loss of conductivity at high temperatures, the long term stability and relatively high cost of Nafion have stimulated many researches to find a substitute for Nafion. Lithium ion batteries are popular for use in portable electronic devices, such as laptop computers and mobile phones. The high power density of lithium batteries makes them ideal for the high power demand of today s advanced electronics. NASA is developing a solid polymer electrolyte that can be used for lithium batteries. Solid polymer electrolytes have many advantages over the current gel or liquid based systems that are used currently. Among these advantages are the potential for increased power density and design flexibility. Automobiles, computers, and cell phones require highly efficient power density for lowering emissions and meeting increasing consumer demands. Many of the solutions can be provided by proton exchange membrane fuel cells and lithium batteries. NASA Glenn Research Center has recognized this need, and is presently engaged in a solution. The goals for the summer include mastering synthesis techniques, understanding the reactions occurring during the synthesis, and characterizing the resulting polymer membranes using NMR, DSC, and TGA for the PEMFC and lithium batteries.

Peplowski, Katherine M.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Modeling a High-Temperature Electrochemically Driven Water-Gas-Shift Process Using a Mixed-Conducting Membrane without External Electrical Power

This paper develops a model to predict and interpret the performance of an elevated-temperature, electrochemical, membrane-assisted, water-gas-shift process. The process uses separated feed streams of H 2 O and CO to produce separated streams of H 2 and CO 2 , without an external electrical power source. The dense ceramic membrane is mixed ionic-electronic-conducting (MIEC) gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) and the porous composite electrodes are Ni-YSZ. At elevated temperature, GDC conducts both oxygen ions and small polarons. The present process uses chemical potential to drive the process. Electrochemical oxidation of CO proceeds within the composite anode and H 2 O reduction proceeds within the composite cathode. At high temperature (e.g., T > 700 °C), GDC has significant electronic leakage in the form of a reduced-cerium small polaron, which supports the charge-transfer reactions. In a typical electrolyzer or fuel cell, this leakage is significantly problematic. However, the present process depends on the leakage current to complete the electrochemical circuit. Model development and validation is based on measured material properties and reactor performance. Potential applications include using CO-rich blast-furnace off gases in steel processing, producing separated streams of H 2 and CO 2 .

Zhu, Huayang↗

NASA NTRS2013

Hollow-Fiber Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator

The hollow-fiber spacesuit water membrane evaporator (HoFi SWME) is being developed to perform the thermal control function for advanced spacesuits and spacecraft to take advantage of recent advances in micropore membrane technology in providing a robust, heat-rejection device that is less sensitive to contamination than is the sublimator. After recent contamination tests, a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) micro porous hollow-fiber membrane was selected for prototype development as the most suitable candidate among commercial hollow-fiber evaporator alternatives. An innovative design that grouped the fiber layers into stacks, which were separated by small spaces and packaged into a cylindrical shape, was developed into a full-scale prototype for the spacesuit application. Vacuum chamber testing has been performed to characterize heat rejection as a function of inlet water temperature and water vapor back-pressure, and to show contamination resistance to the constituents expected to be found in potable water produced by the wastewater reclamation distillation processes. Other tests showed tolerance to freezing and suitability to reject heat in a Mars pressure environment. In summary, HoFi SWME is a lightweight, compact evaporator for heat rejection in the spacesuit that is robust, contamination- insensitive, freeze-tolerant, and able to reject the required heat of spacewalks in microgravity, lunar, and Martian environments. The HoFi is packaged to reject 810 W of heat through 800 hours of use in a vacuum environment, and 370 W in a Mars environment. The device also eliminates free gas and dissolved gas from the coolant loop.

Bue, Grant↗

NASA NTRS2026

Designing a Propylene-Glycol Coolant Servicer System for Gateway’s Internal Active Thermal Control System

A human spacecraft ATCS—especially one using single-phase coolant loops exposed to cabin atmospheric conditions—requires periodic degassing and refilling to support long-duration missions of 15 to 30 years. During initial fill operations, system maintenance, gas permeation, and quick-disconnect mating or de-mating, small amounts of gas can gradually enter the coolant system over time. This can lead to degraded heat transfer performance, pump cavitation, and potentially pump vapor lock if a significant gas volume accumulates over time. Additionally, system leaks and routine fluid sampling can gradually reduce accumulator volumes to unacceptable levels, requiring periodic refills. In more severe cases, catastrophic changes in fluid composition may necessitate emergency draining, refilling, and degassing to ensure continued system functionality. These risks were identified and mitigated on the ISS ITCS through the development of a dual-membrane degasser ORU and a Fluid Servicer System ORU for coolant refilling. These systems were developed for the fully water-based ISS ITCS Coolant[1]. The Gateway space station, the first permanent human habitat in lunar orbit, uses a propylene-glycol/water coolant mixture, which has significantly different fluid properties compared to pure water. Because microgravity degassing technologies are sensitive to fluid surface tension and viscosity, existing ISS hardware is not suitable for servicing a propylene-glycol-based TCS. Unlike the ISS, the Gateway will operate in a higher-radiation environment and must meet stricter mass constraints due to its location outside of low earth orbit. This Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) flight hardware project aims to develop a lightweight, radiation-resistant Coolant Servicer System (CSS) capable of degassing and refilling Gateway’s propylene-glycol water-based IATCS.

Propylene Glycol Water↗

NASA NTRS2026

Designing a Propylene-Glycol Coolant Servicer System for Gateway’s Internal Active Thermal Control System

Propylene Glycol Water↗

DOE OSTI2020

Impact of Fatty-Acid Labeling of Bacillus subtilis Membranes on the Cellular Lipidome and Proteome

Developing cultivation methods that yield chemically and isotopically defined fatty acid (FA) compositions within bacterial cytoplasmic membranes establishes an in vivo experimental platform to study membrane biophysics and cell membrane regulation using novel approaches. Yet before fully realizing the potential of this method, it is prudent to understand the systemic changes in cells induced by the labeling procedure itself. In this work, analysis of cellular membrane compositions was paired with proteomics to assess how the proteome changes in response to the directed incorporation of exogenous FAs into the membrane of Bacillus subtilis. Key findings from this analysis include an alteration in lipid headgroup distribution, with an increase in phosphatidylglycerol lipids and decrease in phosphatidylethanolamine lipids, possibly providing a fluidizing effect on the cell membrane in response to the induced change in membrane composition. Changes in the abundance of enzymes involved in FA biosynthesis and degradation are observed; along with changes in abundance of cell wall enzymes and isoprenoid lipid production. The observed changes may influence membrane organization, and indeed the well-known lipid raft-associated protein flotillin was found to be substantially down-regulated in the labeled cells – as was the actin-like protein MreB. Taken as a whole, this study provides a greater depth of understanding for this important cell membrane experimental platform and presents a number of new connections to be explored in regard to modulating cell membrane FA composition and its effects on lipid headgroup and raft/cytoskeletal associated proteins.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

Ion-Pair Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells for Heavy-duty Transportation

The purpose of this project is to build a fuel cell prototype that demonstrates high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology (HT PEMFC) commercial readiness. It advances from a technology baseline established in a prior CRADA in which these same Parties collaborated during the years 2020-2024. These efforts are aligned with the intentions of the DOE Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Office (HFTO) L’Innovator Pilot Program. Participant observes that its US-based competitive advantage may be improved by further optimizing Laboratory inventions. This CRADA is intended to further improve National Laboratory compositions and to develop commercial HT PEMFC membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) that perform over a range of operating temperatures and relative humidity, that generate power from both low grade and pure hydrogen, and that are resistant to air impurities. Participant’s goal is to advance the commercial competitiveness of National Laboratory technologies in fuel cell products for heavy-duty truck integrators, for stationary power generation, marine applications, and for emerging interest from commercial aviation. The Parties will collaborate on producing a HT PEMFC MEA that integrates LANL ion pair technology and Brookhaven catalyst technology. The Laboratories plan to research and develop compositions for testing and evaluation. The participant will manufacture multiple MEAs based on the Laboratory compositions and will enable selected customers to validate performance characteristics. The Laboratories will convey to Participant the methods of making the National Laboratory compositions such that Participant may reproduce and then scale Laboratory methods into commercial production. Throughout the project, the Laboratories and Participant will iteratively test and optimize the compositions of materials of the MEAs, intending to optimize characteristics such as power density and lifecycle durability. Participant’s intended customers include fuel cells for large trucks, aviation, power back up, marine, and portable power.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

NASA NTRS2014

Ground Testing of the EMCS Seed Cassette for Biocompatibility with the Cellular Slime Mold, Dictyostelium Discoideum

The European Modular Cultivation System, EMCS, was developed by ESA for plant experiments. To expand the use of flight verified hardware for various model organisms, we performed ground experiments to determine whether ARC EMCS Seed Cassettes could be adapted for use with cellular slime mold for future space flight experiments. Dictyostelium is a cellular slime mold that can exist both as a single-celled independent organism and as a part of a multicellular colony which functions as a unit (pseudoplasmodium). Under certain stress conditions, individual amoebae will aggregate to form multicellular structures. Developmental pathways are very similar to those found in Eukaryotic organisms, making this a uniquely interesting organism for use in genetic studies. Dictyostelium has been used as a genetic model organism for prior space flight experiments. Due to the formation of spores that are resistant to unfavorable conditions such as desiccation, Dictyostelium is also a good candidate for use in the EMCS Seed Cassettes. The growth substratum in the cassettes is a gridded polyether sulfone (PES) membrane. A blotter beneath the PES membranes contains dried growth medium. The goals of this study were to (1) verify that Dictyostelium are capable of normal growth and development on PES membranes, (2) develop a method for dehydration of Dictyostelium spores with successful recovery and development after rehydration, and (3) successful mock rehydration experiments in cassettes. Our results show normal developmental progression in two strains of Dictyostelium discoideum on PES membranes with a bacterial food source. We have successfully performed a mock rehydration of spores with developmental progression from aggregation to slug formation, and production of morphologically normal spores within 9 days of rehydration. Our results indicate that experiments on the ISS using the slime mold, Dictyostelium discoideum could potentially be performed in the flight verified hardware of the EMCS ARC Seed Cassettes.

biocompatibility↗

DOE OSTI2023

Superhydrophobic composite asymmetric electrospun membrane for sustainable vacuum assisted air gap membrane distillation

Membrane distillation (MD) relies on superhydrophobic membranes that must achieve the competing goals of high liquid entry pressure (LEP) and high permeability. Here, in this study, we developed the first superhydrophobic composite electrospun asymmetric membrane using fluorinated graphite (FG). We also provided among the first comparisons of the relative benefits of membrane asymmetry and composite coatings via 3D electrospinning and spraying. FG particles increased the roughness and reduced the zeta potential of the membranes. Superhydrophobic composite membranes had a contact angle of 157° (sliding angle of 7°) and an LEP of 327 kPa. Long-term MD testing revealed that FG particles could increase MD's sustainability while decreasing membrane wetting. Vacuum-assisted air gap membrane distillation (V-AGMD) showed that the composite asymmetric membrane outperformed the non-asymmetric version (composite nanofiber) membrane by 21 % in average water flux and 25 % in average thermal efficiency because of the asymmetric structure of the membrane. The numerical model developed for the V-AGMD system also successfully predicted the water flux generated experimentally from the composite nanofiber and composite asymmetric membranes. Our results confirmed that electrospun asymmetric FG membranes with high contact angle, low sliding angle, high permeability, and high gained output ratio (GOR) would be promising candidates for sustainable MD.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2011

Hollow Fiber Space Water Membrane Evaporator Flight Prototype Design and Testing

The spacesuit water membrane evaporator (SWME) is being developed to perform thermal control for advanced spacesuits and to take advantage of recent advances in micropore membrane technology. This results in a robust heat-rejection device that is potentially less sensitive to contamination than is the sublimator. The current design was based on a previous design that grouped the fiber layers into stacks, which were separated by small spaces and packaged into a cylindrical shape. This was developed into a full-scale prototype consisting of 14,300 tube bundled into 30 stacks, each of which is formed into a chevron shape and separated by spacers and organized into three sectors of 10 nested stacks. The new design replaced metal components with plastic ones, eliminated the spacers, and has a custom built flight like backpressure valve mounted on the side of the SWME housing to reduce backpressure when fully open. A number of tests were performed in order to improve the strength of the polyurethane header that holds the fibers in place while the system is pressurized. Vacuum chamber testing showed similar heat rejection as a function of inlet water temperature and water vapor backpressure was similar to the previous design. Other tests pushed the limits of tolerance to freezing and showed suitability to reject heat in a Mars pressure environment with and without a sweep gas. Tolerance to contamination by constituents expected to be found in potable water produced by distillation processes was tested in a conventional way by allowing constituents to accumulate in the coolant as evaporation occurs. For this purpose, the SWME cartridge has endured an equivalent of 30 EVAs exposure and demonstrated acceptable performance decline.

Bue, Grant C.↗

DOE OSTI2025

Pervaporative Dehydration of 2,3-Butanediol by Dense Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Hollow Fiber Membranes: Parameter Estimation, Process Design, and Technoeconomic Evaluation under Uncertainty

Pervaporation, combined with other separation processes, can effectively remove water from fermentation product streams, making it highly suitable for purifying alcohols like 2,3-butanediol (BDO). In this study, a dense poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane module prototype was fabricated for BDO dehydration, achieving >0.2 LMH total flux and >95% BDO rejection. With a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) approach, Bayesian inference was used to quantify the uncertainty of the permeance parameters. A membrane cascade model was developed to scale up a process that purifies a preconcentrated BDO feed (70 wt %) to high purity (90 wt %). Through propagation of the uncertainty of the parameters and sensitivity analyses of the process variables, a cascade design was recommended. Despite data and model limitations, the framework enabled a reliable system analysis and economic evaluation, validated through tight confidence intervals in key process metrics, establishing the foundation for future applications of Bayesian methods in membrane-based processes.

Animal feed↗

NASA NTRS2011

NASA PEMFC Development Background and History

NASA has been developing proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) fuel cell power systems for the past decade, as an upgraded technology to the alkaline fuel cells which presently provide power for the Shuttle Orbiter. All fuel cell power systems consist of one or more fuel cell stacks in combination with appropriate balance-of-plant hardware. Traditional PEM fuel cells are characterized as flow-through, in which recirculating reactant streams remove product water from the fuel cell stack. NASA recently embarked on the development of non-flow-through fuel cell systems, in which reactants are dead-ended into the fuel cell stack and product water is removed by internal wicks. This simplifies the fuel cell power system by eliminating the need for pumps to provide reactant circulation, and mechanical water separators to remove the product water from the recirculating reactant streams. By eliminating these mechanical components, the resulting fuel cell power system has lower mass, volume, and parasitic power requirements, along with higher reliability and longer life. Four vendors have designed and fabricated non-flow-through fuel cell stacks under NASA funding. One of these vendors is considered the "baseline" vendor, and the remaining three vendors are competing for the "alternate" role. Each has undergone testing of their stack hardware integrated with a NASA balance-of-plant. Future Exploration applications for this hardware include primary fuel cells for a Lunar Lander and regenerative fuel cells for Surface Systems.

Hoberecht, Mark↗