Department of Reclamation: Research Grant for Evaluating Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes for Brackish Water Treatment

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The Department of Reclamation is offering a research grant to evaluate thin-film nanocomposite membranes for treating brackish waters through reverse osmosis. The project aims to test mixed-matrix membranes in a real-world water treatment plant environment for a minimum of three months, focusing on brackish waters with total dissolved solids less than 3000 ppm. Arizona State University will be casting and characterizing the membranes, while Reclamation will provide infrastructure and operational support for testing the experimental membranes. This grant requires substantial involvement from Reclamation staff and aims to advance membrane technology for brackish water treatment.

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Opportunity ID: 222873

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General Information

Document Type:: Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number:: R13AC34001
Funding Opportunity Title:: Evaluating Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes to Treat Brackish Waters through Reverse Osmosis
Opportunity Category:: Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation::
Funding Instrument Type::
Category of Funding Activity:: Natural Resources
Category Explanation::
Expected Number of Awards:: 1
Assistance Listings Number(s):: 15.560 — SECURE Water Act – Research Agreements
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:: Yes
Version:: Synopsis 1
Posted Date:: Feb 26, 2013
Last Updated Date::
Original Closing Date for Applications:: Mar 12, 2013
Current Closing Date for Applications:: Mar 12, 2013
Archive Date:: Apr 11, 2013
Estimated Total Program Funding:: $ 21,500
Award Ceiling:: $21,500
Award Floor:: $21,500

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants:: Others (see text field entitled “Additional Information on Eligibility” for clarification)
Additional Information on Eligibility:: This is a Notice of Intent to Award, no competition is being sought.

Additional Information

Agency Name:: Bureau of Reclamation – Lower Colorado Region
Description:: OVERVIEW

The objective of the project is to identify whether a mixed-matrix nanocomposite membrane can be formulated that can treat real-world water, in an operating plant environment, for a representative length of time (e.g., a minimum of three months), because there are no reports in the scientific literature on this.

While there are published studies on long-term performance of polyamide/zeolite reverse osmosis membranes on recovery of seawater, there are no published studies on these membranes’ performance on brackish waters (total dissolved solids < 3000 ppm). Work in 2007 identified a mixed-matrix membrane formula that produced brackish-water type performance, but there are no published reports on long-term (>48 hour) testing of these types of membranes.

The project entails evaluating nanocomposite RO membranes with brackish water performance for potential scale-up and use for treating brackish waters via long-term (~3 months) tests on a small-scale test unit (swatch = 3 x 2 inch test coupons) in the Yuma Area Office Water Quality Improvement Center (WQIC). The recipient will perform tests on both controlled waters (RO permeate from the WQICs Pilot System 1) and real-world waters (pretreated agricultural drainage for RO feed).

RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT

Membrane Casting and Membrane Characterization

1. Casting of membrane sheets from polyamide/zeolite nanocomposite membranes. ASU will cast materials to supply a minimum of 9 3×2 swatches from zeolite/polymer nanocomposite materials.
1 month duration — 0-1 on timeline
2. Pre-test membrane characterization of test membranes. ASU will perform flux and rejection tests on swatches of the sheets to verify baseline performance in the laboratory at ASU under the expected operating conditions of longer-term tests. They will also characterize the physico-chemical nature and morphology of the as-cast membranes using Contact Angle, Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
1 month duration — 0-1 on timeline
3. Post-test membrane characterization of test membranes. ASU will perform post-characterization of the physico-chemical nature and morphology of the membranes tested in the WQIC for 3 months using Contact Angle, ATR-FTIR, AFM, SEM, and XPS.
1 month duration — 5-6 on timeline

Engineering
Evaluate performance of test membranes. ASU will evaluate performance of membranes in terms of flux and rejection, using data generated during three months of testing at the WQIC. 3 months duration — 2-5 on timeline

RECLAMATION INVOLVEMENT

Substantial involvement on the part Reclamation is anticipated for the successful completion of the objectives to be funded by this award. In particular, Reclamation will be responsible for the following:

Membrane Testing – Reclamation staff will work closely with ASU in testing the experimental membranes. Reclamation’s role will include:

1. Provide infrastructure, water, power and test skid to evaluate the test membranes (9-cell, bench-scale test unit known as “Swatch Unit”).

2. Provide operations, maintenance and engineering support to operate the test unit, collect performance data and troubleshoot unit operating problems.

3. Provide typical RO lab analyses for swatch feed & product (per membrane type) water streams (2 dates per run).

Link to Additional Information::
Grantor Contact Information:: If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:

Version History

Version Modification Description Updated Date
Synopsis 1

Package Status

Below are CLOSED Opportunity Package(s) no longer available for this Funding Opportunity:

Package No: 1

Assistance Listings: 15.560
Competition ID: R13AC34001
Competition Title: Evaluating Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes to Treat Brackish Waters through Reverse Osmosis
Opportunity Package ID: PKG00166730
Opening Date: Feb 26, 2013
Closing Date: Mar 11, 2013
Agency Contact Information:: Shawna Thompson
Who Can Apply:: Organization Applicants
mendatory_forms Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424) [V2.0]
optional_forms Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL) [V1.1]
Attachments [V1.1]
Budget Information for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424A) [V1.0]
Budget Information for Construction Programs (SF-424C) [V1.0]
Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF-424B) [V1.1]
Assurances for Construction Programs (SF-424D) [V1.1]

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Packages

Assistance Listings Competition ID Competition Title Opportunity Package ID Opening Date Closing Date Actions Who Can Apply:
15.560 R13AC34001 Evaluating Thin-Film Nanocomposite Membranes to Treat Brackish Waters through Reverse Osmosis PKG00166730 Feb 26, 2013 Mar 11, 2013 View Shawna Thompson Organization Applicants

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