Membranes may be fabricated from metals, polymers, or ceramics, or combinations of these materials. Depending on their intended use, their morphology is engineered with small pores that can desalinate water, remove bacteria and viruses from food products, or harvest cells and purify fragile proteins for biomedical research, to name a few examples. MAST Center researchers fabricate polymer and ceramic membranes to understand how the fabrication process affects membrane structure and performance.

Founded in 1990, the MAST Center now has a site at the University of Cincinnati, as well as its headquarters at CU-Boulder. The MAST Center is the only National Science Foundation-funded industry/university cooperative research center dedicated to membrane research. Activities at the center are directed by corporate and government organizations who become center sponsors by paying a fee in exchange for cutting-edge technical information and access to intellectual property developed during the sponsorship period. A board of sponsor representatives, known as the Industrial Advisory Board, directs the center's research agenda. Some of the largest membrane product companies in the world are MAST Center sponsors, as well as companies and agencies involved in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and water treatment.

Senthil Ramaswamy, a PhD student in chemical engineering, undertook a project proposed by a center sponsor and developed by center-affiliated faculty, Alan Greenberg and Michael Peterson, to develop an ultrasonic method for analyzing the structure of membranes.

“Senthil’s project is a good example of how the sponsorship program works,” said Greenberg, professor of mechanical engineering, who co-directs the center with Richard Noble, professor of chemical engineering. “This has received a provisional patent. Our researchers have the opportunity to solve actual problems faced by industry, and sponsors have access to the latest developments in the field.”

The MAST Center’s progressive work in membrane structure and performance assures that many products used in everyday life—water, food and beverages, medicines, and much more—are processed carefully for the enjoyment and benefit of consumers.