Smartphones, computer chips, and green technologies all rely on valuable metals and minerals. As global demand rises, so does the urgency to find new, sustainable sources. What if the answer is already flowing past us — in seawater and industrial wastewater?
In a nutshell:
- Targets recovery of valuable metals from seawater and waste streams
- Uses cutting-edge membrane crystallization technology
- Develops PFAS-free, chemically robust ceramic membranes
- Demonstrates performance in realistic industrial conditions
Access to rare and valuable materials is a growing bottleneck in global manufacturing, especially for electronics and clean tech. Yet, these critical resources are often diluted in large volumes of water—seemingly out of reach. Traditional extraction methods are energy-intensive, costly, or environmentally damaging. Innovative solutions are needed to tap into these overlooked sources and recover materials efficiently and safely.
The ReValue project explores the potential of membrane crystallization, a promising technology to recover valuable compounds from aqueous streams. At the heart of the project are hybrid ceramic membranes, tailored for high performance through advanced surface design.
Researchers will fine-tune the surface roughness and hydrophobicity of ceramic membranes using hierarchical micro–nano structuring and PFAS-free alkylphosphonic acid coatings. These modifications are designed to improve stability, prevent wetting, and enable selective crystallization of target materials.
Results
Initial results are highly promising. The newly developed membranes:
- Achieve high water contact angles (up to 134°), preventing pore wetting
- Show liquid entry pressures exceeding 19 bar (disks) and 8 bar (tubular)
- Maintain stable water vapor flux and 99.9% salt rejection in membrane distillation tests
- Demonstrate ≥94% flux recovery and minimal hydrophobicity loss after 72h at 80°C in saline conditions
These results confirm the potential of PFAS-free ceramic membranes as a sustainable and scalable option for recovering high-value materials from water—without the environmental downsides of traditional coatings.
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Let’s get in touch
Boelo Schuur
Otto Tobé
Irene ten Dam
Also in our team
Mieke Luiten-Olieman
Acknowledgement & partners
