BlueFabric

Availability and sustainable management of water is of utmost important to sustain peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. Advanced wastewater treatment solutions are pivotal in achieving a circular water economy at the lowest cost. One solution involves membrane bioreactor technology based on IPC® membranes.

Current IPC® membranes are extremely robust and ensure a unique back-washability. However, existing manufacturing techniques have reached their limits in terms of minimum IPC® membrane thickness. Given the inverse correlation between thickness and process economics, a major scientific and techno-economic opportunity exists in pushing the limits on current IPC® membranes.

The ICON-project BlueFabric aims to investigate the delicate interplay between the IPC® membrane constituents (i.e., yarn, spacer fabric and membrane) to create even thinner membranes with targeted performance at the lowest cost. Such ultra-thin IPC® membranes are exploited in existing and new applications.

The SPC-ICON project BlueFabric (HBC.2024.0558) is supported by Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) under the umbrella of Catalisti, the spearhead cluster (SPC) of Flanders’ chemical and plastics sector. This multi-partner innovation project includes the three industrial SME-partners (Blue Foot Membranes, VdS Weaving, Luxilon) and four research groups of two knowledge institutes: Coating & Finishing Technologies (Centexbel), Melt Processing Technologies (Centexbel), Processing of Polymers & Innovative Material Systems (KU Leuven Bruges) and the Membrane Technology Group (KU Leuven).