Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) recently started operating a thin-film composites plant to coat membranes for use in organic solvent nanofiltration and gas separation at its Marl site in Germany.
Evonik is a global leader in the area of organic solvent nanofiltration, an innovative technology for particularly effective material separation in organic solvents. The group’s hydrophobic polyimide membranes, sold under the brand names DuraMem and PuraMem, are used in processes such as the efficient recovery of valuable homogeneous catalysts, solvent recycling, or gentle processing of natural oils.
In the new thin-film composite plant, thin membrane films are coated with special silicone or other materials. The resulting composite membranes are then turned into solvent-resistant or gas-tight spiral-wound modules in a further production process. The corresponding silicone coating, also manufactured by Evonik, is a key factor for the separation properties of the membrane.
“The startup of the thin-film composite plant is a consistent step in our growth plan for the attractive membrane business,” notes Dr. Matthias Kottenhahn, head of the High Performance Polymers Business Line at Evonik. “It gives our customers direct access to an advanced membrane technology for resource-efficient material separation.”
With its investment in Marl, Evonik Industries is now creating the prerequisite for the continuous expansion of its membrane portfolio with attractive new products. The group is also using its membrane products for the optimization and new design of proprietary production processes.