The research activities of the laboratory concern the studies on different membrane processes and possibilities of adopting them by nuclear industry as a feasible techniques for separation of isotopes and processing of different liquid radioactive waste. The research work of the Laboratory includes the basic studies on transport mechanism of various media through the membranes coupled with mathematical description and modelling, as well as development of the processes and elaboration of specific technological schemes. The use of membrane techniques combined with other conventional methods is broaden to various application areas like wastewater treatment, water desalination and production of pure water for special applications.
High treatment capabilities of membranes are applied for gas separation, particularly biogas conditioning and its conversion into valuable standard fuel.
The main aims of the activity:
Promotion of membrane processes in nuclear industry area;
Implementation of membrane methods in various fields of environmental protection;
Application of membrane methods and unit operations of process engineering for treatment of different industrial streams including radioactive wastes and gaseous streams;
Study and development of new processes and technologies for the conservation of environment and renewable energy production.
Specific activities
Basic research:
Development of methods improving the separation and removal of radioactive substances from liquid waste by hybrid processes;
Studying the sorption properties of various sorbents applied for removal of heavy metals;
Study on boundary layer phenomena in pressure driven membrane processes;
Process modelling;
Study on mechanisms of isotope separation and isotope effects in membrane processes;
Study on separation of the components of gaseous mixtures;
Removal of organic compounds from water solutions by pervaporation.
Applied research:
Ultrafiltration process enhanced by complexation applied for radioactive wastes treatment;
Concentration of radioactive wastes by reverse osmosis;
Membrane distillation application for radioactive wastes processing and water desalination;
