Development of Corrosion-Resistant Molecular Sieve Inclusion Nanocomposite (MoSIN) Membranes to Recover Water from Urine through Osmotic Processes

The overall goal of our research is to develop a new class of corrosion-resistant Molecular Sieve Inclusion Nanocomposite (MoSIN)membranes and to demonstrate their effectiveness for recovering water from urine and urine brine solutions through osmotic processes. This is in direct response to NASA’s space technology area TABS 06-7. Specifically, our research addresses challenges in the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and habitation systems “water recovery and management.” In our MoSIN membranes, a liquid-barrier, chemical resistant polymer matrix binds a layer of selective molecular sieve nanoparticles into a flexible, robust nanocomposite thin film (schematically depicted in Figure 1). This design leverages unique aspects of the two component materials: (1) the high intrinsic flux and selectivity of the molecular sieve nanoparticles and (2) the corrosion-resistance, flexibility, and mechanical robustness of the liquid-barrier polymer support matrix.
The most significant technical achievement of the award is that we developed a new class of mixed matrix membranes; in these a liquid-barrier, chemical-resistant polymer matrix binds a layer of selective molecular sieve nanoparticles into a versatile and vigorous nanocomposite thin film. This membrane manipulates distinctive aspects of the two materials used to create the membranes: (1) the innate permeation and selectivity of the molecular sieve nanoparticles, and (2) the decay-resistant, versatile, and mechanical strength of the liquid-barrier polymer support matrix. We developed a method to use latex dispersions, which contain polymer particles in a water-based medium, as our polymer matrix source to form the water-barrier membrane.