- Conduct fundamental and applied research
- Promote education in membrane and filtration science and technology
- Provide timely and effective technology transfer
An emphasis on strong industry-university partnerships enables these activities, which are overseen by an Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) composed of all member companies.
RESEARCH PROGRAMS are organized into Center Research and Spin-Off Research.
- Center Research is developed jointly by the Center faculty and the MemFAST sponsor companies. Center Research projects are DEFINED & SELECTED by the sponsors and focus on technical problems faced by the membrane and filtration industries. These core projects are supported by funds from membership fees from MemFAST Center sponsors as well as contributions from the universities including reduced overhead on Sponsor fees as well as direct contributions. The results from these projects are proprietary to Center sponsors. This information is placed in the public domain, through presentations and publications, poster presentations, software, and patent disclosures, only after the approval of the MemFAST Center Industrial Advisory Board (IAB).
- Spin-Off research projects focus on one or more of the above objectives but are carried out under separate contract between an individual company and the university researcher(s) and may focus on product development.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS are organized as formal classroom undergraduate and graduate courses in Membrane and Filtration technologies as well as informal means through on-line courses and short courses. Short courses serve the needs of Center sponsors and support Center technology transfer program by seeking to disseminate technology developed by the Center along with existing knowledge of the fundamentals of membrane and filtration materials and processes. There is also the formal undergraduate or graduate degree coursework.
Technology transfer to MemFAST Center Sponsors is designed to be timely and effective. In addition, technology transfer may lead to TECHNICAL and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT via the use of Center test-bed facilities. Specialized facilities are available to facilitate characterization and product development and include polymer, fiber, fabric and thin film analysis, spunbond and melt blown pilot lines with bicomponent fiber capability, carding, cross-lapping, wetlay, needle punching, hydroentangling, thermal bonding, and spun bond/melt blown/carded web composite capability. Facilities include multiple stations for electrospinning single and multiple jets at bench scale and one pilot scale facility for electrospinning fibers onto thin films. Characterization facilities offer the ability to analyze and evaluate material performance according to many industry-specific standard test methods including NMR, FTIR, SEM, TEM, AFM, Xray diffraction, XPS, and others. Filtration facilities include gas phase liquid coalescence, liquid-liquid coalescence, and filter media characterization including permeability, porosity, and zeta potential. Materials development facilities include plasma vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition to compliment our wet laboratories in construction of metal oxide and ceramic fiber materials. MemFAST also offers special training in the use of such facilities and methods.
For more information on membership, contact the leaders at one of the following partner universities:
| The Nonwovens Institute NC State University Raleigh, NC 27695-8301 Behnam Pourdeyhimi Phone: 919-515-6551 FAX: 919-515-4556 bpourdey@ncsu.edu |
Chemical Engineering |
Mechanical Engineering |
