Journal of Membrane Science & Technology

Novelties in membrane processes management by a sustainable approach: From autopsy to reuse of old Reverse Osmosis (RO) membranes

International Conference on Membrane Science and Technology

September 11-12, 2017 | Paris, France

Maxime Pontie

Angers University, France

Keynote: J Membra Sci Technol

Abstract:

The objective of the present work, is first to estimate the degradation level of old RO membranes by an autopsy approach. Our membranes, taken in Mauritania (North West Africa), Tunisia, Senegal and also USA, were first autopsied in terms of water permeability, salts rejection, roughness changes and chemical analysis in order to diagnose the level of their degradation after their first life during sea/brackish waters desalination. Furthermore, old RO spacers (main part of old RO elements) in polypropylene (PP) were combined with low density polypropylene to elaborate a new flat sheet membrane dedicated to membrane distillation (MD). Last part is dedicated to RO raw materials, as alternative fuels feedstock via pyrolysis. Indeed membrane sheets and spacers are still having higher heating values than most of biomass fuels and we have presently estimated their potential, using thermal analysis.

Biography :

Maxime Pontie is working as a Professor at the University of Angers since 2004. He received a DSc degree under Professors Lemordant and Rumeau in 1996 from the University Francois Rabelais in Tours, France. After a Post-doctoral research study under Professor R W Bowen, Swansea University of Wales, UK, with a research topic dedicated to mass transfer mechanism in nano-filtration. His current research interests are water desalination membrane processes with a way to intensify the processes in a sustainable development approach. He has over 100 publications that have been cited over 100 times, and his publication H-index is 35 and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member of reputed journals. He was a Board Member of the European Desalination Society from 2012 to 2017 and he is a Member of the French Membrane Society (CFM).