The Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP completed the European Convert2Green project in the spring of 2026. A key result is a novel filtration technology based on ultrathin polymer layers that can purify water highly efficiently. The process will be presented at pro flex 2027, which will take place in Dresden from May 25 to 26, 2027.
CNM Composite Membranes for Water Separation
As part of the Horizon Europe-funded project, an Open Innovation Test Bed was established to facilitate companies’ access to technologies for climate-neutral and circular materials. Eighteen partners from academia and industry across nine countries participated in the three-year project. The network supports materials developers in integrating new solutions into the market across value chains such as clean energy, smart health, and industrial IoT.
Fraunhofer FEP contributed its expertise in the development and scaling of novel material and coating processes. Together with CNM Technologies GmbH, a prototype for a filtration technology was developed in the final phase of the project; at its core is a highly cross-linked polymer layer made of carbon nanomembranes that is only a few nanometers thick. This membrane allows water molecules to pass through easily, while dissolved ions, organic substances, and other molecules are almost completely retained. On a laboratory scale, the retention performance for table salt was shown to be at least five times better than that of conventional osmosis membranes at the same water flow rates.
The institute cites water treatment, food technology, and energy technology as areas of application. CNM composite membranes can, for example, be used for the gentle concentration of aqueous solutions via forward osmosis. This allows valuable components such as flavors or proteins to be extracted for food production without exposing them to high temperatures. In addition, ultrapure water can be produced using low-pressure reverse osmosis.
Roll-to-Roll Process for Scaling
In a further development step, the researchers integrated additional metal layers and produced ultrathin metal films with a thickness of just a few tens of nanometers. This expands the range of applications, particularly for miniaturized optics and sensor technology.
Fraunhofer FEP describes the first-ever implementation of all manufacturing steps in a continuous roll-to-roll process—from the deposition of a molecularly thin layer to its cross-linking via electron beam—as a milestone. “With Convert2Green, we have succeeded in transferring a promising filter technology from the laboratory scale to an industrially relevant process environment,” explains Dr. Matthias Fahland, project manager at Fraunhofer FEP. “What is crucial here is not only the technological result itself, but also the fact that we have established structures within the project that will allow such innovations to be translated into marketable applications more quickly in the future.”
Convert2Green ran from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2025, and was funded by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA) under grant number 101092347. The access and support structures established during the project are intended to make it easier for companies—especially small and medium-sized enterprises—to access pilot plants, development and testing services, and specialized expertise.