Animation : Julie MENDRET
The densification of the population in certain areas of the globe poses a real problem of freshwater resources due to the scarcity or degradation of the resource. One of the major objectives of the European Institute of Membranes of Montpellier is to provide answers to this problem, two major lines of research have been defined to intensify water treatment with regard to the qualities of use imposed: (i) innovative multifunctional membrane materials and (ii) intensive multifunctional processes integrating adapted membrane barriers. In this context, the IEM is associated with a large number of industrial and academic partners through national and international collaboration actions, registered within the global pole ” EAU” but also other regional poles (TRIMATEC pole in particular).
Actions on Water are thus present within the three departments of the IEM through the fields of application targeted:
- Water treatment to achieve a defined quality of use (drinking water, process water, …)
- Wastewater treatment for the protection of receiving environments and/or to promote reuse (irrigation, cooling water, washing water, etc.)
- Desalination
-Water treatment by physical means:
- Treatment of organic compounds
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- Treatment of phytosanitary products, endocrine disruptors, drugs and dyes by coupled processes: photocatalysis, enzymatic catalysis or adsorption and membrane processes;
- Separation of organic compounds present in water by pervaporation;
- Functional ceramic membranes for the treatment of polluted water;
- Treatment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) by ozonation and membrane processes;
- Purification and concentration of lactic acid by membrane techniques;
- Treatment of mineral pollution
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- Selective electro-extraction of metal cations in dilute solutions;
- Boron extraction by nanofiltration;
- Membrane distillation and reverse osmosis for water desalination.
- Extraction and concentration of heavy metals with hollow fiber contactors.
-Treatment by coupling “membrane separation – biological route:
- Membrane bioreactor for domestic effluents;
- Treatment of effluents containing phenolic compounds by membrane enzyme reactor;
- Greywater recycling by membrane processes;
- Energy production and ERU treatment by membrane bioreactor.
-Development of innovative materials with specific functionalities:
- Super hydrophobic membrane for water treatment (membrane distillation);
- New membrane synthesized by self-assembled block copolymers.
- Ceramic capillary membranes for the treatment of water containing metal salts;
- Synthesis of copolymers for sorption/complexation of metals in industrial water treatment and metal recovery;
The laboratory has experimental pilots on a laboratory or semi-industrial scale for the following unit operations: ultrafiltration; nanofiltration; reverse osmosis; pervaporation; membrane distillation; electrodialysis; Ozonation; photocatalysis; biological reactor; enzyme reactor… Knowledge models allowing the optimization of transfers and processes are developed in parallel with the experimental approach.
