Membrion, a manufacturer of lower cost, high performance ion exchange membranes, has received more than US$9.5 million funding to begin commercial production of its silica gel ceramic membranes at its new production facility in Seattle.
The company has developed Molecular Self Assembly (MSA) technology that uses readily available, non-toxic and low-cost materials to produce advanced ceramic ion exchange membranes which perform better and cost significantly less than current polymer options.
Membrion manufactures membranes that are purpose-built for electrodialysis reversal (EDR) equipment that desalinates brackish water, often found in estuaries and underground aquifers, which traditionally has been too difficult and expensive to purify. The company’s focus is on the water desalination market, which is expanding due to increased demand to address global freshwater shortages.
The MSA technology uses silica gel, an inexpensive, non-toxic material often used in packaging, to produce a new class of commercial ceramic membranes. Its technology converts the highly absorbent, small-pore silica gel into flexible ceramic membranes that can be engineered to meet the needs of many different applications at a significantly reduced cost compared with current industry-leading membranes.
