Effects of solubility parameter differences among PEG, PVP and CA on the preparation of ultrafiltration membranes: Impacts of solvents and additives on morphology, permeability and fouling performances

Flexible, durable, and anti-fouling maghemite copper oxide nanocomposite-based membrane with ultra-high flux and efficiency for oil-in-water emulsions separation

In this study, we developed a novel nanocomposite-based membrane using maghemite copper oxide (MC) to enhance the separation efficiency of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membranes for oil-in-water emulsions. The MC nanocomposite was synthesized using a co-precipitation method and incorporated into a PVC matrix by casting. The resulting nanocomposite-based membrane demonstrated a high degree of crystallinity and well-dispersed nanostructure, as confirmed by TEM, SEM, XRD, and FT-IR analyses. The performance of the membrane was evaluated in terms of water flux, solute rejection, and anti-fouling properties. The pinnacle of performance was unequivocally reached with a solution dosage of 50 mL, a solution concentration of 100 mg L-1, and a pump pressure of 2 bar, ensuring that every facet of the membrane's potential was fully harnessed. The new fabricated membrane exhibited superior efficiency for oil-water separation, with a rejection rate of 98% and an ultra-high flux of 0.102 L/m2 h compared to pure PVC membranes with about 90% rejection rate and an ultra-high flux of 0.085 L/m2 h. Furthermore, meticulous contact angle measurements revealed that the PMC nanocomposite membrane exhibited markedly lower contact angles (65° with water, 50° with ethanol, and 25° with hexane) compared to PVC membranes. This substantial reduction, transitioning from 85 to 65° with water, 65 to 50° with ethanol, and 45 to 25° with hexane for pure PVC membranes, underscores the profound enhancement in hydrophilicity attributed to the heightened nanoparticle content. Importantly, the rejection efficiency remained stable over five cycles, indicating excellent anti-fouling and cycling stability. The results highlight the potential of the maghemite copper oxide nanocomposite-based PVC membrane as a promising material for effective oil-in-water emulsion separation. This development opens up new possibilities for more flexible, durable, and anti-fouling membranes, making them ideal candidates for potential applications in separation technology. The presented findings provide valuable information for the advancement of membrane technology and its utilization in various industries, addressing the pressing challenge of oil-induced water pollution and promoting environmental sustainability.

Development of Support Layers and Their Impact on the Performance of Thin Film Composite Membranes (TFC) for Water Treatment

Thin-film composite (TFC) membranes have gained significant attention as an appealing membrane technology due to their reversible fouling and potential cost-effectiveness. Previous studies have predominantly focused on improving the selective layers to enhance membrane performance. However, the importance of improving the support layers has been increasingly recognized. Therefore, in this review, preparation methods for the support layer, including the traditional phase inversion method and the electrospinning (ES) method, as well as the construction methods for the support layer with a polyamide (PA) layer, are analyzed. Furthermore, the effect of the support layers on the performance of the TFC membrane is presented. This review aims to encourage the exploration of suitable support membranes to enhance the performance of TFC membranes and extend their future applications.

A review of microplastic removal from water and wastewater by membrane technologies

Microplastics (MPs) cannot be completely removed from water/wastewater in conventional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and drinking water treatment plants (DWTPs). According to the literature analysis, membrane technologies, one of the advanced treatment technologies, are the most effective and promising technologies for MP removal from water and wastewater. In this paper, firstly, the properties of MPs commonly present in WWTPs/DWTPs and the MP removal efficiency of WWTPs/DWTPs are briefly reviewed. In addition, research studies on MP removal from water/wastewater by microfiltration (MF), ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), and membrane bioreactors (MBRs) are reviewed. In the next section, membrane filtration is compared with other methods used for MP removal from water/wastewater, and the advantages/disadvantages of the removal methods are discussed. Moreover, the problem of membrane fouling with MPs during filtration and the potential for MP release from polymeric membrane structure to water/wastewater are discussed. Finally, based on the studies in the literature, the current status and research deficiencies of MP removal by membrane technologies are identified, and recommendations are made for further studies.

Effect of the Addition of Polyacrylic Acid of Different Molecular Weights to Coagulation Bath on the Structure and Performance of Polysulfone Ultrafiltration Membranes

Membrane fouling is a serious issue in membrane technology which cannot be completely avoided but can be diminished. The perspective technique of membrane modification is the introduction of hydrophilic polymers or polyelectrolytes into the coagulation bath during membrane preparation via non-solvent-induced phase separation. The influence of polyacrylic acid (PAA) molecular weight (100,000, 250,000 and 450,000 g·mol−1) added to the aqueous coagulation bath (0.4–2.0 wt.%) on the polysulfone membrane structure, surface roughness, water contact angle and zeta potential of the selective layer, as well as the separation and antifouling performance, was systematically studied. It was found that membranes obtained via the addition of PAA with higher molecular weight feature smaller pore size and porosity, extremely high hydrophilicity and higher values of negative charge of membrane surface. It was shown that the increase in PAA concentration from 0.4 wt.% to 2.0 wt.% for all studied PAA molecular weights yielded a substantial decrease in water contact angle compared with the reference membrane (65 ± 2°) (from 27 ± 2° to 17 ± 2° for PAA with Mn = 100,000 g·mol−1; from 25 ± 2° to 16 ± 2° for PAA with Mn = 250,000 g·mol−1; and from 19 ± 2° to 10 ± 2° for PAA with Mn = 450,000 g·mol−1). An increase in PAA molecular weight from 100,000 to 450,000 g·mol−1 led to a decrease in membrane permeability, an increase in rejection and tailoring excellent antifouling performance in the ultrafiltration of humic acid solutions. The fouling recovery ratio increased from 73% for the reference membrane up to 91%, 100% and 136% for membranes modified with the addition to the coagulation bath of 1.5 wt.% of PAA with molecular weights of 100,000 g·mol−1, 250,000 g·mol−1 and 450,000 g·mol−1, respectively. Overall, the addition of PAA of different molecular weights to the coagulation bath is an efficient tool to adjust membrane separation and antifouling properties for different separation tasks.

Next-generation ultrafiltration membranes: A review of material design, properties, recent progress, and challenges

Membrane technology utilizing ultrafiltration (UF) processes has emerged as the most widely used and cost-effective simple process in many industrial applications. The industries like textiles and petroleum refining are promptly required membrane based UF processes to alleviate the potential environmental threat caused by the generation of various wastewater. At the same time, major limitations such as material selection as well as fouling behavior challenge the overall performance of UF membranes, particularly in wastewater treatment. Therefore, a complete discussion on material design with structural property relation and separation performance of UF membranes is always exciting. This state-of-the-art review has exclusively focused on the development of UF membranes, the material design, properties, progress in separation processes, and critical challenges. So far, most of the review articles have examined the UF membrane processes through a selected track of paving typical materials and their limited applications. In contrast, in this review, we have exclusively aimed at comprehensive research from material selection and fabrication methods to all the possible applications of UF membranes, giving more attention and theoretical understanding to the complete development of high-performance UF systems. We have discussed the methodical engineering behind the development of UF membranes regardless of their materials and fabrication mechanisms. Identifying the utility of UF membrane systems in various applications, as well as their mode of separation processes, has been well discussed. Overall, the current review conveys the knowledge of the present-day significance of UF membranes together with their future prospective opportunities whilst overcoming known difficulties in many potential applications.

Porous Microneedles for Therapy and Diagnosis: Fabrication and Challenges

The use of microneedles (MNs), an innovative transdermal technology, enables efficient, convenient, painless, and controlled-release drug delivery. Porous microneedles (pMNs), special MNs with abundant interconnected pores that can produce capillary action, are gaining increasing attention as a novel MNs technology. pMNs can actively adsorb bioactive ingredients from solutions of drugs or vaccines for in vivo delivery or from interstitial skin fluids (ISFs) for wearable and point-of-care testing (POCT) products. Different pore sizes and porosities of pMNs can be achieved with different materials and preparation processes, which makes the application of pMNs adaptable to multiple scenarios. In addition, easier and faster detection will be accomplished by the smart combination of pMNs with other detection technologies. This paper aims to summarize the recent research progress of pMNs, focusing on the influence of various materials and their corresponding preparation methods on its structure and function display, discussing the key issues and looking forward to the future development.

Effect of Polyvinylpyrrolidone on Polyvinylidene Fluoride/Hydroxyapatite- Blended Nanofiltration Membranes: Characterization and Filtration Properties

INTRODUCTION

The application of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as a filtration membrane is limited due to its hydrophobicity. This paper elaborated on the fabrication process of nanofiltration PVDF membrane incorporating various quantities of hydrophilic polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and hydroxyapatite (HA) using a wet phase inversion method to improve its hydrophilicity.

METHODS

The membrane was fabricated by using the wet phase inversion method. It was then characterized in terms of water permeability, water contact angle, water content, surface energy, and surface porosity. Bacteria and Fe ions filtration was conducted to investigate the membrane filtration performance.

RESULTS

The PVDF/PVP/HA-blended membrane showed the highest water permeability (6,165 LMH/Bar), water content (45.2 %), and surface energy (104.1 mN/m) when 2 wt.% of PVP was introduced into the base polymer PVDF. This fabricated membrane, labeled as PVP 2.0, also showed the lowest contact angle (64°) and the highest surface porosity (42%).

CONCLUSION

Overall, the PVP introduction patents into the polymeric membrane doping solution potentially improves membrane hydrophilicity and permeability.

Open Pore Ultrafiltration Hollow Fiber Membrane Fabrication Method via Dual Pore Former with Dual Dope Solution Phase

Hollow-fiber membranes are widely used in various fields of membrane processes because of their numerous properties, e.g., large surface area, high packing density, mass production with uniform quality, obvious end-of-life indicators, and so on. However, it is difficult to control the pores and internal properties of hollow-fiber membranes due to their inherent structure: a hollow inside surrounded by a wall membrane. Herein, we aimed to control pores and the internal structure of hollow-fiber membranes by fabricating a dual layer using a dual nozzle. Two different pore formers, polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), were separately prepared in the dope solutions and used for spinning the dual layer. Our results show that nanoscale pores could be formed on the lumen side (26.8-33.2 nm), and the open pores continuously increased in size toward the shell side. Due to robust pore structure, our fabricated membrane exhibited a remarkable water permeability of 296.2 ± 5.7 L/m²·h·bar and an extremely low BSA loss rate of 0.06 ± 0.02%, i.e., a high BSA retention of 99.94%. In consideration of these properties, the studied membranes are well-suited for use in either water treatment or hemodialysis. Overall, our membranes could be considered for the latter application with a high urea clearance of 257.6 mL/min, which is comparable with commercial membranes.

Fabrication, characterization, and performance of poly (aryl ether nitrile) flat sheet ultrafiltration membranes with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as additives

Poly(aryl ether nitrile) (PEN) was used to fabricate ultrafiltration membrane via immersion precipitation phase inversion method. The effects of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) of different molecular weights and concentrations on the structure and performance of PEN membranes were investigated. The membranes were observed by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, equilibrium water content (EWC), porosity (ε), and so on. The membranes were subjected to ultrafiltration characterizations such as pure water flux (PWF), compaction factor (CF), hydraulic permeability (P m), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection rate. The hydrophilicity was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and contact angle tests. Results showed that molecular weight of PVP had significant effect on PEN membrane formation, which the membrane prepared by PVP-k30 exhibited excellent comprehensive performance. Meanwhile, the concentration of PVP-k30 could effectively control the select-permeability of PEN membrane. With PVP-k30 concentration increased from 7 to 13 wt%, the prepared PEN membranes got higher EWC, ε, CF, and P m. The PWF increased from 146.5 to 249.1 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, while the overall rejection of BSA remained above 90%. Further increasing the addition amount to 16 wt%, the membrane performance began to decline. Finally, the addition of PVP-k30 could effectively improve the hydrophilicity of prepared PEN membrane surface.

Tamisolve® NxG as an Alternative Non-Toxic Solvent for the Preparation of Porous Poly (Vinylidene Fluoride) Membranes

Tamisolve^® NxG, a well-known non-toxic solvent, was used for poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes preparation via a non-solvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) procedure with water as a coagulation bath. Preliminary investigations, related to the study of the physical/chemical properties of the solvent, the solubility parameters, the gel transition temperature and the viscosity of the polymer-solvent system, confirmed the power of the solvent to solubilize PVDF polymer for membranes preparation. The role of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and/or poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), as pore former agents in the dope solution, was studied along with different polymer concentrations (10 wt%, 15 wt% and 18 wt%). The produced membranes were then characterized in terms of morphology, thickness, porosity, contact angle, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Pore size measurements, pore size distribution and water permeability (PWP) tests placed the developed membranes in the ultrafiltration (UF) and microfiltration (MF) range. Finally, PVDF membrane performances were investigated in terms of rejection (%) and permeability recovery ratio (PRR) using methylene blue (MB) in water solution to assess their potential application in separation and purification processes.

Cellulose acetate-polyvinyl alcohol blend hemodialysis membranes integrated with dialysis performance and high biocompatibility

Hemodialysis considered as therapy of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) for the separation of protein and uremic toxins based on their molecular weights using semi-permeable membranes. Cellulose Acetate (CA) hemodialysis membrane has been widely used in the biomedical field particularly for hemodialysis applications. The main issue of CA membrane is less selectivity and hemocompatibility. In this study, to enhance the filtration capability and biocompatibility of CA hemodialysis membrane modified by using Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) as additives. CA-PVA flat sheet membranes were cast by phase inversion method, and separation was done by dead-end filtration cell. The synthesized membranes were described in terms of chemical structure using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and morphology by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), pure water flux, solute permeation, and protein retention. Biocompatibility of the membranes was tested by the platelet adherence, hemolysis ratio, thrombus formation, and plasma recalcification time. SEM images exposed that the CA-PVA membrane has a uniform porous structure. 42.484 L/m² h is the maximum pure water flux obtained. The CA-PVA rejected up to 95% of bovine serum albumin (BSA). A similar membrane separated 93% of urea and 89% of creatinine. Platelet adhesion and hemolysis ratio of casted membranes were less than the pure CA membrane. Increased clotting time and less thrombus formation on the membrane's surface showed that the fabricated membrane is biocompatible. CA-PVA hemodialysis membranes are more efficient than conventional reported hemodialysis membranes. It revealed that CA-PVA is high performing biocompatible hemodialysis membrane.

Polysulfone-Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone Blend Polymer Composite Membranes for Batik Industrial Wastewater Treatment

Batik wastewater, in general, is colored and has high concentrations of BOD (biological oxygen demand), COD (chemical oxygen demand), and dissolved and suspended solids. Polysulfone (PSf)-based membranes with the addition of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were prepared to treat batik industrial wastewater. PSf/PVP membranes were prepared using the phase inversion method with N-methyl-2 pyrrolidone (NMP) as the solvent. Based on the membrane characterization through FESEM, water contact angle, porosity, and mechanical tests showed a phenomenon where the addition of PVP provided thermodynamic and kinetic effects on membrane formation, thereby affecting porosity, thickness, and hydrophilicity of the membranes. The study aims to observe the effect of adding PVP on polysulfone membrane permeability and antifouling performance on a laboratory scale through the ultrafiltration (UF) process. With the addition of PVP, the operational pressure of the polysulfone membrane was reduced compared to that without PVP. Based on the membrane filtration results, the highest removal efficiencies of COD, TDS (total dissolved solid), and conductivity achieved in the study were 80.4, 84.6, and 83.6%, respectively, on the PSf/PVP 0.35 membrane operated at 4 bar. Moreover, the highest color removal efficiency was 85.73% on the PSf/PVP 0.25 operated at 5 bar. The antifouling performance was identified by calculating the value of total, reversible, and irreversible membrane fouling, wherein in this study, the membrane with the best antifouling performance was PSf/PVP 0.25.

Preparation of an Ultrafiltration (UF) Membrane with Narrow and Uniform Pore Size Distribution via Etching of SiO2 Nano-Particles in a Membrane Matrix

The UF membrane with a narrow and uniform pore size distribution and a low tendency to foul has significant applications in wastewater treatment. A major hindrance in the preparation of the UF membrane with these features is the lack of a scalable and economical membrane fabrication method. Herein, we devise a new strategy to prepare a high-quality polyvinylidene fluoride/polymethyl acrylate/cellulose acetate (PVDF/PMMA/CA) blend UF membrane via a combination of the etching mechanism with the traditional Loeb–Sourirajan (L-S) phase inversion method. Different concentrations of silicon dioxide (SiO₂) nanoparticles (NP) in the membrane matrix were etched by using a 0.2 M hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution in a coagulation bath. This strategy provided the membrane with unique features along with a narrow and uniform pore size distribution (0.030 ± 0.005 μm). The etched membrane exhibits an increase of 2.3 times in pure water flux (PWF) and of 6.5 times in permeate flux(PF), with a slight decrease in rejection ratio (93.2% vs. 97%) when compared to than that of the un-etched membrane. Moreover, this membrane displayed outstanding antifouling ability, i.e., a flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 97% for 1000 mg/L bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution, a low irreversible fouling ratio of 0.5%, and highly enhanced hydrophilicity due to the formation of pores/voids throughout the membrane structure. The aforementioned features of the etched membrane indicate that the proposed method of etching SiO₂ NP in membrane matrix has a great potential to improve the structure and separation efficiency of a PVDF/PMMA/CA blend membrane.

Humic acid removal using cellulose acetate membranes grafted with poly (methyl methacrylate) and aminated using tetraethylenepentamine

Graft copolymerization of cellulose acetate (CA) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was synthesized through free radical polymerization in the presence of cerium sulfate (CS) as initiator under nitrogen atmosphere in an aqueous solution. During the grafting reactions, the effects of polymerization time and temperature on the grafting were investigated. Furthermore, functionalization of the synthesized product was done using amine group (tetraethylenepentamine, TEPA). The results from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR) spectra confirmed a successful grafting of PMMA on the CA membrane surfaces. Zeta potential (ζ), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) characterization studies were done. The maximum removal efficiencies for un-grafted CA (un-g-CA), CA-g-PMMA, and CA-g-PMMA-TEPA membranes at pH of 7.0 were 34.5%, 83.3%, and 99.1%, respectively. The removal percentage results were detected to increase with increasing in the regeneration cycles. At the end of the fourth cycle, the HA removal percentages were 41.6%, 87.4%, and 99.9% for un-g-CA, CA-g-PMMA and CA-g-PMMA-TEPA membranes, respectively.