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Ma Y, Yu Z, Fu X, Qiu T, Zhao N, Liu H, Huang Z, Liu K. High Breakthrough Pressure in Hydrogels Enabled Ultrastable Treatment of Hypersaline Wastewaters. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:4202-4208. [PMID: 38547140 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Surface effects of low-surface-tension contaminants accumulating at the evaporation surface easily induce wetting in membrane distillation, especially in hypersaline scenarios. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to eliminate the surface effect and redistribute contaminants at the evaporation interface simply by incorporating a layer of hydrogel. The as-fabricated composite membrane exhibits remarkable stability, even when exposed to solution with salt concentration of 5 M and surfactant concentration of 8 mM. Breakthrough pressure of the membrane reaches 20 bar in the presence of surfactants, surpassing commercial hydrophobic membranes by one to two magnitudes. Density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations reveal the important role of the hydrogel-surfactant interaction in suppressing the surface effect. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the membrane in stably processing synthetic wastewater containing 144 mg L-1 surfactants, 1 g L-1 mineral oils, and 192 g L-1 NaCl, showing its potential in addressing challenges of hypersaline water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanni Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Zehua Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Xifan Fu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Tenghui Qiu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Na Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Huidong Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Zhi Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Kang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
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2
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Diepenbroek E, Mehta S, Borneman Z, Hempenius MA, Kooij ES, Nijmeijer K, de Beer S. Advances in Membrane Separation for Biomaterial Dewatering. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:4545-4566. [PMID: 38386509 PMCID: PMC10919095 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Biomaterials often contain large quantities of water (50-98%), and with the current transition to a more biobased economy, drying these materials will become increasingly important. Contrary to the standard, thermodynamically inefficient chemical and thermal drying methods, dewatering by membrane separation will provide a sustainable and efficient alternative. However, biomaterials can easily foul membrane surfaces, which is detrimental to the performance of current membrane separations. Improving the antifouling properties of such membranes is a key challenge. Other recent research has been dedicated to enhancing the permeate flux and selectivity. In this review, we present a comprehensive overview of the design requirements for and recent advances in dewatering of biomaterials using membranes. These recent developments offer a viable solution to the challenges of fouling and suboptimal performances. We focus on two emerging development strategies, which are the use of electric-field-assisted dewatering and surface functionalizations, in particular with hydrogels. Our overview concludes with a critical mention of the remaining challenges and possible research directions within these subfields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esli Diepenbroek
- Department
of Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Sarthak Mehta
- Membrane
Materials and Processes, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Zandrie Borneman
- Membrane
Materials and Processes, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A. Hempenius
- Department
of Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - E. Stefan Kooij
- Physics
of Interfaces and Nanomaterials, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, 7500
AE Enschede, The
Netherlands
| | - Kitty Nijmeijer
- Membrane
Materials and Processes, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Sissi de Beer
- Department
of Molecules & Materials, MESA+ Institute, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands
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3
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Zhu Z, Song M, Qu F, Zhou Y, Yang Y, Qi J, Li J. Engineering Multinanochannel Polymer-Intercalated Graphene Oxide Membrane for Strict Volatile Sieving in Membrane Distillation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:1399-1409. [PMID: 38165309 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Graphene oxide (GO) membranes enabled by subnanosized diffusion channels are promising to separate small species in membrane distillation (MD). However, the challenge of effectively excluding small volatiles in MD persists due to the severe swelling and subsequent increase in GO interlamination spacing upon direct contact with the hot feed. To address this issue, we implemented a design in which a polymer is confined between the GO interlaminations, creating predominantly 2D nanochannels centered around 0.57 nm with an average membrane pore size of 0.30 nm. Compared to the virginal GO membrane, the polymer-intercalated GO membrane exhibits superior antiswelling performance, particularly at a high feed temperature of 60 °C. Remarkably, the modified membrane exhibited a high flux of approximately 52 L m-2 h-1 and rejection rates of about 100% for small ions and 98% for volatile phenol, with a temperature difference of 40 °C. Molecular dynamics simulations suggest that the sieving mechanisms for ions and volatiles are facilitated by the narrowed nanochannels within the polymer network situated between the 2D nanochannels of GO interlaminations. Concurrently, the unrestricted permeation of water molecules through the multinanochannel GO membrane encourages high-flux desalination of complex hypersaline wastewater.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigao Zhu
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Minjie Song
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Fangshu Qu
- Key Laboratory for Water Quality and Conservation of the Pearl River Delta, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yujun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Yue Yang
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Junwen Qi
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Jiansheng Li
- Key Laboratory of New Membrane Materials, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
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Xie W, Tang Q, Xie J, Fei Y, Wan H, Zhao T, Ding T, Xiao X, Wen Q. Organohydrogel-based transparent terahertz absorber via ionic conduction loss. Nat Commun 2024; 15:38. [PMID: 38167819 PMCID: PMC10762151 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44344-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The fast-growing terahertz technologies require high-performance terahertz absorber for suppressing electromagnetic interference. Since the dissipation mechanism in terahertz band usually focuses on electronic conduction loss, almost all terahertz absorbers are constructed with electronically conducting materials being opaque, which limits their applications in scenarios requiring high visible transmittance. Here, we demonstrate a transparent terahertz absorber based on permittivity-gradient elastomer-encapsulated-organohydrogel. Our organohydrogel-based terahertz absorber exhibits a high absorbing property (average reflection loss of 49.03 dB) in 0.5-4.5 THz band with a thin thickness of 700 μm and a high average visible transmittance of 85.51%. The terahertz absorbing mechanism mainly derives from the ionic conduction loss of the polar liquid in organohydrogel. Besides, the hydrophobic and adhesive elastomer coating endows this terahertz absorber high absorbing stability and interfacial adhesivity. This work paves a viable way to designing transparent terahertz absorbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenke Xie
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qian Tang
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinlong Xie
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yang Fei
- School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Hujie Wan
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Tao Zhao
- School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Shenzhen Institute for Advanced Study, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, China
- Chengdu Research Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianpeng Ding
- School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Xu Xiao
- School of Physics, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| | - Qiye Wen
- School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
- Shenzhen Institute for Advanced Study, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Shenzhen, China.
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5
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Wang C, Zhang H, Kang Z, Fan J. 3D Cellular Solar Crystallizer for Stable and Ultra-Efficient High-Salinity Wastewater Treatment. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2305313. [PMID: 38037848 PMCID: PMC10787074 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202305313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent developed interfacial solar brine crystallizers, which employ solar-driven water evaporation for salts crystallization from the near-saturation brine to achieve zero liquid discharge (ZLD) brine treatment, are promising due to their excellent energy efficiency and sustainability. However, most existing interfacial solar crystallizers are only tested using NaCl solution and failed to maintain high evaporation capability when treating real seawater due to the scaling problem caused by the crystallization of high-valent cations. Herein, an artificial tree solar crystallizer (ATSC) with a multi-branched and interconnected open-cell cellular structure that significantly increased evaporation surface is rationally designed, achieving an ultra-high evaporation rate (2.30 kg m-2 h-1 during 2 h exposure) and high energy efficiency (128%) in concentrated real seawater. The unit cell design of ATSC promoted salt crystallization on the outer frame rather than the inner voids, ensuring that salt crystallization does not affect the continuous transport of brine through the pores inside the unit cell, thus ATSC can maintain a stable evaporation rate of 1.94 kg m-2 h-1 on average in concentrated seawater for 80 h continuous exposure. The design concept of ATSC represents a major step forward toward ZLD treatment of high-salinity brine in many industrial processes is believed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Wang
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Hanchao Zhang
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Zhanxiao Kang
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Jintu Fan
- Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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Yang X, Zhang N, Zhang J, Liu W, Zhao M, Lin S, Wang Z. Nanocomposite Hydrogel Engineered Janus Membrane for Membrane Distillation with Robust Fouling, Wetting, and Scaling Resistance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:15725-15735. [PMID: 37787747 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) is considered to be rather promising for high-salinity wastewater reclamation. However, its practical viability is seriously challenged by membrane wetting, fouling, and scaling issues arising from the complex components of hypersaline wastewater. It remains extremely difficult to overcome all three challenges at the same time. Herein, a nanocomposite hydrogel engineered Janus membrane has been facilely constructed for desired wetting/fouling/scaling-free properties, where a cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) composite hydrogel layer is formed in situ atop a microporous hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrate intermediated by an adhesive layer. By the synergies of the elevated membrane liquid entry pressure, inhibited surfactant diffusion, and highly hydratable surface imparted by the hydrogel/CNC (HC) layer, the resultant HC-PTFE membrane exhibits robust resistance to surfactant-induced wetting and oil fouling during 120 h of MD operation. Meanwhile, owing to the dense and hydroxyl-abundant surface, it is capable of mitigating gypsum scaling and scaling-induced wetting, resulting in a high normalized flux and low distillate conductivity at a concentration factor of 5.2. Importantly, the HC-PTFE membrane enables direct desalination of real hypersaline wastewater containing broad-spectrum foulants with stable vapor flux and robust salt rejection (99.90%) during long-term operation, demonstrating its great potential for wastewater management in industrial scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaojiao Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Weifan Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1831, United States
| | - Mingwei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Unconventional Oil & Gas Development, Ministry of Education, School of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petro1eum (East China), Qingdao 266580, People's Republic of China
| | - Shihong Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1831, United States
| | - Zhining Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, People's Republic of China
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7
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Hu J, Harandi HB, Chen Y, Zhang L, Yin H, He T. Anisotropic gypsum scaling of corrugated polyvinylidene fluoride hydrophobic membrane in direct contact membrane distillation. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 244:120513. [PMID: 37651864 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) technology has gained a lot of attention for treatment of geothermal brine, high salinity waste streams. However, mineral scaling remains a major challenge when treating complex high-salt brines. The development of surface-patterned superhydrophobic membranes is one of the core strategies to solve this problem. We prepared flat sheet membranes (F-PVDF) and hydrophobic membranes with micron-scale corrugated pattern (C-PVDF) using a phase separation method. Their scaling behavior was systematically evaluated using calcium sulfate solutions and the impact of the feed flow was innovatively investigated. Although C-PVDF shows higher contact angle and lower sliding angle than F-PVDF, the scaling resistance of C-PVDF in the perpendicular flow direction has worst scaling resistance. Although the nucleation barrier of the corrugated membrane is the same at both parallel and perpendicular flow directions based on the traditional thermodynamic nucleation theory, experimental observations show that the C-PVDF has the best scaling resistance in the parallel flow direction. A 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used and the hydrodynamic state of the pattern membranes was assessed as a determinant of the scaling resistance. The corrugated membrane with parallel flow mode (flow direction in parallel to the corrugation ridge) induces higher fluid velocity within the channel, which mitigated the deposition of crystals. While in the perpendicular flow mode (flow direction in perpendicular to the corrugation ridge), the solutions confined in the corrugated grooves due to vortex shielding, which aggravates the scaling. These results shed light on the mechanism of scaling resistance of corrugated membranes from a hydrodynamic perspective and reveal the mechanism of anisotropy exhibited by corrugated membranes in MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Hu
- Laboratory for Membrane Materials and Separation Technologies, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hesam Bazargan Harandi
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
| | - Yecang Chen
- James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
| | - Liwei Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China.
| | - Huabing Yin
- James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8LT, UK
| | - Tao He
- Laboratory for Membrane Materials and Separation Technologies, Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201210, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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Wang B, Zhang H, He N, Wang H, Jiang B, Tang D, Li L. Mangrove root-inspired evaporator enables high-rate salt-resistant solar desalination. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2023.123490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
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Zhang N, Zhang J, Yang X, Zhou C, Zhu X, Liu B, Chen Y, Lin S, Wang Z. Janus Membrane with Hydrogel-like Coating for Robust Fouling and Wetting Resistance in Membrane Distillation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:19504-19513. [PMID: 37022125 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c02781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising technique for water reclamation from hypersaline wastewater. However, fouling and wetting of the hydrophobic membranes are two prominent challenges for the widespread application of MD. Herein, we developed an antiwetting and antifouling Janus membrane comprising a hydrogel-like polyvinyl alcohol/tannic acid (PVA/TA) top layer and a hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane substrate via a facile and benign strategy combining mussel-amine co-deposition with the shrinkage-rehydration process. Interestingly, the vapor flux of the Janus membrane was not compromised, though a microscale PVA/TA layer was introduced, possibly due to the high water uptake and reduced water evaporation enthalpy of the hydrogel-like structure. Moreover, the PVA/TA-PTFE Janus membrane sustained stable MD performance while treating a challenging saline feed containing surfactants and mineral oils. The robust wetting resistance arises from the synergistic effects of the elevated liquid entry pressure (1.01 ± 0.02 MPa) of the membrane and the retardation of surfactant transport to the substrate PTFE layer. Meanwhile, the hydrogel-like PVA/TA layer hinders oil fouling due to its strongly hydrated state. Furthermore, the PVA/TA-PTFE membrane exhibited improved performance in purifying shale gas wastewater and landfill leachate. This study provides new insights into the facile design and fabrication of promising MD membranes for hypersaline wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Jiaojiao Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Xin Yang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Changxu Zhou
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohui Zhu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Baicang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610207, P. R. China
| | - Yue Chen
- State Key Lab of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials, Shandong Dongyue Polymer Material Co., Ltd., Zibo 256401, P. R. China
| | - Shihong Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1831, United States
| | - Zhining Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
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Yin Q, Kong F, Wang S, Du J, Pan L, Tao Y, Li P. 3D Printing of Solar Crystallizer with Polylactic Acid/Carbon Composites for Zero Liquid Discharge of High-Salinity Brine. Polymers (Basel) 2023; 15:polym15071656. [PMID: 37050270 PMCID: PMC10096562 DOI: 10.3390/polym15071656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a technique for treating high-salinity brine to obtain freshwater and/or salt using a solar interface evaporator. However, salt accumulation on the surface of the evaporator is a big challenge to maintaining stable water evaporation. In this study, a simple and easy-to-manufacture evaporator, also called a crystallizer, was designed and fabricated by 3D printing. The photothermal layer printed with polylactic acid/carbon composites had acceptable light absorption (93%) within the wavelength zone of 250 nm–2500 nm. The micron-sized voids formed during 3D printing provided abundant water transportation channels inside the crystallizer. After surface hydrophilic modification, the crystallizer had an ultra-hydrophilic channel structure and gravity-assisted salt recovery function. The results revealed that the angles between the photothermal layers affected the efficacy of solar evaporation and the yield of solid salt. The crystallizer with the angle of 90° between two photothermal layers could collect more solid salt than the three other designs with angles of 30°, 60°, and 120°, respectively. The crystallizer has high evaporation and salt crystallization efficiency in a high-salinity brine environment, which is expected to have application potentials in the zero liquid discharge of wastewater and valuable salt recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Fangong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Shoujuan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Jinbao Du
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
| | - Ling Pan
- College of Material Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China;
| | - Yubo Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
- Correspondence: (Y.T.); (P.L.)
| | - Peng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biobased Material and Green Papermaking, Qilu University of Technology, Shandong Academy of Sciences, Jinan 250353, China; (Q.Y.); (F.K.); (S.W.); (J.D.)
- College of Material Science and Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China;
- Correspondence: (Y.T.); (P.L.)
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11
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Chang H, Zhao H, Qu F, Yan Z, Liu N, Lu M, Liang Y, Lai B, Liang H. State-of-the-art insights on applications of hydrogel membranes in water and wastewater treatment. Sep Purif Technol 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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12
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Tan G, Xu D, Zhu Z, Zhang X, Li J. Tailoring pore size and interface of superhydrophobic nanofibrous membrane for robust scaling resistance and flux enhancement in membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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13
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Sun C, Lyu Q, Si Y, Tong T, Lin LC, Yang F, Tang CY, Dong Y. Superhydrophobic Carbon Nanotube Network Membranes for Membrane Distillation: High-Throughput Performance and Transport Mechanism. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:5775-5785. [PMID: 35465657 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c08842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing sustainable water purification, current desalination membranes still suffer from insufficient permeability and treatment efficiency, greatly hindering extensive practical applications. In this work, we provide a new membrane design protocol and molecule-level mechanistic understanding of vapor transport for the treatment of hypersaline waters via a membrane distillation process by rationally fabricating more robust metal-based carbon nanotube (CNT) network membranes, featuring a superhydrophobic superporous surface (80.0 ± 2.3% surface porosity). With highly permeable ductile metal hollow fibers as substrates, the construction of a superhydrophobic (water contact angle ∼170°) CNT network layer endows the membranes with not only almost perfect salt rejection (over 99.9%) but a promising water flux (43.6 L·m-2·h-1), which outperforms most existing inorganic distillation membranes. Both experimental and molecular dynamics simulation results indicate that such an enhanced water flux can be ascribed to an ultra-low liquid-solid contact interface (∼3.23%), allowing water vapor to rapidly transport across the membrane structure via a combined mechanism of Knudsen diffusion (more dominant) and viscous flow while efficiently repelling high-salinity feed via forming a Cassie-Baxter state. A more hydrophobic surface is more in favor of not only water desorption from the CNT outer surface but superfast and frictionless water vapor transport. By constructing a new superhydrophobic triple-phase interface, the conceptional design strategy proposed in this work can be expected to be extended to other membrane material systems as well as more water treatment applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyi Sun
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education, MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Qiang Lyu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong 266580, China
| | - Yiran Si
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education, MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Tiezheng Tong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Li-Chiang Lin
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University, No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan
| | - Fenglin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education, MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Yingchao Dong
- Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education, MOE), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
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Gradient Hydrogels-Overview of Techniques Demonstrating the Existence of a Gradient. Polymers (Basel) 2022; 14:polym14050866. [PMID: 35267689 PMCID: PMC8912830 DOI: 10.3390/polym14050866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Gradient hydrogels are promising future materials which could be usable in tissue engineering (scaffolds), pharmaceutical (drug delivery systems with controlled release) and many others related disciplines. These hydrogels exhibit a more complex inner (gradient) structure (e.g., concentration gradient) than simple isotropic hydrogel. Gradient-structured hydrogels could be beneficial in, for example, understanding intercellular interactions. The fabrication of gradient hydrogels has been relatively deeply explored, but a comprehensive description of the physico-chemical techniques demonstrating the existence of a gradient structure is still missing. Here, we summarize the state-of-the-art available experimental techniques applicable in proving and/or describing in physico-chemical terms the inner gradient structure of hydrogels. The aim of this paper is to give the reader an overview of the existing database of suitable techniques for characterizing gradient hydrogels.
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