An ECI Conference Series
February 8-13, 2015
Sicily, Italy
Oral Abstracts Deadline: Closed
Poster Abstracts Deadline: December 16, 2014
Current List of Oral Presentations Current List of Poster Presentations
About This Conference
Separation technology constitutes 50 to 75% of the capital investment in a chemical plant, according to a report of the National Research Council. Membrane technology is an important part of the separation technology. Its usage in the chemical industry is growing due to its versatility and low-energy consumption as compared with other separation processes, such as distillation. Because of the industrial needs for efficient separation technology and the advances in material science, many new membrane materials, processes, and applications are being commercialized.
This is the sixth conference in this long running ECI series begun by Dr. Norman Li and Professor Enrico Drioli. Previous conferences were held in 2001 (Barga, Italy), 2004 (Irsee, Germany), 2006 (Cetraro, Italy), 2009 (Trondheim, Norway), and 2012 (Singapore).
The 2015 conference will showcase the recent advancements of membrane research, development and applications related to water production, wastewater reclamation, gas and liquid separations and purifications, energy issues, the environment, special needs, etc. This ECI membrane conference will also address new frontiers of membranes, such as biomimetic membranes, graphene membranes, CNT membranes, membranes for power generation, etc.
It will provide a forum for exchange of ideas and thoughts, and discussions for the global membrane community. It will also serve to build important professional networks.
Conference Organization
Conference Chairs:
Dibakar Bhattacharyya (University of Kentucky) DB@uky.edu
Benny Freeman (University of Texas) Freeman@che.utexas.edu
Organizing Committee Members
- Norman Li, USA
- Enrico Drioli, Italy
- Masaru Kurihara, Japan
- Young Moo Lee, Korea
- Tony Fane, Singapore
- Yoram Cohen, USA
- Isabel Escobar, USA
- Jack Gilron, Israel
- Mathias Wessling, Germany
- Ingo Pinnau, Saudi Arabia
- Chuanfang T (Ted) Yang, China
- Mainak Majumder, Australia
- Andrew Livingston, UK
- Kamalesh Sirkar, USA
General Information
Engineering Conferences International (ECI) is a not-for-profit, global engineering conferences program, originally established in 1962 that provides opportunities for the exploration of problems and issues of concern to engineers and scientists from many disciplines.
The format of the conference provides morning and late afternoon or evening sessions in which major presentations are made. Poster sessions will be scheduled for evening discussion as well. Available time is included during the afternoons for ad hoc meetings, informal discussions, and/or recreation. This format is designed to enhance rapport among participants and promote dialogue on the development of the meeting. We believe the conferences have been instrumental in generating ideas and disseminating information to a greater extent than is possible through more conventional forums.
Conference Sponsors
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Sponsorship Opportunities
Click on this link for sponsor opportunites.
Conference Venue
Siracusa, Sicily, Italy
Thanks to its geographical position, at the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily has always been a crossroads for different people and cultures. From the grumbling, lava-filled volcano of Mount Etna to the ancient Greek temples of Agrigento, Sicily is a land of natural and man-made beauty.
The countryside is filled with nature reserves and vineyards, all in a near-perfect climate, mild all year round, with an average rainfall among the lowest in Europe. But Sicily is not just about nature. The Greek temples, the Byzantine, Norman and Roman monuments, the cities of Palermo, Taormina, Catania, Siracusa and Agrigento, are places where the past and the present blend into an idyllic ensemble. Sicily surprises visitors at every step with its gorgeous beauty and immense cultural heritage. A huge number of castles and manors, private villas, ancient chapels and churches are there to be explored.
The town of Siracusa (45 km from Catania), known to English speakers as Syracuse, is a wonder to behold. One of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization, the city was founded in 734 BC by Greek colonists from Corinth and soon grew to rival, and even surpass, Athens in splendor and power. Siracusa became the largest, wealthiest city-state in the West and a bulwark of Greek civilization.
A World Heritage Site, this was the second Greek colony to be founded in Sicily in the second half of the 8th century B.C. Today, Siracusa is one of the most interesting cities in Sicily – the cradle of an incredible variety of art styles: from ancient Greek plays to the baroque. Crisscrossed by two legendary rivers, the Ciane and the Ananapo. Siracusa’s beauty and the mythology of the land have inspired poets and writers from Cicero to d’Annunzio.
Conference Hotel – Grand Hotel Minareto
A luxury, five-star seaside resort located near the island of Ortigia, The Grand Hotel Minareto is perched next to the crystal-clear waters of the Plemmirio Nature Reserve. There is a magnificent view of Siracusa which is just across the bay from the hotel and Mt. Etna seems to float in the sky above Siracusa..
The resort’s 93 rooms and 4 suites are cottages scattered around the luxurious Mediterranean grounds, a splendid setting dominated by the sea and the sky. The hotel has a number of bars and restaurants, a pool, private beach and spa. Rooms are air-conditioned and have televisions, mini-bars, safes and other amenities.
For more details and pictures visit http://www.grandhotelminareto.it/index_eng.html
Abstracts Submission
Original papers for oral and poster presentations are encouraged. Those who wish to be considered for an oral or poster presentation should submit a one-page abstract online.
Deadlines
Oral Abstract Submission Deadline: Closed
Poster Abstract Submission Deadline: December 16, 2014
All abstracts should be submitted electronically here: https://ssl.linklings.net/conferences/membranetechnology
Submissions must follow the template provided at this link.
Abstracts for talks should be submitted to a specific session using the dropdown menu at the above web site. The session topics are listed below.
Technical Sessions
- Membranes for CO2 capture and energy-related gas separations
- Membrane desalination and water reuse for high TDS systems (fracking water to power plant and other oil/gas water applications)
- High recovery membrane systems to challenging separations
- FO, PRO, Membrane Distillation, and Reverse Electrodialysis Advances in Membranes and Systems
- Advancements in nanocomposite, functionalized, and responsive membranes
- Biomimetic, CNT, and graphene-based membrane advances and applications
- Reduced fouling membrane advances for UF to NF to RO
- MBR advances and full-scale applications
- Poster session on Membrane Advances and applications
- Plenary Session (Invited Speakers)
Note: There will be 3 to 4 plenary speakers, and several keynote talks
Fees and Registration
Conference Fees
All conference fees are inclusive. They include registration, accommodations (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights), meals and coffee breaks (excluding dinner on Wednesday), excursion, taxes, and gratuities from dinner on Sunday through lunch on Friday. Incidental fees (telephone calls, faxes, laundry, etc.) are billed to your personal account by the hotel.
ALL PARTICIPANTS (INCLUDING MEMBERS OF THE ORGANIZING COMMITTEE AND INVITED SPEAKERS) ARE REQUIRED TO REGISTER.
The conference fees are:
|
Register on or before January 8, 2015 |
Register after January 8, 2015 |
|
| Participant (single occupancy or sharing room with a guest; guest fee additional) |
US $2,199.00 |
US $2,399.00 |
| Participant (sharing a room with another participant) |
US $1,999.00 |
US $2,199.00 |
| Bona fide Graduate Student (sharing a room with another student) (Those in this category must send proof of current status – copy of current Student ID can be faxed to 1-212-514-6030 or emailed to Kathy@engconfintl.org) |
US $1,585.00 |
US $1,785.00 |
| **Fees for Guest/accompanying person sharing bedroom with single occupancy participant. (All conference-included meals and receptions, including the banquet) |
US $940.00 |
US $940.00 |
| **Fees for Guest/accompanying person sharing bedroom with single occupancy participant. (Bed and breakfast only) |
US $275.00 |
US $275.00 |
If you plan to bring children to the conference, please contact ECI (info@engconfintl.org) for pricing.
Conference Registration
You will need a login name and password to register for ECI conferences through our online system. If you have been a recent participant at an ECI conference or have submitted an online application or request for information about an ECI Conference, you may already have an account with us. If you know your login information please use it. If you are not sure whether you already have a login and password, please click on automated password retrieval and enter your e-mail address before creating a new account. If we don’t have a valid email address on file for you, a pop up window will appear stating that no records were found. Click “OK” and then follow the instructions to create a new account. If you have any questions or experience any difficulties, please email tressa@engconfintl.org.
Special Notes and Payment Instructio
We suggest that you register as soon as possible to be certain that you will have a hotel room at the conference rate. Late registrations will be accepted on a space available basis.
All participants are encouraged to register before January 8, 2015. There is a discounted price for registering before this date and hotel space cannot be guaranteed for registrations received after this date. Your registration is not officially confirmed until we receive payment of the amount due and ECI reserves the right to cancel your room registration if payment is not received. Your invoice/receipt will automatically be e-mailed upon of receipt of your registration.
Because of contractual guarantees made with the hotel for room and meal functions, no shows, late arrivals, missed meals and early departures cannot receive fee adjustments.
Payment must be made by credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex), check or money order drawn on a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars, payable to ENGINEERING CONFERENCES INTERNATIONAL. Checks or money orders in any other currencies are NOT ACCEPTABLE. Payment is made on the web site except for those who are sending payment by wire transfer or have a purchase order from their company/institution.
WIRE TRANSFER PAYMENT: If you are planning to make payment by wire transfer, please contact ECI for the bank information. You must add $30 to cover ECI bank charges. Please reference your full name and the conference title. Fax a copy of your bank transfer papers to ECI (Fax: +1-212-514-6030) or email a scanned copy to kathy@engconfintl.org. This is very important – otherwise it is extremely difficult to trace your payment and you may not receive a receipt prior to the conference.
Cancellation Policy: Cancellation must be received by ECI in writing at least four weeks prior to the start of the conference in order for a full refund (less a processing fee) to be considered. The ECI auditors require that refunds for all conference cancellations be processed after the conference so that the necessary back-up information (.e.g., hotel list of those in-house) can be attached to the refund request and ECI can verify that the hotel has not charged a cancellation fee.
Cancellation fees:
- Cancellations received more than 28 days prior to the conference start date are subject to a processing fee of 4% of the total fee, plus any direct expenses incurred by ECI.
- Cancellations received 15 – 28 days prior to the conference start date are subject to a $250 cancellation fee plus any direct expenses incurred by ECI.
- Cancellations received 8 – 14 days prior to the conference start date are subject to a $500 cancellation fee plus any direct expenses incurred by ECI.
- No refunds will be issued for cancellations received less than one week (7 days) prior to the conference start date.
Registrations can be transferred without incurring any penalty or cancellation fee.
Denied or delayed visa
If a participant is forced to cancel due to a denied or delayed entry visa, ECI will issue a full refund provided that ECI has been notified of a potential visa issue at least four weeks prior to the conference start date.
Change of payment method
If an attendee who has already paid the conference fee with a credit card requests that the fee be refunded to that card so that it can be paid in a different manner (charged to an alternate credit card, or paid via check or bank transfer), a processing fee of 4% of the total fee amount will apply.
Disclaimer
It may be necessary for reasons beyond the control of ECI to alter the content and timing of the program or the identity of the speakers. In the unfortunate circumstance that an event is cancelled, ECI is not liable for any costs incurred by participants in connection with their attendance.
Smoking is prohibited at ECI conferences and conference functions.
Should you have specific questions regarding your registration, please contact Kathy Chan (Kathy@engconfintl.org).
The Engineering Conferences International conferences calendar and other information can be found on the ECI web site: www.engconfintl.org
Engineering Conferences International
32 Broadway, Suite 314, New York, NY 10004
T: 1-7212-514-6760 – F: 1-212-514-6030
info@engconfintl.org – www.engconfintl.org
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Preliminary Program
Coming Soon!
Register Now!
Click on THIS LINK to register for this conference.
General Information
Engineering Conferences International (ECI) is a not-for-profit global engineering conferences program, originally established in 1962, that provides opportunities for the exploration of problems and issues of concern to engineers and scientists from many disciplines.
The format of the weeklong research conference provides morning and late afternoon or evening sessions in which major presentations are made. Available time is included during the afternoons for ad hoc meetings, informal discussions, and/or recreation. This format is designed to enhance rapport among participants and promote dialogue on the development of the meeting. We believe that the conferences have been instrumental in generating ideas and disseminating information to a greater extent than is possible through more conventional forums
All participants are expected both to attend the entire conference and to contribute actively to the discussions. The recording of lectures and presentations is forbidden. As ECI conferences take place in an informal atmosphere, casual clothing is the usual attire.
Smoking is prohibited at ECI conferences and conference functions.
The Engineering Conferences International conferences calendar and other information can be found on the ECI web site: www.engconfintl.org
Engineering Conferences International
32 Broadway, Suite 314, New York, NY 10004
T: 1-7212-514-6760 – F: 1-212-514-6030
info@engconfintl.org – www.engconfintl.org