NTU-CEE Seminar Series: Dr. Carmelo Morgante
Learn about Sequential Multiple Importance Sampling (SeMIS) as a unified computational framework for model updating and rare-event probability estimation for structural reliability.
About the Seminar
Topic: Engineering Next-Generation Materials for the Selective Recovery of Critical Resources from Seawater and Brines
The growing demand for critical raw materials and the rapid expansion of desalination worldwide are creating new opportunities to transform seawater and desalination brines into valuable resource streams. However, the highly complex composition of these waters presents significant challenges for selective ion separations. This seminar will present recent advances in the design of next-generation materials for resource recovery from saline waters, with a particular focus on magnesium as a strategic mineral for energy, environmental, and industrial applications.
The talk will highlight the development of metal-organic framework (MOF)-based nanofiltration membranes capable of enabling selective multi-cation separations, as well as a new class of ion-exchangeable MOF glasses for highly selective mineral recovery. These materials combine tunable chemistry, enhanced selectivity, and process scalability, offering new pathways for the valorisation of seawater and desalination brines. By bridging materials engineering with separation process design, these technologies demonstrate how advanced materials can contribute to more circular and sustainable water treatment systems, transforming brines from waste streams into valuable sources of critical resources.
About the Speaker
Dr. Carmelo Morgante, Aalborg University, Denmark
Dr. Carmelo Morgante is a Researcher at Aalborg University, Denmark, specializing in sustainable desalination, brine valorisation, and advanced membrane technologies. He earned his PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of Palermo in 2024, developing innovative resource recovery solutions from desalination brines at both laboratory and pilot scale, with particular emphasis on selective magnesium recovery.
His work has led to multiple patents and has been recognized with several international awards, including the first Miriam Balaban Innovation Award (2023), the Young Water Professional of Denmark Award (2025), and the Rising Stars in Desalination Award (2026). In 2025, he secured a 1.5 million DKK InnoExplorer grant to advance MagNaGLASS, a recyclable glass-based adsorbent for magnesium recovery. He is also involved in the development of next-generation membrane technologies within a research group supported by a European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept Grant. His current research bridges fundamental materials innovation and practical solutions for sustainable water treatment and resource recovery.
Venue
NEWRI Meeting Room 1 (CleanTech One, #06-08, 1 Cleantech Loop, Singapore 637141)