NanoFilter

NanoFilter deals with the development, production and commercialization of a novel filtering media, enhanced with super-hydrophobic nanofibers, for highly efficient filtration of oil and fuel liquids.

Efficiency of filtration signifies two main features when it comes to oil or fuel filtration:

1. Water repelling performance and
2. Blocking impurities, such as microparticles.

NanoFilter addresses both features through the enhancement of existing filtering media with novel polymer nanofibers. The specific design and process of nanofibers to be developed in the proposed project will increase the water repelling efficiency, maintaining at the same time pores size in the desired level to inhibit impurities permeation.

The Problem:

Filtration of air, water, oil, fuels, and other liquids is needed in several fields of applications, such as industrial processes, automotive, aircraft, and more. Specifically for oil and fuels filtration, the need for high water repellence and impurities prevention is significant for offering a product of high quality to the customer. Market research has shown that advanced materials have been widely used to engineer filtering media that can block impurities with efficiency beyond 99.9%. In addition, water repellence is approached mainly through filters that incorporate coalescing separators (metal or fibrous) or hydrophobic post treated filtering media. Both techniques result in water repellence efficiency much lower than the impurities blocking efficiency, leaving room for new, more effective filtration technologies. Evidently, filters with optimum water repellence efficiency are in demand, especially but not limited to the fuel industry. The need for filters with higher water repellence efficiency, while maintaining high levels of impurities blocking, leaves a market entry point to the filtration market for AmaDema and its partners.

NanoFilter will be coordinated by AmaDema in partnership with Petrolina, the largest oil & gas distributor in Cyprus market, and the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering of Cyprus University of Technology. More specifically, AmaDema will be responsible for project management, process requirements and development, product research and development, market investigation, manufacturing, and business development. On the other hand, Petrolina will take over product specifications, quality assurance measurements in fuel level, and pilot demonstrations in operational environment. Eventually, CUT will lead the materials evaluation under scanning electron microscopy as well as certain dissemination activities.

NanoFilter aims to investigate, engineer, and develop novel filters for fuels, enhanced with polymer nanofibers. This approach brings the benefits of engineered nanofibers, currently developed by AmaDema, to filtering media for fuels to enhance filtering efficiency in terms of particles and water separation from the fuel product. This approach allows AmaDema to target customers in the wider supply chain of filtration. Toward this scope, certain methodologies will be followed to:

• accurately set requirements and specifications of the new “filtering media” product,
• investigate the optimum nanofibers that can serve the desired filtration level,
• design and develop an apparatus that will allow pilot testing of the enhanced filtering media in a filter prototype, and
• produce enough amount of nanofiber-enhanced filtering media for several filter prototypes to demonstrate higher filtration efficiency
  

The project is implemented under the programme of social cohesion “THALIA 2021-2027” co-funded by the European Union, through Research and Innovation Foundation.