COMBINED INORGANIC/ORGANIC MEMBRANES FOR WATER PURIFICATION BASED ON NOVEL MOLECULAR NANOSPONGES»

Development of an advanced hybride membrane technology for water filtration based on nobel nanosponge polymers of high encapsulating ability for toxic contaminants. The polymeric "nanosponge" materials will be impregnated into the pore structure of either ceramic or hollow-fibre polymeric support. Such a filtration system will be able to remove organic contaminants to exremely low levels. The nanosponge polymers offer processing flexibility and the development of this technology could be expanded to a novel membrane technology. This technology will exclude even small organic molecules that otherwise leak through reverse osmosis mambranes or activated carbon.