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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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Sarabian E, Birkett G, Pratt S. Occurrence and behaviour of colloidal silica and silica-rich nanoparticles through stages of reverse osmosis treating coal seam gas associated water. WATER RESEARCH 2024; 249:120866. [PMID: 38101050 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120866] [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: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane filtration is a very common process for treating a wide range of groundwater types including produced water from coal seam gas (coalbed methane) wells. Mineral scaling limits water recovery for RO membranes and costs money in terms of treatment and downtime. Silica scaling can be particularly troublesome as it is often irreversible. Mitigating silica scaling requires an understanding of its occurrence, speciation mechanism and its interdependency with other operation factors. This study uses a range of techniques to show that silica colloids form during later stages of an RO process with very high recovery. This happens at silica concentrations above the solubility that would normally indicate high risk of silica scale. However, instead of scale, colloids preferentially formed which means the process can operate at high recoveries with RO performance maintained by regular cleaning cycles. The concentration of the colloidal silica through the RO stages was measured through the difference in total and dissolved silica. Once the existence was established with this technique, the particles were trapped and their size, morphology and composition were investigated with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS). This revealed the particles to be predominantly silica with limited other elements involved.
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3
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Zhu X, Tian T, Li D, Hei S, Chen L, Song G, Lin W, Huang X. Interface interaction between silica and organic macromolecule conditioned forward osmosis membranes: Insights into quantitative thermodynamics and dynamics. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 232:119721. [PMID: 36780747 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.119721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Silica scaling is a rising concern in forward osmosis membrane-based water treatment process. The coexistence of ubiquitous organic macromolecules causes complex silica scaling. The silica scaling mechanism on the surface of the organic conditioned membrane remains unclear. An integrated multi scale thermodynamic and dynamic approach was used in this study to provide in-depth insights into the binding effect at the interface between the silica and the organic conditioned membrane at the molecular level. Sodium alginate (SA) was used as the model polysaccharide, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYZ) were chosen as two oppositely charged proteins. The results show that the silica scaling degree of different organic conditioned membranes follows the order LYZ > BSA > SA. The binding strength between silica and organic macromolecules and the membrane surface charge are the major factors governing the degree of silica scaling. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D), isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) model analyses were conducted to quantify the binding capacity of silica to the organic conditioned membrane. The LYZ conditioned membrane exhibits the highest affinity for silica adsorption, and electrostatic interaction was the main molecular interaction force. This study provides fresh insights into how silica and an organic conditioned membrane interact and induce silica scaling, providing new information on potential mechanisms and control strategies to prevent membrane scaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianzheng Zhu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Tuo Tian
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Danyang Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shengqiang Hei
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lu Chen
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guangqing Song
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Weichen Lin
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
| | - Xia Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Research and Application Center for Membrane Technology, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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4
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Sun J, Chen S, Wang J, Nie Y. Simultaneous Fe(OH)3 formation and silicon adsorption removal from reverse osmosis brine wastewater. Chem Eng Res Des 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2022.10.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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5
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Direct recycling of discarded reverse osmosis membranes for domestic wastewater treatment with a focus on water reuse. Chem Eng Res Des 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cherd.2022.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
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6
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Abada B, Safarik J, Ishida KP, Chellam S. Surface characterization of end-of-life reverse osmosis membranes from a full-scale advanced water reuse facility: Combined role of bioorganic materials and silicon on chemically irreversible fouling. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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7
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Classical and Recent Developments of Membrane Processes for Desalination and Natural Water Treatment. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12030267. [PMID: 35323741 PMCID: PMC8948695 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12030267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Water supply and water treatment are of major concern all around the world. In this respect, membrane processes are increasingly used and reported for a large range of applications. Desalination processes by membranes are well-established technologies with many desalination plants implemented in coastal areas. Natural water treatment is also well implemented to provide purified water for growing population. This review covers various aspects of desalination: membranes and modules, plants, fouling (scaling, biofouling, algal blooms), cleaning, pretreatment (conventional and membrane treatments), energy and environmental issues, renewable energies, boron removal and brine disposal. Treatment of natural water focuses on removal of natural organic matter, arsenic, iron, nitrate, fluoride, pesticides and herbicides, pharmaceutical and personal care products. This review underlines that desalination and natural water treatment require identical knowledge of membrane fouling, construction of large plants, cleaning procedures, energy and environmental issues, and that these two different fields can learn from each other.
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8
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Sarker NR, Bilton AM. Real-time computational imaging of reverse osmosis membrane scaling under intermittent operation. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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9
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Sun Y, Yin X, Chen Z, Yang W, Chen Y, Liu Y, Zuo Y, Li L. Use of polyaminoamide dendrimers starting from different core-initial molecules for inhibition of silica scale: Experiment and theory. Colloids Surf A Physicochem Eng Asp 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2020.126095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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10
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Lu KG, Li M, Huang H. Silica scaling of reverse osmosis membranes preconditioned by natural organic matter. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 746:141178. [PMID: 32738720 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were preconditioned in this study with humic acid, sodium alginate, or bovine serum albumin, and subsequently examined for silica scaling using the water matrix representative of concentrated brackish groundwater. The results suggested that water matrix combined with organic foulants affected silica scaling. High ambient pH favored the moderate silica ionization and thus the silica homogeneous polymerization to potentially form low molecular weight silica oligomers. The resulting scaling layer was dense and highly impermeable. Under the high Ca proportion at a given hardness, membrane scaling was enhanced through the Ca-induced silica scaling and the formation of intermolecular bridges between adjacent silica species. In contrast, high Mg hardness may facilitate the sustainable growth of silica oligomers to form the ringed high molecular weight oligomers by reducing the required energy for chain deformation. The deposition of these oligomers caused a loose scaling layer with reduced hydraulic resistance to water permeation. During the scaling tests under similar water matrix, the membranes slightly fouled by organics suffered severe flux decline due to an available space provided by the pre-existing organic fouling layer for subsequent silica scaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Ge Lu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China; College of Resources and Environment, Henan Agricultural University, No. 63, Nongye Street, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Mengya Li
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Haiou Huang
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing 100875, China; Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, MD 21205, USA.
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11
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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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12
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Yu W, Song D, Chen W, Yang H. Antiscalants in RO membrane scaling control. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 183:115985. [PMID: 32619802 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2020.115985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Reverse osmosis (RO) plays an important role in freshwater production. Mineral scaling is an inevitable problem in the RO desalination process. Various methods, including the pretreatment of feed water, the optimization of operational processes, the development of novel membrane materials, and the addition of antiscalants, have been developed to mitigate scale formation in RO systems. Among these methods, the addition of antiscalants is a relatively cost-effective and convenient technique for membrane scaling control. In the current work, various kinds of antiscalants, scale inhibition mechanisms, and their applications to RO membrane scaling control are reviewed. Weakness of existing antiscalants and challenge arising from their practical applications, such as membrane fouling caused by antiscalants, increased bacterial growth, dosing control, and the disposal of resultant concentrates, are also presented. To effectively alleviate scaling on RO membrane by using antiscalants, the development of novel, high-performance, and environment-friendly antiscalants on the basis of an in-depth study of the inhibition mechanisms and well-established structure-activity relationships is urgently necessary. The optimization of antiscalants and their combinations with other pretreatments in practical RO operations are essential in efficient scaling control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Di Song
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Wei Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China
| | - Hu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China.
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13
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Peng H, Mao L, Qian X, Lu X, Jiang L, Sun Y, Zhou Q. Acoustic Energy Controlled Nanoparticle Aggregation for Nanotherapy. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON ULTRASONICS, FERROELECTRICS, AND FREQUENCY CONTROL 2020; 67:735-744. [PMID: 31794392 DOI: 10.1109/tuffc.2019.2956043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Patients with unresectable or nonablatable tumors are difficult to cure, but nanotherapy combining targeted nanoparticles has many severe side effects due to the toxicities of anticancer drugs. We found that acoustic energy can produce a local region with high concentration from a low concentration suspended liquid of nano-SiO2 particles at 2.5 MHz. Our calculated results show that the main reason for aggregation is the synthesized effect of the potential well of acoustic energy and streaming to trap them. In addition, the aggregated region can be manipulated to a targeted position in the vessel phantom by moving the ultrasound transducer external to the body. This noninvasive manipulation of suspended nanoparticles can rapidly increase the local drug concentration, but reduce the total dosage of anticancer drugs, which has the potential to be used for patients with advanced tumors by improving the physiological effects and reducing the side effects.
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14
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Qi Y, Tong T, Zhao S, Zhang W, Wang Z, Wang J. Reverse osmosis membrane with simultaneous fouling- and scaling-resistance based on multilayered metal-phytic acid assembly. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.117888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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15
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Christie KSS, Yin Y, Lin S, Tong T. Distinct Behaviors between Gypsum and Silica Scaling in Membrane Distillation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:568-576. [PMID: 31830785 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b06023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Mineral scaling constrains membrane distillation (MD) and limits its application in treating hypersaline wastewater. Addressing this challenge requires enhanced fundamental understanding of the scaling phenomenon. However, MD scaling with different types of scalants may have distinctive mechanisms and consequences which have not been systematically investigated in the literature. In this work, we compared gypsum and silica scaling in MD and demonstrated that gypsum scaling caused earlier water flux decline and induced membrane wetting that was not observed in silica scaling. Microscopic imaging and elemental mapping revealed contrasting scale morphology and distribution for gypsum and silica, respectively. Notably, while gypsum crystals grew both on the membrane surface and deep in the membrane matrix, silica only formed on the membrane surface in the form of a relatively thin film composed of connected submicrometer silica particles. We attribute the intrusion of gypsum into membrane pores to the crystallization pressure as a result of rapid, oriented crystal growth, which leads to pore deformation and the subsequent membrane wetting. In contrast, the silica scale layer was formed via polymerization of silicic acid and gelation of silica particles, which were less intrusive and had a milder effect on membrane pore structure. This hypothesis was supported by the result of tensile testing, which showed that the MD membrane was significantly weakened by gypsum scaling. The fact that different scaling mechanisms could yield different consequences on membrane performance provides valuable insights for the future development of cost-effective strategies for scaling control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kofi S S Christie
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Yiming Yin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Shihong Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37212, United States
| | - Tiezheng Tong
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
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16
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Turner C, Donose BC, Birkett G, Pratt S. Silica fouling during groundwater RO treatment: The effect of colloids' radius of curvature on dissolution and polymerisation. WATER RESEARCH 2020; 168:115135. [PMID: 31622911 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.115135] [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] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Revised: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/26/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Silica fouling during groundwater reverse osmosis (RO) treatment can have a significant impact on filtration performance. To better understand this phenomenon, the equilibrium kinetics of amorphous colloidal silica were studied at conditions relevant to RO of silica-rich alkaline groundwater. The impact of particle size was investigated using synthetic monodisperse silica nanoparticles. Bench scale experiments were conducted by monitoring dissolved silica concentration of aqueous suspensions of colloids of 100 and 300 nm diameter and pH 8.5 to 9.5. The equilibrium data was determined from existing established rate law equations. This study concluded that surface energy has a major impact on silica dissolution rate constant, particularly for colloidal silica. Observations of Ostwald ripening in bidisperse silica dispersions further confirmed these results, which indicate that dissolution and redeposition is responsible for the problematic silica fouling behaviour during RO treatment. 2D modelling based on inferred equilibrium data allows visualization of scale layer growth in agreement with cross-sectional scanning electron micrographs of autopsied membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Turner
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Bogdan C Donose
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Greg Birkett
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
| | - Steven Pratt
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4072, Queensland, Australia
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17
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Shemer H, Melki-Dabush N, Semiat R. Removal of silica from brackish water by integrated adsorption/ultrafiltration process. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2019; 26:31623-31631. [PMID: 31482524 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06363-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
A lab-scale unit of the hybrid continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) adsorption/ultrafiltration (UF) system was used to evaluate the removal efficiency of silica from brackish water. The semi-batch adsorption process was carried out using iron oxy/hydroxide agglomerates (IOAs) as adsorbent and hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane as a barrier to the adsorbent passage to the product water. The effect of residence time, concentration of silica, and adsorbent dosage on the silica removal and UF membrane blockage was examined. It was found that a short residence time of 15 min was sufficient to achieve the maximum adsorption capacity similar to that obtained in batch isotherm experiments. The adsorption capacity increased with the augmentation of the silica concentration and decreased with the increase in the adsorbent dosage. The UF was effectively employed to separate the loaded adsorbent without fouling the membrane until breakthrough. A simple model was applied to accurately predict the adsorption breakthrough curves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilla Shemer
- GWRI Rabin Desalination Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Nitzan Melki-Dabush
- GWRI Rabin Desalination Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003, Haifa, Israel
| | - Raphael Semiat
- GWRI Rabin Desalination Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 3200003, Haifa, Israel
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18
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Lee T, Choi JY, Cohen Y. Gypsum scaling propensity in semi-batch RO (SBRO) and steady-state RO with partial recycle (SSRO-PR). J Memb Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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19
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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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20
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Kim S, Moses KJ, Sharma S, Bilal M, Cohen Y. Surface characterization data for tethered polyacrylic acid layers synthesized on polysulfone surfaces. Data Brief 2019; 23:103747. [PMID: 31372412 PMCID: PMC6660637 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.103747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The data presented are supplementary to an article [Kim et al., 2019] on synthesis and surface characterization of tethered polyacrylic acid (PAA) layers on polysulfone (PSf) film/membrane surfaces via atmospheric pressure plasma-induced graft polymerization (APPIGP). Data on surface characterization of the synthesized tethered PAA layers includes: AFM topographic surface images and height distributions of surface features, dry layer thickness, chain rupture length distributions determined via AFM based force spectroscopy (AFM-FS), in addition to measurements of water contact angles. Fouling propensity data for ultrafiltration of alginic acid as a model foulant are also provided for native and PAA grafted PSf ultrafiltration (UF) membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soomin Kim
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kari J. Moses
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Shivani Sharma
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Muhammad Bilal
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Yoram Cohen
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- California NanoSystems Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
- Corresponding author.
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21
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Lu KG, Huang H. Dependence of initial silica scaling on the surface physicochemical properties of reverse osmosis membranes during bench-scale brackish water desalination. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 150:358-367. [PMID: 30550866 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.11.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Revised: 11/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Silica scaling of reverse osmosis membranes in brackish water desalination is less understood than hardness scaling due to the complex silica behaviors at the membrane/water interface. In this study, -COOH, -SO3H, -NH2 and -OH functional groups were introduced onto polyamide membranes to create distinct surface physicochemical properties. The resulting membranes were further studied under similar scaling conditions to yield temporal flux loss data that were empirically interpreted by a logistic growth model. The scaled membranes were also characterized by complementary analytical techniques. It was found that permeate flux loss was strongly correlated to the initial silica layer formed by direct interaction between reactive silanol (Si-OH) and reciprocal groups on the membrane surface, rather than the entire scaling layer. Importantly, membrane surface properties dictated the initial silica layer formation through three possible mechanisms, i.e., electrostatic repulsion, competitive adsorption, and interfacial energy change. Of these, electrostatic repulsion was identified as the primary one. Therefore, by modifying the membrane surface properties, the three aforementioned mechanisms may be enhanced to favor the formation of a loose, disordered initial silica scaling layer. Accordingly, membrane flux loss may be mitigated. This finding provided important insights into the design heuristics of scaling-resistant reverse osmosis membrane for brackish water desalination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai-Ge Lu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Haiou Huang
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Beijing, 100875, China; Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Bloomberg School of Public Health, The John Hopkins University, 615 North Wolfe Street, MD, 21205, USA.
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22
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Olufade AO, Simonson CJ. Characterization of the Evolution of Crystallization Fouling in Membranes. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:17188-17198. [PMID: 31458338 PMCID: PMC6643970 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b01058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Liquid-to-air membrane energy exchangers (LAMEEs) are promising in heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning applications because they are able to use semipermeable membranes to transfer heat and moisture between air and liquid desiccant streams. However, the development of crystallization fouling in membranes may pose a great risk to the long-term performance of LAMEEs. The main aim of this paper is to characterize the evolution of crystallization fouling in membranes through the use of both noninvasive and invasive methods. Noninvasive methods are used to study the development of fouling in the LAMEE by monitoring the changes in moisture flux through the membrane and overall moisture-transfer resistance of the LAMEE. On the other hand, invasive methods are implemented to characterize fouled membranes by using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to depict the morphology of crystal deposits and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to identify the composition of the deposits. Experiments are performed by using air to dehydrate MgCl2(aq) at two operating conditions of low and high fouling rates. The results show that the moisture flux decreases and the moisture-transfer resistance increases more considerably during the test at the high fouling rate than in the test at the low fouling rate. SEM micrographs show that cake crystal deposits cover the membrane surface in the test at the high fouling rate, whereas only few crystal particles are observed on the membrane in the test at the low fouling rate. Furthermore, the crystal deposits undergo more structural changes in the tests at the high fouling rate than in the tests at the low fouling rate, possibly because of the higher moisture transfer rate through the membrane in the tests at the high fouling rate. Finally, the SEM-EDX analysis confirms that the crystal deposits primarily consist of Mg, Cl, and O elements.
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23
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Cohen Y, Semiat R, Rahardianto A. A perspective on reverse osmosis water desalination: Quest for sustainability. AIChE J 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/aic.15726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yoram Cohen
- Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringInstitute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of CaliforniaLos Angeles CA
| | - Raphael Semiat
- Wolfson Faculty of Chemical EngineeringTechnion – Israel Institute of Technology, Technion CityHaifa32000 Israel
| | - Anditya Rahardianto
- Dept. of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringInstitute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of CaliforniaLos Angeles CA
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