1
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Ziemann E, Coves T, Oren YS, Maman N, Sharon-Gojman R, Neklyudov V, Freger V, Ramon GZ, Bernstein R. Pseudo-bottle-brush decorated thin-film composite desalination membranes with ultrahigh mineral scale resistance. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm7668. [PMID: 38781328 PMCID: PMC11114193 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm7668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
High water recovery is crucial to inland desalination but is impeded by mineral scaling of the membrane. This work presents a two-step modification approach for grafting high-density zwitterionic pseudo-bottle-brushes to polyamide reverse osmosis membranes to prevent scaling during high-recovery desalination of brackish water. Increasing brush density, induced by increasing reaction time, correlated with reduced scaling. High-density grafting eliminated gypsum scaling and almost completely prevented silica scaling during desalination of synthetic brackish water at a recovery ratio of 80%. Moreover, scaling was effectively mitigated during long-term desalination of real brackish water at a recovery ratio of 90% without pretreatment or antiscalants. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal the critical dependence of the membrane's silica antiscaling ability on the degree to which the coating screens the membrane surface from readily forming silica aggregates. This finding highlights the importance of maximizing grafting density for optimal performance and advanced antiscaling properties to allow high-recovery desalination of complex salt solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Ziemann
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Campus Sde Boker, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Tali Coves
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Campus Sde Boker, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Yaeli S. Oren
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Campus Sde Boker, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Nitzan Maman
- Ilse Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Revital Sharon-Gojman
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Campus Sde Boker, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Vadim Neklyudov
- Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Viatcheslav Freger
- Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
- Grand Water Research Institute, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
- Russel Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Guy Z. Ramon
- Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
- Grand Water Research Institute, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
- Russel Berrie Nanotechnology Institute, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Roy Bernstein
- Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Campus Sde Boker, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
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2
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Karami P, Aghapour Aktij S, Moradi K, Rastgar M, Khorshidi B, Mohammadtabar F, Peichel J, McGregor M, Rahimpour A, Soares JBP, Sadrzadeh M. Comprehensive Characterization of Commercial Reverse Osmosis Membranes through High-Temperature Cross-Flow Filtration. ACS OMEGA 2024; 9:1990-1999. [PMID: 38222588 PMCID: PMC10785276 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c09331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Developing thermally stable reverse osmosis membranes is a potential game-changer in high-temperature water treatment. In this work, the performance of three commercial reverse osmosis membranes was evaluated with a series of high-temperature filtrations. The membranes were tested with different filtration methodologies: long-term operation, cyclic tests, controlled stepwise temperature increment, and permeability tests. The morphological and physiochemical characterizations were performed to study the impact of high-temperature filtration on the membranes' chemical composition and morphological characteristics. An increase in the temperature deteriorated the membrane performance in terms of water flux and salt rejection. Flux decline at high temperatures was recognized as the primary concern for high-temperature filtrations, restricting the applications of commercial membranes for long-term operations. This research provides valuable insights for researchers aiming to thoroughly characterize reverse osmosis membranes at high temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooria Karami
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, 10-367 Donadeo Innovation Center for Engineering,
Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
- Department
of Chemical & Materials Engineering, 12-263 Donadeo Innovation
Centre for Engineering, Group of Applied Macromolecular Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Sadegh Aghapour Aktij
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, 10-367 Donadeo Innovation Center for Engineering,
Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
- Department
of Chemical & Materials Engineering, 12-263 Donadeo Innovation
Centre for Engineering, Group of Applied Macromolecular Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Kazem Moradi
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, 10-367 Donadeo Innovation Center for Engineering,
Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Masoud Rastgar
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, 10-367 Donadeo Innovation Center for Engineering,
Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Behnam Khorshidi
- Department
of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3E5, Canada
| | - Farshad Mohammadtabar
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, 10-367 Donadeo Innovation Center for Engineering,
Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - John Peichel
- Veolia
Water Technologies & Solutions, 5951 Clearwater Drive, Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343, United States
| | - Michael McGregor
- Suncor
Energy Inc., P.O. Box 2844, 150-Sixth Ave. SW, Calgary, Alberta T2P 3E3, Canada
| | - Ahmad Rahimpour
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, 10-367 Donadeo Innovation Center for Engineering,
Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Joao B. P. Soares
- Department
of Chemical & Materials Engineering, 12-263 Donadeo Innovation
Centre for Engineering, Group of Applied Macromolecular Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
| | - Mohtada Sadrzadeh
- Department
of Mechanical Engineering, 10-367 Donadeo Innovation Center for Engineering,
Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL), University
of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 1H9, Canada
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3
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Christie KSS, McGaughey A, McBride SA, Xu X, Priestley RD, Ren ZJ. Membrane Distillation-Crystallization for Sustainable Carbon Utilization and Storage. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:16628-16640. [PMID: 37857373 PMCID: PMC10621001 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions from power plants can be limited using postcombustion carbon dioxide capture by amine-based solvents. However, sustainable strategies for the simultaneous utilization and storage of carbon dioxide are limited. In this study, membrane distillation-crystallization is used to facilitate the controllable production of carbonate minerals directly from carbon dioxide-loaded amine solutions and waste materials such as fly ash residues and waste brines from desalination. To identify the most suitable conditions for carbon mineralization, we vary the membrane type, operating conditions, and system configuration. Feed solutions with 30 wt % monoethanolamine are loaded with 5-15% CO2 and heated to 40-50 °C before being dosed with 0.18 M Ca2+ and Mg2+. Membranes with lower surface energy and greater roughness are found to more rapidly promote mineralization due to up to 20% greater vapor flux. Lower operating temperature improves membrane wetting tolerance by 96.2% but simultaneously reduces crystal growth rate by 48.3%. Sweeping gas membrane distillation demonstrates a 71.6% reduction in the mineralization rate and a marginal improvement (37.5%) on membrane wetting tolerance. Mineral identity and growth characteristics are presented, and the analysis is extended to explore the potential improvements for carbon mineralization as well as the feasibility of future implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kofi S. S. Christie
- Andlinger
Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton
University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Allyson McGaughey
- Andlinger
Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton
University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Samantha A. McBride
- Department
of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Xiaohui Xu
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Rodney D. Priestley
- Department
of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Princeton
Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
| | - Zhiyong Jason Ren
- Andlinger
Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton
University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
- Department
of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United States
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4
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Lu KG, Ma S, Hua D, Liu H, Li C, Song J, Huang H, Qin Y. Silica mitigated calcium mineral scaling in brackish water reverse osmosis. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 243:120428. [PMID: 37536247 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Although the autopsies of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes from full-scale, brackish water desalination plants identify the co-presence of silica and Ca-based minerals in scaling layers, minimal research exists on their formation process and mechanisms. Therefore, combined scaling by silica and either gypsum (non-alkaline) or amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP, alkaline) was investigated in this study for their distinctive impacts on membrane performance. The obtained results demonstrate that the coexistence of silica and Ca-based mineral salts in feedwaters significantly reduced water flux decline as compared to single type of Ca-based mineral salts. This antagonistic effect was primarily attributed to the silica-mediated alleviation of Ca-based mineral scaling. In the presence of silica, silica skins were immediately established around Ca-based mineral precipitates once they emerged. Sheathing by the siliceous skins hindered the aggregation and thus the morphological evolution of Ca-based mineral species. Unlike sulfate precipitates, ACP precipitates can induce the formation of dense and thick silica skins via an additional condensation reaction. Such a phenomenon rationalized the notion concerning a stronger mitigating effect of silica on ACP scaling than gypsum scaling. Meanwhile, coating by silica skins altered the surface chemistries of Ca-based mineral precipitates, which should be fully considered in regulating membrane surface properties for combined scaling control. Our findings advance the mechanistic understanding on combined mineral scaling of RO membranes, and may guide the appropriate design of membrane surface properties for scaling-resistant membrane tailored to brackish water desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Ge Lu
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China; Key Laboratory for Water and Sediment Science, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China.
| | - Shuanglong Ma
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Dangling Hua
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Hongen Liu
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Chang Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Jia Song
- College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Haiou Huang
- Key Laboratory for Water and Sediment Science, Ministry of Education, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China; Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, The John Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Yuchen Qin
- College of Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
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5
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Thomas E, Lee JS, Shokrollahzadeh Behbahani H, Nazari A, Li Y, Yang Y, Green MD, Lind ML. Zwitterionic Copolymers for Anti-Scaling Applications in Simulated Spaceflight Wastewater Scenarios. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:18462-18471. [PMID: 37273630 PMCID: PMC10233662 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.2c08150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Water reclamation in spaceflight applications, such as those encountered on the International Space Station (ISS), requires complex engineering solutions to ensure maximum water recovery. Current vapor compression distillation (VCD) technologies are effective but produce highly concentrated brines and often cause scaling within a separation system. This work evaluates initial steps toward integrating pervaporation, a membrane separation process, as a brine management strategy for ISS wastewaters. Pervaporation performs separations driven by a chemical potential difference across the membrane created by either a sweep gas or a vacuum pull. Pervaporation membranes, as with most membrane processes, can be subject to scaling. Therefore, this work studies the anti-scaling properties of zwitterions (polymeric molecules with covalently tethered positive and negative ions) coated onto sulfonated pentablock terpolymer block polymer (Nexar) pervaporation membrane surfaces. We report a method for applying zwitterions to the surface of pervaporation membranes and the effect on performance parameters such as flux and scaling resistance. Membranes with zwitterions had up to 53% reduction in permeance but reduced scaling. The highest amount of scaling occurred in the samples exposed to calcium chloride, and uncoated membranes had weight percent increases as high as 1617 ± 241%, whereas zwitterion-coated membranes experienced only about 317 ± 87% weight increase in the presence of the same scalant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth
R. Thomas
- School
for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- NSF
Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water
Treatment, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jae Sang Lee
- School
for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | | | - Ani Nazari
- School
for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Yusi Li
- School
for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- NSF
Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water
Treatment, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Yi Yang
- School
for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Matthew D. Green
- School
for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
| | - Mary Laura Lind
- School
for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, United States
- NSF
Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water
Treatment, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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6
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Yin Y, Li T, Zuo K, Liu X, Lin S, Yao Y, Tong T. Which Surface Is More Scaling Resistant? A Closer Look at Nucleation Theories for Heterogeneous Gypsum Nucleation in Aqueous Solutions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:16315-16324. [PMID: 36305705 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c06560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Developing engineered surfaces with scaling resistance is an effective means to inhibit surface-mediated mineral scaling in various industries including desalination. However, contrasting results have been reported on the relationship between scaling potential and surface hydrophilicity. In this study, we combine a theoretical analysis with experimental investigation to clarify the effect of surface wetting property on heterogeneous gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) formation on surfaces immersed in aqueous solutions. Theoretical prediction derived from classical nucleation theory (CNT) indicates that an increase of surface hydrophobicity reduces scaling potential, which contrasts our experimental results that more hydrophilic surfaces are less prone to gypsum scaling. We further consider the possibility of nonclassical pathway of gypsum nucleation, which proceeds by the aggregation of precursor clusters of CaSO4. Accordingly, we investigate the affinity of CaSO4 to substrate surfaces of varied wetting properties via calculating the total free energy of interaction, with the results perfectly predicting experimental observations of surface scaling propensity. This indicates that the interactions between precursor clusters of CaSO4 and substrate surfaces might play an important role in regulating heterogeneous gypsum formation. Our findings provide evidence that CNT might not be applicable to describing gypsum scaling in aqueous solutions. The fundamental insights we reveal on gypsum scaling mechanisms have the potential to guide rational design of scaling-resistant engineered surfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Yin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado80523, United States
| | - Tianshu Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia20052, United States
| | - Kuichang Zuo
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Science, Ministry of Education; College of Environment Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing100871, China
| | - Xitong Liu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia20052, United States
| | - Shihong Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee37212, United States
| | - Yiqun Yao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado80523, United States
| | - Tiezheng Tong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado80523, United States
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7
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Zuo K, Zhang X, Huang X, Oliveira EF, Guo H, Zhai T, Wang W, Alvarez PJJ, Elimelech M, Ajayan PM, Lou J, Li Q. Ultrahigh resistance of hexagonal boron nitride to mineral scale formation. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4523. [PMID: 35927249 PMCID: PMC9352771 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32193-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Formation of mineral scale on a material surface has profound impact on a wide range of natural processes as well as industrial applications. However, how specific material surface characteristics affect the mineral-surface interactions and subsequent mineral scale formation is not well understood. Here we report the superior resistance of hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) to mineral scale formation compared to not only common metal and polymer surfaces but also the highly scaling-resistant graphene, making hBN possibly the most scaling resistant material reported to date. Experimental and simulation results reveal that this ultrahigh scaling-resistance is attributed to the combination of hBN’s atomically-smooth surface, in-plane atomic energy corrugation due to the polar boron-nitrogen bond, and the close match between its interatomic spacing and the size of water molecules. The latter two properties lead to strong polar interactions with water and hence the formation of a dense hydration layer, which strongly hinders the approach of mineral ions and crystals, decreasing both surface heterogeneous nucleation and crystal attachment. Scale formation may have detrimental effects on the properties and functions of materials’ surfaces. Here the authors report the high scaling resistance of hexagonal boron nitride and relate it to the atomic level structure and interaction with water molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuichang Zuo
- The Key Laboratory of Water and Sediment Sciences, Ministry of Education; College of Environment Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS 519, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.,NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Xiang Zhang
- NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.,Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Xiaochuan Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS 519, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.,NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Eliezer F Oliveira
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.,São Paulo State Department of Education, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hua Guo
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Tianshu Zhai
- Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Weipeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials (MOE), School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, PR China.
| | - Pedro J J Alvarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS 519, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.,NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.,Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520-8286, USA
| | - Pulickel M Ajayan
- NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA. .,Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
| | - Jun Lou
- NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA. .,Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA. .,Department of Chemistry, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
| | - Qilin Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS 519, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA. .,NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA. .,Department of Materials Science and NanoEngineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA. .,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, USA.
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8
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Cao T, Rolf J, Wang Z, Violet C, Elimelech M. Distinct impacts of natural organic matter and colloidal particles on gypsum crystallization. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 218:118500. [PMID: 35512535 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Gypsum scaling via crystallization is a major obstacle limiting the applications of membrane-based technologies and heat exchangers in engineered systems. Herein, we perform the first comparative investigation on the impacts of natural organic matter (Suwannee River humic acid, SRHA) and colloidal particles on the gypsum crystallization process in terms of induction time and crystal morphology. Results show that the presence of SRHA significantly increases the induction time of gypsum crystallization. Specifically, at a solution saturation index of 4.92, the induction time increases 6.5-fold in the presence of 6 mg/L SRHA, compared to the case without SRHA. SRHA also alters the morphology of the formed calcium sulfate crystals, resulting in a polygon-like shape, differing from the characteristic needle-like shape of gypsum in the absence of additives. These changes in crystal morphology are attributed to the adsorption of SRHA on the gypsum crystal surface, blocking the active sites for gypsum growth. In contrast, in the presence of colloidal particles, the observed induction time of gypsum crystallization either decreases or increases, depending on the competitive interplay between the enhancement effect in the nucleation step and the inhibition effect in the subsequent crystal growth step. Furthermore, the formed gypsum crystals in the presence of colloidal particles exhibit a needle-like morphology similar to the crystals formed in the absence of any additives. Our study provides fundamental understanding of gypsum crystallization in feedwaters containing natural organic matter and colloidal particles, highlighting the importance of feedwater composition in gypsum scaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianchi Cao
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
| | - Julianne Rolf
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
| | - Zhangxin Wang
- School of Ecology, Environment and Resources, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510006, China
| | - Camille Violet
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States.
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9
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Rolf J, Cao T, Huang X, Boo C, Li Q, Elimelech M. Inorganic Scaling in Membrane Desalination: Models, Mechanisms, and Characterization Methods. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:7484-7511. [PMID: 35666637 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c01858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Inorganic scaling caused by precipitation of sparingly soluble salts at supersaturation is a common but critical issue, limiting the efficiency of membrane-based desalination and brine management technologies as well as other engineered systems. A wide range of minerals including calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate, and silica precipitate during membrane-based desalination, limiting water recovery and reducing process efficiency. The economic impact of scaling on desalination processes requires understanding of its sources, causes, effects, and control methods. In this Critical Review, we first describe nucleation mechanisms and crystal growth theories, which are fundamental to understanding inorganic scale formation during membrane desalination. We, then, discuss the key mechanisms and factors that govern membrane scaling, including membrane properties, such as surface roughness, charge, and functionality, as well as feedwater characteristics, such as pH, temperature, and ionic strength. We follow with a critical review of current characterization techniques for both homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, focusing on the strengths and limitations of each technique to elucidate scale-inducing mechanisms, observe actual crystal growth, and analyze the outcome of scaling behaviors of desalination membranes. We conclude with an outlook on research needs and future research directions to provide guidelines for scale mitigation in water treatment and desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne Rolf
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
| | - Tianchi Cao
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
| | - Xiaochuan Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS-519, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
| | - Chanhee Boo
- Water Cycle Research Center, National Agenda Research Division, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Republic of Korea
| | - Qilin Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS-519, 6100 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Rice University, MS 6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
- Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8286, United States
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10
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Shefer I, Lopez K, Straub AP, Epsztein R. Applying Transition-State Theory to Explore Transport and Selectivity in Salt-Rejecting Membranes: A Critical Review. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:7467-7483. [PMID: 35549171 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Membrane technologies using reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) have been widely implemented in water purification and desalination processes. Separation between species at the molecular level is achievable in RO and NF membranes due to a complex and poorly understood combination of transport mechanisms that have attracted the attention of researchers within and beyond the membrane community for many years. Minimizing existing knowledge gaps in transport through these membranes can improve the sustainability of current water-treatment processes and expand the use of RO and NF membranes to other applications that require high selectivity between species. Since its establishment in 1949, and with growing popularity in recent years, Eyring's transition-state theory (TST) for transmembrane permeation has been applied in numerous studies to mechanistically explore molecular transport in membranes including RO and NF. In this review, we critically assess TST applied to transmembrane permeation in salt-rejecting membranes, focusing on mechanistic insights into transport under confinement that can be gained from this framework and the key limitations associated with the method. We first demonstrate and discuss the limited ability of the commonly used solution-diffusion model to mechanistically explain transport and selectivity trends observed in RO and NF membranes. Next, we review important milestones in the development of TST, introduce its underlying principles and equations, and establish the connection to transmembrane permeation with a focus on molecular-level enthalpic and entropic barriers that govern water and solute transport under confinement. We then critically review the application of TST to explore transport in RO and NF membranes, analyzing trends in measured enthalpic and entropic barriers and synthesizing new data to highlight important phenomena associated with the temperature-dependent measurement of the activation parameters. We also discuss major limitations of the experimental application of TST and propose specific solutions to minimize the uncertainties surrounding the current approach. We conclude with identifying future research needs to enhance the implementation and maximize the benefit of TST application to transmembrane permeation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idit Shefer
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
| | - Kian Lopez
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0428, United States
| | - Anthony P Straub
- Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0428, United States
| | - Razi Epsztein
- Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel
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11
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Wang P, Cheng W, Zhang X, Liu Q, Li J, Ma J, Zhang T. Membrane Scaling and Wetting in Membrane Distillation: Mitigation Roles Played by Humic Substances. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:3258-3266. [PMID: 35148061 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c07294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Membrane scaling and wetting severely hinder practical applications of membrane distillation (MD) for hypersaline water/wastewater treatment. In this regard, the effects of feedwater constituents are still not well understood. Herein, we investigated how humic acid (HA) influenced gypsum-induced membrane scaling and wetting during MD desalination. At low concentrations (5-20 mg L-1), HA notably mitigated membrane scaling and wetting. The morphological characterization of scaled membranes revealed that the antiwetting behavior could be ascribed to the formation of a compact and protective gypsum/HA scale layer, which blocked the flow channel of scaling ions and suppressed the intrusion of scale particles into membrane pores. Based on the comprehensive analysis of the scaling process, the formation of the scale layer was related to the heterogeneous crystallization of gypsum on the membrane surface. Moreover, deprotonated HA interfered with the heterogeneous crystallization process by inhibiting the formation of gypsum nuclei and altering the orientation of crystal growth, thus delaying membrane scaling and altering the morphology of the scale layer. Thermodynamic and kinetic analyses further demonstrated the mitigation mechanism of HA. Furthermore, improved fouling reversibility and antiwetting ability in synthetic seawater treatment endowed by HA were observed. This study provides new insight into the roles played by the organic constituents of water/wastewater during membrane desalination, providing a valuable reference for developing novel strategies to improve the performance of MD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peizhi Wang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Water Resource Application and Environmental Pollution Control, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
| | - Xiaolei Zhang
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Water Resource Application and Environmental Pollution Control, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Qianliang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Green Chemical Engineering and Technology of College of Heilongjiang Province, School of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Ji Li
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Water Resource Application and Environmental Pollution Control, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), Shenzhen 518055, China
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Jun Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
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12
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Zhang W, Li N, Zhang X. Surface-engineered sulfonation of ion-selective nanofiltration membrane with robust scaling resistance for seawater desalination. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.120191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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13
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Mohona TM, Dai N, Nalam PC. Comparative Degradation Kinetics Study of Polyamide Thin Films in Aqueous Solutions of Chlorine and Peracetic Acid Using Quartz Crystal Microbalance. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:14214-14227. [PMID: 34793175 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c02835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Polyamide thin film composite membranes are widely used in water reclamation. Peracetic acid (PAA) is an emerging wastewater disinfectant with a potential for membrane cleaning and disinfection; however, its interaction with polyamide remains poorly understood. This study employs quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) to determine the PAA-induced degradation kinetics of polyamide thin films, in comparison with the conventional disinfectant-free chlorine (HOCl). Polyamide films showed a sorption phase followed by a degradation phase when exposed to PAA (1000 mg L-1) and HOCl (100 mg L-1) solutions. While the sorption phase in HOCl experiments was short (1.4-3.5 min) and followed a Boltzmann-sigmoidal model, it spanned over 3-33 h in PAA experiments and displayed a two-stage behavior. The latter kinetics are attributed to sequential processes of the physical sorption of PAA in polyamide films followed by PAA-induced polyamide oxidation. In the degradation phase, the HOCl-exposed films followed a rapid, two-step exponential decay reaching an equilibrium mass of ∼50% of the initial (wet) mass after ∼5 h of exposure. In contrast, the PAA-exposed films followed a Boltzmann-sigmoidal decay, with ∼80% of the initial (wet) mass remaining intact after >10 h of exposure. Fast force maps generated using atomic force microscopy showed a progressive increase in the morphological heterogeneity of the polyamide films in HOCl solution due to pitting, cracking, bulging, and eventual delamination under both flow and no-flow conditions. In contrast, PAA only formed small pits on the polyamide film under flow; in a stagnant PAA solution, the film had no visible changes even after ∼148 h of exposure. This is the first comparative study on the chemical and morphological changes in polyamide films induced by PAA and HOCl. The much higher compatibility of polyamide with PAA than with chlorine supports the potential of PAA being used as a halogen-free membrane cleaning/disinfecting agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tashfia M Mohona
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Ning Dai
- Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
| | - Prathima C Nalam
- Department of Materials Design and Innovation, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14260, United States
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14
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Wang M, Cao B, Hu Y, Rodrigues DF. Mineral Scaling on Reverse Osmosis Membranes: Role of Mass, Orientation, and Crystallinity on Permeability. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:16110-16119. [PMID: 34788020 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Prior mineral scaling investigations mainly studied the effects of membrane surface properties rather than on the mineral properties and their impact on membrane permeability. In our study, mass, crystal growth orientation, and crystallinity of mineral precipitates on membranes, as well as their effects on membrane permeability have been investigated. Gypsum scaling tests on bare and bovine serum albumin (BSA)-conditioned membranes were conducted under different saturation indices. Results show that a longer scaling period was required for BSA-conditioned membranes to reach the same membrane permeate flux decline as bare membranes. Though the final reduced permeability was the same for both two membranes, the masses of the mineral precipitates on BSA-conditioned membranes were around two times more than those on bare membranes. Further mineral characterizations confirmed that different permeability decay rates of both types of the membrane were attributed to the differences in growth orientations rather than amounts of gypsum precipitates. Moreover, BSA-conditioned layers with high carboxylic density and specific molecular structure could stabilize bassanite and disrupt the oriented growth to inhibit the formation of needle-like gypsum crystals as observed on bare membranes, thus resulting in lower surface coverage with scales on membranes and alleviating the detrimental scaling effect on membrane permeability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Wang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Bo Cao
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
| | - Yandi Hu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Debora F Rodrigues
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77004, United States
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15
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Zhu Z, Tan G, Lei D, Yang Q, Tan X, Liang N, Ma D. Omniphobic membrane with process optimization for advancing flux and durability toward concentrating reverse-osmosis concentrated seawater with membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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16
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Zhu L, Ding C, Zhu T, Wang Y. A review on the forward osmosis applications and fouling control strategies for wastewater treatment. Front Chem Sci Eng 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11705-021-2084-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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Ohkame T, Shibuya M, Nakagawa K, Shintani T, Matsuyama H, Yoshioka T. Thin-film composite hollow-fiber nanofiltration membranes prepared from benzonitrile containing disulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone) random copolymers coated onto polyphenylene oxide support membranes. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Yin Y, Jeong N, Minjarez R, Robbins CA, Carlson KH, Tong T. Contrasting Behaviors between Gypsum and Silica Scaling in the Presence of Antiscalants during Membrane Distillation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:5335-5346. [PMID: 33703888 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c07190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Mineral scaling is a major constraint that limits the performance of membrane distillation (MD) for hypersaline wastewater treatment. Although the use of antiscalants is a common industrial practice to mitigate mineral scaling, the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of antiscalants in inhibiting different mineral scaling types have not been systematically investigated. Herein, we perform a comparative investigation to elucidate the efficiencies of antiscalant candidates with varied functional groups for mitigating gypsum scaling and silica scaling in MD desalination. We show that antiscalants with Ca(II)-complexing moieties (e.g., carboxyl group) are the most effective to inhibit gypsum scaling formed via crystallization, whereas amino-enriched antiscalants possess the best performance to mitigate silica scaling created by polymerization. A set of microscopic and spectroscopic analyses reveal distinct mechanisms of antiscalants required for those two common types of scaling. The mitigating effect of antiscalants on gypsum scaling is attributed to the stabilization of scale precursors and nascent CaSO4 nuclei, which hinders phase transformation of amorphous CaSO4 toward crystalline gypsum. In contrast, antiscalants facilitate the polymerization of silicic acid, immobilizing active silica precursors and retarding the gelation of silica scale layer on the membrane surface. Our study, for the first time, demonstrates that antiscalants with different functionalities are required for the mitigation of gypsum scaling and silica scaling, providing mechanistic insights on the molecular design of antiscalants tailored to MD applications for the treatment of wastewaters containing different scaling types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiming Yin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Nohyeong Jeong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Ronny Minjarez
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Cristian A Robbins
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Kenneth H Carlson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Tiezheng Tong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
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19
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Renewable energy powered membrane technology: Impact of osmotic backwash on scaling during solar irradiance fluctuation. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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20
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Jaramillo H, Boo C, Hashmi SM, Elimelech M. Zwitterionic coating on thin-film composite membranes to delay gypsum scaling in reverse osmosis. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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21
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Huang X, Li C, Zuo K, Li Q. Predominant Effect of Material Surface Hydrophobicity on Gypsum Scale Formation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:15395-15404. [PMID: 33064949 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c03826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Scale formation is an important challenge in water and wastewater treatment systems. However, due to the complex nature of membrane surfaces, the effects of specific membrane surface characteristics on scale formation are poorly understood. In this study, the independent effect of surface hydrophobicity on gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) scale formation via surface-induced nucleation and bulk homogeneous nucleation was investigated using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) on self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) terminated with -OH, -CH3, and -CF3 functional groups. Results show that higher surface hydrophobicity enhances both surface-induced nucleation of gypsum and attachment of gypsum crystals formed from homogeneous nucleation in the bulk solution. The enhanced surface-induced nucleation is attributed to the lower nucleation energy barrier on a hydrophobic surface, while the increased gypsum crystal attachment results from the favorable hydrophobic interactions between gypsum and more hydrophobic surfaces. Contrary to previous findings, the role of Ca2+ adsorption in surface-induced nucleation was found to be relatively small and similar on the different SAMs. Therefore, increasing material hydrophilicity is a potential approach to reduce gypsum scaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochuan Huang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS-519, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
- NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS-6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
| | - Chen Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS-519, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
- School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Kuichang Zuo
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS-519, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
- NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS-6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
| | - Qilin Li
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rice University, MS-519, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
- NSF Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment, Rice University, MS-6398, 6100 Main Street, Houston 77005, United States
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22
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Yin Y, Jeong N, Tong T. The effects of membrane surface wettability on pore wetting and scaling reversibility associated with mineral scaling in membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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23
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Organic composition in feed solution of forward osmosis membrane systems has no impact on the boron and water flux but reduces scaling. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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24
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Long-Running Comparison of Feed-Water Scaling in Membrane Distillation. MEMBRANES 2020; 10:membranes10080173. [PMID: 32751820 PMCID: PMC7463528 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10080173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) has shown promise for concentrating a wide variety of brines, but the knowledge is limited on how different brines impact salt scaling, flux decline, and subsequent wetting. Furthermore, past studies have lacked critical details and analysis to enable a physical understanding, including the length of experiments, the inclusion of salt kinetics, impact of antiscalants, and variability between feed-water types. To address this gap, we examined the system performance, water recovery, scale formation, and saturation index of a lab-scale vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) in long-running test runs approaching 200 h. The tests provided a comparison of a variety of relevant feed solutions, including a synthetic seawater reverse osmosis brine with a salinity of 8.0 g/L, tap water, and NaCl, and included an antiscalant. Saturation modeling indicated that calcite and aragonite were the main foulants contributing to permeate flux reduction. The longer operation times than typical studies revealed several insights. First, scaling could reduce permeate flux dramatically, seen here as 49% for the synthetic brine, when reaching a high recovery ratio of 91%. Second, salt crystallization on the membrane surface could have a long-delayed but subsequently significant impact, as the permeate flux experienced a precipitous decline only after 72 h of continuous operation. Several scaling-resistant impacts were observed as well. Although use of an antiscalant did not reduce the decrease in flux, it extended membrane operational time before surface foulants caused membrane wetting. Additionally, numerous calcium, magnesium, and carbonate salts, as well as silica, reached very high saturation indices (>1). Despite this, scaling without wetting was often observed, and scaling was consistently reversible and easily washed. Under heavy scaling conditions, many areas lacked deposits, which enabled continued operation; existing MD performance models lack this effect by assuming uniform layers. This work implies that longer times are needed for MD fouling experiments, and provides further scaling-resistant evidence for MD.
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25
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Papadia P, Barozzi F, Migoni D, Rojas M, Fanizzi FP, Di Sansebastiano GP. Aquatic Mosses as Adaptable Bio-Filters for Heavy Metal Removal from Contaminated Water. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134769. [PMID: 32635635 PMCID: PMC7369764 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metals (HMs) are released into the environment by many human activities and persist in water even after remediation. The efficient filtration of solubilized HMs is extremely difficult. Phytoremediation appears a convenient tool to remove HMs from polluted water, but it is limited by the choice of plants able to adapt to filtration of polluted water in terms of space and physiological needs. Biomasses are often preferred. Aquatic moss biomasses, thanks to gametophyte characteristics, can act as live filtering material. The potential for phytoremediation of Hypnales aquatic mosses has been poorly investigated compared to aquatic macrophytes. Their potential is usually indicated as a tool for bioindication and environmental monitoring more than for pollutant removal. When phytoremediation has been considered, insufficient attention has been paid to the adaptability of biomasses to different needs. In this study the heavy metal uptake of moss Taxiphyllum barbieri grown in two different light conditions, was tested with high concentrations of elements such as Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, As, and Cr. This moss produces dense mats with few culture needs. The experimental design confirmed the capacity of the moss to accumulate HMs accordingly to their physiology and then demonstrated that a significant proportion of HMs was accumulated within a few hours. In addition to the biosorption effect, an evident contribution of the active simplistic mass can be evidenced. These reports of HM accumulation within short time intervals, show how this moss is particularly suitable as an adaptable bio-filter, representing a new opportunity for water eco-sustainable remediation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paride Papadia
- DISTEBA (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies), University of Salento, Campus ECOTEKNE, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.P.); (F.B.); (D.M.); (M.R.); (F.P.F.)
- C.I.R.C.M.S.B. Consortium, Villa “La Rocca”-via Celso Ulpiani, 27-70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Barozzi
- DISTEBA (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies), University of Salento, Campus ECOTEKNE, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.P.); (F.B.); (D.M.); (M.R.); (F.P.F.)
| | - Danilo Migoni
- DISTEBA (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies), University of Salento, Campus ECOTEKNE, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.P.); (F.B.); (D.M.); (M.R.); (F.P.F.)
- C.I.R.C.M.S.B. Consortium, Villa “La Rocca”-via Celso Ulpiani, 27-70126 Bari, Italy
| | - Makarena Rojas
- DISTEBA (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies), University of Salento, Campus ECOTEKNE, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.P.); (F.B.); (D.M.); (M.R.); (F.P.F.)
| | - Francesco P. Fanizzi
- DISTEBA (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies), University of Salento, Campus ECOTEKNE, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.P.); (F.B.); (D.M.); (M.R.); (F.P.F.)
| | - Gian-Pietro Di Sansebastiano
- DISTEBA (Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies), University of Salento, Campus ECOTEKNE, 73100 Lecce, Italy; (P.P.); (F.B.); (D.M.); (M.R.); (F.P.F.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0832-298-714
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26
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Omir A, Satayeva A, Chinakulova A, Kamal A, Kim J, Inglezakis VJ, Arkhangelsky E. Behaviour of Aquaporin Forward Osmosis Flat Sheet Membranes during the Concentration of Calcium-Containing Liquids. MEMBRANES 2020; 10:E108. [PMID: 32456094 PMCID: PMC7281773 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10050108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study aims to examine the scaling and performance of flat sheet aquaporin FO membranes in the presence of calcium salts. Experiments showed that the application of calcium sulphate (CaSO4) resulted in an 8%-78% decline in the water flux. An increase in the cross-flow velocity from 3 to 12 cm/s reduced the decline in the flux by 16%. The deposition of salt crystals on the membrane surface led to the alteration in the membrane's intrinsic properties. Microscopy, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, and X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses confirmed measurements of the zeta potential and contact angle. The use of a three-salt mixture yielded severe scaling as compared with the application of calcium sulphate dehydrate (CaSO4 × 2H2O), i.e., a result of two different crystallisation mechanisms. We found that the amount of sodium chloride (NaCl), saturation index, cross-flow velocity, and flow regime all play an important role in the scaling of aquaporin FO flat sheet membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alibek Omir
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering & Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.O.); (A.K.); (J.K.)
- Environmental Science & Technology Group (ESTg), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.S.); (A.C.); (V.J.I.)
| | - Aliya Satayeva
- Environmental Science & Technology Group (ESTg), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.S.); (A.C.); (V.J.I.)
| | - Aigerim Chinakulova
- Environmental Science & Technology Group (ESTg), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.S.); (A.C.); (V.J.I.)
- National Laboratory Astana, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Arailym Kamal
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering & Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.O.); (A.K.); (J.K.)
| | - Jong Kim
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering & Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.O.); (A.K.); (J.K.)
| | - Vassilis J. Inglezakis
- Environmental Science & Technology Group (ESTg), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.S.); (A.C.); (V.J.I.)
- Department of Chemical & Materials Engineering, School of Engineering & Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
- The Environment & Resource Efficiency Cluster (EREC), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
| | - Elizabeth Arkhangelsky
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering & Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.O.); (A.K.); (J.K.)
- Environmental Science & Technology Group (ESTg), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan; (A.S.); (A.C.); (V.J.I.)
- The Environment & Resource Efficiency Cluster (EREC), Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan 010000, Kazakhstan
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Li J, Li Z, Brandis KJ, Bu J, Sun Z, Yu Q, Ramp D. Tracing geochemical pollutants in stream water and soil from mining activity in an alpine catchment. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 242:125167. [PMID: 31678854 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This research developed a method of tracing major water chemical parameters (WCP) and soil heavy metals (HM) to identify the processes of mining pollution in topographically complex landscapes. Ninety-nine spatially distributed water samples were collected to characterise the hydrochemical characteristics of an alpine river in north-west China. Sixty river WCP and fifty-six soil HM samples from areas near mining sites were then used to analyse the mining pollution process. Geographical and mining activity characteristics were derived from topographic and mine site information. The occurrence of sulphates (SO42-) and nitrates (NO3-) in river water were highly correlated (up to 0.70), providing strong evidence of pollution from nearby mining activities. Levels of arsenic and cadmium were high in first and fifth order streams, where mining activities were most concentrated. The modelling results showed that geographical patterns and mining activity account for predicting HM distribution, and WCP can be reasonable predictors to trace soil mining pollution. This research can help improve the accuracy of predicting the mining pollution process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguo Li
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, 2007, NSW, Australia
| | - Zongxing Li
- Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Kate J Brandis
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Jianwei Bu
- Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Ziyong Sun
- Laboratory of Basin Hydrology and Wetland Eco-restoration, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
| | - Qiang Yu
- School of Life Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, 2007, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, 2007, NSW, Australia.
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28
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Ding C, Zhang X, Xiong S, Shen L, Yi M, Liu B, Wang Y. Organophosphonate draw solution for produced water treatment with effectively mitigated membrane fouling via forward osmosis. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.117429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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29
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Kaganovich M, Zhang W, Freger V, Bernstein R. Effect of the membrane exclusion mechanism on phosphate scaling during synthetic effluent desalination. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 161:381-391. [PMID: 31226537 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Calcium phosphate scaling is one of the main limitations in effluent desalination using membranes. This may be overcome by tailoring membranes with lower rejection of the scalant ions. In this study, we systematically examined the use of negatively and positively charged membranes, rejecting ions mainly based on Donnan exclusion, as a low-scaling alternative to dielectric-exclusion-dominated polyamide NF membranes for effluent desalination. The two charged membranes exhibited a lower calcium and especially phosphate rejection than the polyamide membrane. Consequently, the calcium phosphate supersaturation and then the propensity to scaling of the charged membranes were much lower than the polyamide membrane. This also allowed filtering at a much higher recovery ratio with the charged membranes. It was also found that, despite the fact that the charged membranes had an opposite fixed charge, their scaling behavior was similar. Apparently, although these membranes showed opposite selectivity towards scalant ions (phosphate and calcium) in single salt solutions, the rejection pattern in mixed salt solutions resulted in similar saturation indices, much lower than for polyamide membrane. The scale formed on all three membranes was identified as amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP), although its saturation index was lower than its solubility factor. This was explained by concentration polarization which increases the saturation index in the solution adjacent to the membrane surface. Tests in absence of permeate flux showed a much slower precipitation that took a few days compared with filtration conditions (few hours). In addition, under these conditions, the effect of the scaling on the membrane permeability was generally reduced and the scale contained crystalline calcium phosphate products, different from ACP. The results indicate that the ion rejection and resulting polarization next to the membrane surface plays a crucial role in scaling. Thus, tuning ion selectivity of NF membranes towards scalant ions presents a promising alternative for scaling mitigation during effluent desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Kaganovich
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus 84990, Israel
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus 84990, Israel
| | - Viatcheslav Freger
- Wolfson Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, 32000, Haifa, Israel
| | - Roy Bernstein
- Department of Desalination and Water Treatment, Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus 84990, Israel.
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30
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Shaffer DL, Feldman KE, Chan EP, Stafford GR, Stafford CM. Characterizing salt permeability in polyamide desalination membranes using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. J Memb Sci 2019; 583. [PMID: 31579350 DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.04.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Improving the performance of desalination membranes requires better measurements of salt permeability in the polyamide separating layer to elucidate the thermodynamic and kinetic components of membrane permselectivity. In this work, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is introduced as a technique to measure the salt permeability and estimate the salt partition coefficient in thin polyamide films created using molecular layer-by-layer deposition. The impedance of supported polyamide films ranging in thickness from 3.5 nm to 28.5 nm were measured in different electrolyte solutions. Impedance spectra were modeled with equivalent circuits containing resistive and capacitive elements associated with the EIS measurement system as well as characteristic low-frequency parallel resistive and capacitive elements that are associated with the polyamide film. The characteristic polyamide membrane resistance increases with film thickness, decreases with solution concentration, and is an order of magnitude greater for a divalent cationic solution than for a monovalent cationic solution. For each polyamide film, salt permeability is calculated from the membrane resistance, and a salt partition coefficient is estimated. At the highest solution concentration measured, which is representative of brackish water desalination conditions, the calculated salt permeabilities range from P s = 1.3 × 10-16 m s-1 to 3.9 × 10-16 m s-1, and the estimated salt partition coefficients range from K s = 0.008 to 0.016. These measurements demonstrate that EIS is a powerful tool for studying membrane permselectivity through the measurement of salt permeability in thin polyamide films.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin L Shaffer
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, University of Houston, 4726 Calhoun Road, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Kathleen E Feldman
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Edwin P Chan
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Gery R Stafford
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Christopher M Stafford
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
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31
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Mineral scaling in membrane desalination: Mechanisms, mitigation strategies, and feasibility of scaling-resistant membranes. J Memb Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.02.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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32
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Chen D, Pomalaza-Ráez C. A self-cleaning piezoelectric PVDF membrane system for filtration of kaolin suspension. Sep Purif Technol 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2018.12.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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33
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Karanikola V, Boo C, Rolf J, Elimelech M. Engineered Slippery Surface to Mitigate Gypsum Scaling in Membrane Distillation for Treatment of Hypersaline Industrial Wastewaters. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:14362-14370. [PMID: 30426741 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b04836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) is an emerging thermal desalination process, which can potentially treat high salinity industrial wastewaters, such as shale gas produced water and power plant blowdown. The performance of MD systems is hampered by inorganic scaling, particularly when treating hypersaline industrial wastewaters with high-scaling potential. In this study, we developed a scaling-resistant MD membrane with an engineered "slippery" surface for desalination of high-salinity industrial wastewaters at high water recovery. A polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane was grafted with silica nanoparticles, followed by coating with fluoroalkylsilane to lower the membrane surface energy. Contact angle measurements revealed the "slippery" nature of the modified PVDF membrane. We evaluated the desalination performance of the surface-engineered PVDF membrane in direct contact membrane distillation using a synthetic wastewater with high gypsum scaling potential as well as a brine from a power plant blowdown. Results show that gypsum scaling is substantially delayed on the developed slippery surface. Compared to the pristine PVDF membrane, the modified PVDF membranes exhibited a stable MD performance with reduced scaling potential, demonstrating its potential to achieve high water recovery in treatment of high-salinity industrial wastewaters. We conclude with a discussion of the mechanism for gypsum scaling inhibition by the engineered slippery surface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Karanikola
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Chanhee Boo
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Julianne Rolf
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
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34
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Selective removal of divalent cations by polyelectrolyte multilayer nanofiltration membrane: Role of polyelectrolyte charge, ion size, and ionic strength. J Memb Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2018.04.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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35
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Boo C, Wang Y, Zucker I, Choo Y, Osuji CO, Elimelech M. High Performance Nanofiltration Membrane for Effective Removal of Perfluoroalkyl Substances at High Water Recovery. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:7279-7288. [PMID: 29851340 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
We demonstrate the fabrication of a loose, negatively charged nanofiltration (NF) membrane with tailored selectivity for the removal of perfluoroalkyl substances with reduced scaling potential. A selective polyamide layer was fabricated on top of a poly(ether sulfone) support via interfacial polymerization of trimesoyl chloride and a mixture of piperazine and bipiperidine. Incorporating high molecular weight bipiperidine during the interfacial polymerization enables the formation of a loose, nanoporous selective layer structure. The fabricated NF membrane possessed a negative surface charge and had a pore diameter of ∼1.2 nm, much larger than a widely used commercial NF membrane (i.e., NF270 with pore diameter of ∼0.8 nm). We evaluated the performance of the fabricated NF membrane for the rejection of different salts (i.e., NaCl, CaCl2, and Na2SO4) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). The fabricated NF membrane exhibited a high retention of PFOA (∼90%) while allowing high passage of scale-forming cations (i.e., calcium). We further performed gypsum scaling experiments to demonstrate lower scaling potential of the fabricated loose porous NF membrane compared to NF membranes having a dense selective layer under solution conditions simulating high water recovery. Our results demonstrate that properly designed NF membranes are a critical component of a high recovery NF system, which provide an efficient and sustainable solution for remediation of groundwater contaminated with perfluoroalkyl substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chanhee Boo
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Yunkun Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering , Shandong University , Qingdao 266237 , China
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Ines Zucker
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Youngwoo Choo
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Chinedum O Osuji
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering , Yale University , New Haven , Connecticut 06520-8286 , United States
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36
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Takizawa Y, Inukai S, Araki T, Cruz-Silva R, Ortiz-Medina J, Morelos-Gomez A, Tejima S, Yamanaka A, Obata M, Nakaruk A, Takeuchi K, Hayashi T, Terrones M, Endo M. Effective Antiscaling Performance of Reverse-Osmosis Membranes Made of Carbon Nanotubes and Polyamide Nanocomposites. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:6047-6055. [PMID: 31458794 PMCID: PMC6644365 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b00601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The antiscaling properties of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-polyamide (PA) nanocomposite reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination membranes (MWCNT-PA membranes) were studied. An aqueous solution of calcium chloride (CaCl2) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) was used to precipitate in situ calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to emulate scaling. The MWCNT contents of the studied nanocomposite membranes prepared by interfacial polymerization ranged from 0 wt % (plain PA) to 25 wt %. The inorganic antiscaling performances were compared for the MWCNT-PA membranes to laboratory-made plain and commercial PA-based RO membranes. The scaling process on the membrane surface was monitored by fluorescence microscopy after labeling the scale with a fluorescent dye. The deposited scale on the MWCNT-PA membrane was less abundant and more easily detached by the shear stress under cross-flow compared to other membranes. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the attraction of Ca2+ ions was hindered by the interfacial water layer formed on the surface of the MWCNT-PA membrane. Together, our findings revealed that the observed outstanding antiscaling performance of MWCNT-PA membranes results from (i) a smooth surface morphology, (ii) a low surface charge, and (iii) the formation of an interfacial water layer. The MWCNT-PA membranes described herein are advantageous for water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Takizawa
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Shigeki Inukai
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Takumi Araki
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
- Research
Organization for Information Science & Technology, 2-32-3, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0001, Japan
| | - Rodolfo Cruz-Silva
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Josue Ortiz-Medina
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Aaron Morelos-Gomez
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Syogo Tejima
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
- Research
Organization for Information Science & Technology, 2-32-3, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0001, Japan
| | - Ayaka Yamanaka
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
- Research
Organization for Information Science & Technology, 2-32-3, Kitashinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0001, Japan
| | - Michiko Obata
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Auppatham Nakaruk
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Kenji Takeuchi
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Takuya Hayashi
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
| | - Mauricio Terrones
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
- Department
of Physics, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Department
of Chemistry. The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, United States
| | - Morinobu Endo
- Global Aqua Innovation Center and Institute of Carbon Science and
Technology, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan
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38
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Shaffer DL, LaManna JM, Jacobson DL, Hussey DS, Elimelech M, Chan EP. Studying water and solute transport through desalination membranes via neutron radiography. J Memb Sci 2018; 548:10.1016/j.memsci.2017.10.046. [PMID: 38606272 PMCID: PMC11008498 DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2017.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Neutron radiography, a non-destructive imaging technique, is applied to study water and solute transport through desalination membranes. Specifically, we use neutron radiography to quantify lithium chloride draw solute concentrations across a thin-film composite membrane during forward osmosis permeation. This measurement provides direct visual confirmation of incomplete support layer wetting and reveals significant dilutive external concentration polarization of the draw solution outside of the membrane support layer. These transport-limiting phenomena have been hypothesized in previous work and are not accounted for in the standard thin-film model of forward osmosis permeation, resulting in inaccurate estimations of membrane transport properties. Our work demonstrates neutron radiography as a powerful measurement tool for studying membrane transport and emphasizes the need for direct experimental measurements to refine the forward osmosis transport model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin L. Shaffer
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Jacob M. LaManna
- Radiation Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - David L. Jacobson
- Radiation Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Daniel S. Hussey
- Radiation Physics Division, Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Edwin P. Chan
- Materials Science and Engineering Division, Material Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA
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39
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Xu W, Ge Q. Synthetic polymer materials for forward osmosis (FO) membranes and FO applications: a review. REV CHEM ENG 2018. [DOI: 10.1515/revce-2017-0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Forward osmosis (FO) has played an important role in alleviating the problems caused by freshwater shortage and water contamination in recent years. However, issues of low water permeability, reverse solute diffusion, concentration polarization and membrane fouling are still widely present in FO processes. These challenges are the current research focus in exploring novel FO membranes. Fabricating FO membranes from chemically modified commercial polymers is a relatively novel approach and has proven effective in obtaining appropriate FO membranes. This paper focuses on the progress of FO membranes made specially from chemically modified polymer materials. First of all, a brief overview of commercial polymers commonly used for FO membrane fabrication is provided. Secondly, the chemical modification strategies and synthesis routes of novel polymer materials as well as the resultant FO membrane performance are presented. The strengths and weaknesses of chemical modifications on polymer materials are assessed. Then, typical FO applications facilitated by the FO membranes made from modified polymer materials are exemplified. Finally, challenges and future directions in exploring novel polymers through chemical modifications for FO membrane fabrication are highlighted. This review may provide new insights into the future advancement of both novel membrane materials and FO membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxuan Xu
- College of Environment and Resources , Fuzhou University , Fujian 350116 , China
| | - Qingchun Ge
- College of Environment and Resources , Fuzhou University , Fujian 350116 , China
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40
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McGaughey A, Gustafson R, Childress A. Effect of long-term operation on membrane surface characteristics and performance in membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2017.08.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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41
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Yousefi N, Nabizadeh R, Nasseri S, Khoobi M, Nazmara S, Mahvi AH. Decolorization of Direct Blue 71 solutions using tannic acid/polysulfone thin film nanofiltration composite membrane; preparation, optimization and characterization of anti-fouling. KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-017-0127-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
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