No attachments available.
TECHNOLOGY LICENSING OPPORTUNITY: PBI High-Temperature Hollow Fiber Membranes
Contact and place of performance
Kathleen McDonald
Los Alamos, NM 87545
USA
Polybenzimidazole (PBI) High-Temperature Hollow Fiber Membranes offer a practical way to improve separation efficiency in process environments where standard polymer membranes often lose performance or durability. The platform combines high-temperature operation, chemical resistance and compact hollow-fiber design in a membrane system that can help users recover hydrogen, separate carbon dioxide and process difficult...
View moreTechnical Description
The polybenzimidazole invention is centered on a method for making asymmetric hollow fiber membranes from polybenzimidazole, a polymer valued for strong thermal and chemical stability. A PBI dope solution and a bore fluid are extruded through a spinneret, then passed through an optional air gap and into a water coagulation bath, which forms a hollow fiber with an integrated selective layer and a porous support structure. The process can produce nearly defect-free selective layers, and the patent states that selective layer thickness can be controlled from about 0.1 to 5 µm, with examples demonstrating thicknesses down to about 160 nm and one example near 0.38 µm.
A major technical advantage is control over membrane microstructure and durability. PBI High-Temperature Hollow Fiber Membranes emphasize macrovoid-free fibers, which are important because macrovoids create weak points that can fail under high temperature and pressure. The membranes can be thermally annealed or chemically crosslinked to improve solvent resistance and stability, and a defect-sealing layer can be added to improve selectivity without changing the core fiber architecture. In demonstrated gas-separation modules, the technology showed hydrogen permeance above 100 GPU, with one example reporting 242 GPU at 250 °C and hydrogen/carbon dioxide selectivity of 19.1, while long-term testing in wet syngas with 20 ppm H2S showed stable performance over 40 days. The patent also states that the membranes can operate up to about 400 °C and are suitable for gas, vapor and liquid separations including hydrogen purification, carbon capture, brine treatment and organic solvent separations.
Advantages
Market Applications
Development Status: TRL 5
US Patent No. 10,071,345
LA-UR-26-24561
LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential
Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.
LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact [email protected].
Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.
https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology
m.lanl.gov/tech-search
The Department of Energy, through Triad National Security, LLC at Los Alamos National Laboratory, is offering a technology licensing opportunity for Polybenzimidazole (PBI) High-Temperature Hollow Fiber Membranes. Identified under solicitation number S-133262, this special notice focuses on a method for fabricating asymmetric hollow fiber membranes that maintain performance and durability in process environments too demanding for standard polymer membranes. The technology is classified under NAICS 541715 for Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) and PSC AJ12 for General Science and Technology R&D Services; General Science and Technology; Applied Research. There is no set-aside designated for this opportunity.
The PBI membrane platform is engineered to recover hydrogen, separate carbon dioxide, and process difficult liquid streams at temperatures up to 400 °C. The fabrication process utilizes a spinneret to extrude a PBI dope solution and bore fluid into a water coagulation bath, forming a hollow fiber with an integrated selective layer and a porous, macrovoid-free support structure. This design enables high-temperature operation and chemical resistance against steam and sulfur-containing gases, providing a smaller equipment footprint than ceramic or conventional membrane systems. Potential applications include hydrogen production, pre-combustion carbon capture, oil and gas refining, and industrial wastewater treatment.
The technology is currently at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5 and is protected under U.S. Patent No. 10,071,345. Performance testing has demonstrated hydrogen permeance above 100 GPU and stable operation in wet syngas over 40 days. The place of performance is Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the response deadline for this notice is December 5, 2026. Kathleen McDonald serves as the point of contact for this licensing opportunity, which aims to transition the invention from the laboratory to commercial innovation through exclusive or non-exclusive licensing agreements.
Generated by Lumen AI
Scoped analysis and attachments—go beyond the summary when you need detail from the solicitation package.