Research Interests:

Brian Bischoff is a Research Staff Member in the Physical Chemistry of Materials (PCM) group in the Materials Science & Technology Division at ORNL. He serves as a Principal Investigator leading several research projects.

Selected current research interests include:

• Development of high-flux inorganic membranes and filters for gas separation and gas cleanup. Metallic and ceramic supported membranes can be tailor-made from materials stable in corrosive environments and at high temperatures with pore-sizes ranging from less than 1 nm to over 10 µm. These membranes are extremely robust and can operate at high pressures resulting in high fluxes.
• Development of water purification and water recovery devices. These membranes and filters can be sterilized and regenerated using steam, heat, and direct resistance heating. Cleanable filters can be designed to remove a variety of bacteria and viruses. High-flux membranes can also be designed to lower the salinity of water by 50-90% for industrial applications including hydraulic fracturing of shale. Metallic supported membranes can recover heat and high purity water from exhaust streams containing water vapor.
• Development of tubular electrochemical devices such as solid oxide fuel cells, solid oxide electrolyzers, and batteries. Metallic supports offer improved sealing and efficient current collection.

Publications: