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The UltraGraph Membrane Extraction System from Los Alamos National Laboratory is a compact, modular device that separates and recovers targeted materials from liquid mixtures using an ultra-thin graphene membrane. The system achieves mass transfer performance comparable to conventional separation equipment with active areas 250 times larger. Its building-block design, chemically stable materials and compatibility with standard laboratory fittings allow it to serve a wide range of applications in chemical separations, recovery purifications and biological sample preparation. Organizations can integrate the UltraGraph system into existing laboratory infrastructure with minimal modification, reducing the cost and complexity of adoption.

How it Works

The UltraGraph system flows two different liquids through separate microchannels etched into quartz substrates, with a three-layer membrane positioned between them. The membrane consists of a monolayer sheet of graphene held between two porous formvar polymer films, each approximately 125 nanometers thick. The formvar layers are permeable, allowing liquid to reach the graphene surface, while the graphene itself blocks the bulk fluids but permits selected ions or particles to transfer across. Liquids can run co-currently or counter-currently depending on the separation task, enabling controlled mass transfer, ion exchange or heat exchange without the two fluids ever mixing. The assembly is secured between steel plates that compress the quartz chips and ETFE gaskets together, forming a leak-resistant seal that connects to standard screw-port fittings.

Technical Description

The graphene at the center of the membrane is grown via chemical vapor deposition on copper foil and transferred onto formvar support films using a proprietary process that is one to two orders of magnitude faster than conventional PMMA-based transfer methods. The formvar films have tunable porosity ranging from 20% to 60%. At approximately 125 nanometers thick with an elastic modulus of 7.8 GPa, the formvar provides sufficient mechanical support for atomically thin graphene across 100-micrometer-wide channels at flow rates up to 25 microliters per minute. The graphene layer can be functionalized with oxide groups, nanoparticles or engineered pores to adjust selectivity for specific ions or molecules. The total membrane thickness is approximately 250 nanometers, which is orders of magnitude thinner than membranes used in conventional microfluidic separation devices.

The quartz microchannel substrates can be configured in patterns ranging from single channels to branching multi-channel networks and radially extending circular designs. In laboratory testing, the system achieved a pH change of approximately 4 in deionized water contacted with an organic triethylamine solution across the graphene membrane, matching the output of a commercial system whose mass transfer area was 250 times larger. The four-channel counter-current configuration demonstrated 17.4% triethylamine transfer at 15 microliters per minute, on par with that commercial benchmark. The modular stacking design allows additional substrate-membrane pairs to be layered to increase throughput without redesigning the housing, and scaling estimates project that a cylindrical multi-layer assembly could process 26 milliliters per minute across more than 1,000 channels. Because the quartz chips are reusable and the membrane materials are inexpensive to produce, the system lowers the economic discard limit for recoverable materials that might otherwise be classified as waste.

Advantages

• High efficiency in a compact form factor — performs comparably to systems with separation areas 250 times larger


• Tunable selectivity — the graphene membrane can be chemically modified to target specific ions, molecules or particles


• Modular and scalable — additional chip-and-membrane layers can be stacked to increase capacity without a full redesign


• Chemically stable and radiation resistant — formvar support layers are inert to most chemicals and tolerate radiation exposure, suiting the system to demanding operating environments


• Low-cost and reusable components — quartz chips can be reused, membranes are inexpensive to manufacture and standard connectors simplify integration


• Leak-resistant design — ETFE gaskets and a compression housing address the leakage issues common in prior microfluidic membrane systems

Market Applications

• Water Treatment and Desalination (ion removal, brine processing, contaminant filtration)


• Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology (drug compound purification, sample preparation, protein separation)


• Chemical Manufacturing (solvent extraction, chemical purification, catalyst recovery)


• Environmental Remediation (industrial wastewater treatment, heavy metal removal, pollution control)


• Medical Diagnostics and Research (blood and plasma separation, point-of-care sample processing, analytical chemistry)

TRL 4

LA-UR-26-24077

US Patent No. 11,471,838

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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 licensing@lanl.gov.

Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.

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