The state key laboratory of separation membranes and membrane processes, which was approved to be jointly built by Ministry of Science and Technology and Tianjin Municiple Government in a written form in January, 2015, is the only national key lab engaging in the research of separation membranes until now. Relying on Tianjin Polytechnic University, the lab is the first institute which engages in theresearch of hollow fiber membrane. Membrane technology and technical research institute was founded in 1974 and the first industrialized hollow fiber membrane modules were developed. With the continuous support from national technological plans of “Sixth five-year plan” to “Thirteenth five-year plan” and Tianjin Municiple Science and Technology Commission, the lab has acquired the technical equipment and development conditions like the theoretical research of membrane basis, research and development of new-type hollow fiber membranes and the process development of the membranes after the development of more than 40 years. And a high-level research team of membrane science and technology has been formed as well as the service platform of applicable basic technology innovation of important membrane materials and membrane process.

Facing the frontier of world science and national strategic requirements, aiming at the practical application of membrane separation technologies on the fields of wastewater utilization, seawater desalination, dringking water treatment, control of air pollution and personal protection, bioengineering, centering on the development of the forming mechanism of separation membranes, membrane materials and functional designs, membrane integrated technologies and membrane standardization, the lab is organized into a whole-chain talent team in membrane materials, membrane preparation, membrane process and industrialization. Nowadays, the lab consists of over 70 permanent staff, including academicians from National Academy of Engineering, national outstanding professional technical personnels, the candidates of national thousand people plan, Changjiang scholars, the gainers of national outstanding young investor award, candidates of national talents project, who forms 12 distinctive teams of scientific research and innovation, including Innovative Research Team in University (PCSIRT) of Ministry of Education of China. Moreover, 2 roving stations of postdoctors, 2 doctor stations of first-level discipline, 6 master pilots are owned by the lab. Right now, it has been the important training base for the professional talents in the field of membranes and appoved to be “The training and demonstration base of the innovative talents” by the national technological department.

The lab focuses on the scientific and technological innovation and breaks through in the fields of the control strategies for the membrane forming via? differential phases, the control theories of multi-hole structures of hollow fiber membranes, membrane integration and the pollution control technologies, new type of melt-blown non-woven materials for high efficiency air filtration. And also the lab has been given 7 National Science and Technology Awards successively since 2008; The world famous national brand “Jinmo Technology”(300334), cultivated by the laboratory essential technologies, came into the market in 2012, which established the biggest manufacturing base for hollow fiber membranes in Asia, industrial base for the new materials of NDRC(National Development and Reform) at that time. It also ranks in the leading position domestically in the research and development of whole series of hollow fiber membranes and the treatment processes and equipments with the output sold out to more than 30 countries and areas.

There are three public platforms, including analysis detection center, evaluation center for membrane performance and standardized research center, and also modern analytical instruments at almost 0.2 billion yuan which can realize the elaborate monitor and analysis from the physical and chemical structures of membrane materials under the mocro-environment to the structural variation during the process of membrane application etc.

The lab insists the operation mechanism of “ openness, flow, union, competition”, carrying out the academic communications and cooperation at home and abroad, like the widespread cooperation and commnucations with the scientific research insititutions in America, Germany, Austrilia, UK, Japn, Singapore, South Korea, South Africa and etc. And also the National Center for International Joint Research on Separation Membranes was established in 2016, which has been the important platform for oversea cooperation in the field of separation membranes in China.

In the future, the lab will aim at the strategic requirements in the fields of resources, environment, energies, biological medicines, and etc, highlight the features of hollow fiber membranes, develop the high performance functionalized separation membranes. Facing the international arena and integrating the high end, the lab will make efforts to build the distinctive national key lab in a complete mechanism, improve Chinese separation membrane technologies and technological levels constantly, and lead the development of the industry of separation membranes and build commonly a powerful nation of science and technology.