CEE Seminar: Thin-film Composite Membranes for Desalination and Water Reclamation: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract: Membrane-based processes have emerged as resilient technologies for desalination and wastewater reclamation, owing to their notable attributes of low energy consumption and high performance. Notably, since their inception in 1976, Thin-film composite membranes (TFCM) have constituted the cornerstone of a myriad membrane separation processes. Despite the considerable success, state-of-the-art TFCM exhibit certain deficiencies, including low chemical resistance, inadequate selectivity towards specific species, and susceptibility to fouling and scaling. This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of our ongoing research focused on the conceptualization and advancement of innovative TFCM.

Bio: Alan Quezada holds a Ph.D. in environmental science from the Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT) in San Luis Potosí, Mexico (2020). He received a UC MEXUS-CONACYT fellowship (2020) followed by a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral fellowship (2022) to join the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UCLA, as a postdoctoral researcher. His research interests include adsorption, membrane-based and electrochemical processes for water treatment and wastewater reclamation.