Design and fabrication of hollow fiber membrane modules

Productivity and Thermal Performance Enhancements of Hollow Fiber Water Gap Membrane Distillation Modules Using Helical Fiber Configuration: 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling

Although hollow fiber water gap membrane distillation (HF-WGMD) units offer certain advantages over other MD desalination systems, they still require enhancements in terms of distillate flux and productivity. Therefore, this work proposes a novel configuration by incorporating the helical turns of HF membranes within the water gap channel of the HF-WGMD modules. A fully coupled 3D CFD model is developed and validated to simulate the multifaceted energy conservations and diffusion mechanisms that are inherent to the transport phenomena in the proposed HF-WGMD module. Single and double helical HF membrane designs with different numbers of turns are compared to the reference modules of single and double straight HF membrane designs under various operational conditions. At a feed temperature of 70 °C, a noteworthy 11.4% enhancement in the distillate flux is observed when employing 20 helical turns, compared to the single straight HF membrane module. Furthermore, the specific productivity revealed a maximum enhancement of 46.2% when using 50 helical turns. The thermal performance of the proposed HF-WGMD module shows higher energy savings of up to 35% in specific thermal energy consumption for a one-stage module. Using three stages of single helical modules can increase the gain output ratio from 0.17 for the single stage to 0.37, which represents an increase of 117.6%. These findings indicate the high potential of the proposed approach in advancing the performance of HF-WGMD systems.

Membrane technology for treating decanted oily wastewater from marine oil spill operations: Comparison between membrane filtration and membrane bioreactor

Canadian oil spill response regulations require collection of all liquids from a response operation, this involves many vessels and frequent trips to shore to dispose of collected liquids, which mainly comprise of water. Onsite treatment of decanted oily seawater would benefit operations by addressing vessel storage and trip frequency issues. Membrane technology has proven effective at treating oily wastewater from various industries; therefore, is a good candidate for onsite treatment of wastewater generated from response operations. In this study, oily seawater treatment efficiency of a pilot-scale physical membrane filtration and a bench-scale membrane bioreactor (MBR) were compared. Three main parameters were considered, total petroleum hydrocarbon, petroleum hydrocarbon fractions, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. 99.1 % and 98.2 % TPH removal efficiency were achieved by MBR (93.1 ppm initial oil concentration) and membrane filtration (28.3 ppm initial oil concentration), respectively. The MBR showed more promise than membrane filtration for onsite treatment of decanted wastewater.

Automated Liquid-Liquid Displacement Porometry (LLDP) for the Non-Destructive Characterization of Ultrapure Water Purification Filtration Devices

This scientific publication presents a novel modification of the liquid-liquid displacement porosimetry (LLDP) method, aiming for the non-destructive automated analysis of water purification membrane filtration devices in the microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) range. The technical adaptation of LLDP enables the direct in-line porosimetric analysis of commercial filtration devices, avoiding the filtration devices' destruction. Six commercially available filtration devices with polyethersulfone (PES) and polysulfone (PS) membranes were studied using an improved device developed by the IFTS, which was based on a commercial LLDP instrument. The filtration devices were evaluated in three different configurations: flat disks, hollow fibers, and pleated membranes. The results obtained using the proposed method were compared with other characterization techniques, including submicronic efficiency retention, image analysis of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and gas-liquid displacement porosimetry (GLDP). The comparison of the results demonstrated that the proposed method accurately determined the porosimetric characteristics of the filters. It proved to be a precise technique for the non-destructive in-line evaluation of filter performance, as well as for periodic quality control and the fouling degree assessment of commercial filtration devices. This modified LLDP approach offers significant potential for the advanced characterization and quality assessment of water purification membrane filtration devices, contributing to improved understanding and optimization of their performance.

Treatment of a synthetic decanted oily seawater in a pilot-scale hollow fiber membrane filtration process: Experimental investigation

This study investigates the performance of a pilot-scale submerged hollow fiber (HF) ultrafiltration (UF) polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane filtration system for the treatment of two different types of oily seawater (i.e., seawater contaminated with light and heavy crude oil). The effects of membrane flux and aeration flow rate on membrane performance and the removal efficiency of different fractions of hydrocarbon, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were examined. The results for both heavy and light crude oil contaminated wastewater reveal that total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) removal efficiency of more than 91% was achieved. This research paper determined the optimal operational parameters for an HF membrane filtration system to obtain a good TPH removal efficiency. This system can easily be upscaled and placed on a barge to treat oily wastewater generated from marine oil spills, which can significantly improve the oil spill response capacity.

A Correlation of Overall Mass Transfer Coefficient of Water Transport in a Hollow-Fiber Membrane Module via an Artificial Neural Network Approach

Water transport in a hollow-fiber membrane depends on mass convection around the tube, mass convection inside the tube, and water diffusion through the membrane tube. The performance of water transport is then explained by the overall mass transfer coefficient in hollow-fiber membranes. This study presents the prediction of overall mass transfer coefficients of water transport in a hollow-fiber membrane module by an artificial neural network (ANN) that is used for a humidifier of a vehicular fuel cell system. The input variables of ANN are collected from water transport experiments of the hollow-fiber membrane module that is composed of inlet flow rates, inlet relative humidity, system pressures, and operating temperatures. The experimental mass transfer coefficients are the targets of the training model, which are determined via the effectiveness analysis. When unknown data are applied to the ANN model, the correlation of the overall mass transfer coefficient predicts precise results with R = 0.99 (correlation coefficient). The ANN model shows good prediction capability of water transport in membrane humidifiers.

Decoration of alumina hollow fibers with zinc oxide: improvement of the photocatalytic system for methylene blue degradation

The photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solutions and under visible light was investigated with dispersed and supported zinc oxide (ZnO) as catalysts. The ZnO catalyst was successfully impregnated in asymmetric alumina hollow fibers by the simple vacuum-assisted dip-coating method. According to energy-dispersive analyses, the photocatalyst was homogenously distributed in the substrate. A strong correlation was observed between the initial dye concentration and the efficiency of the supported photocatalyst. For the initial MB concentration of 5 mg L^-1 and catalyst dosage of 1 g L^-1, the photocatalytic system with both dispersed and supported catalysts reached almost 100% of MB degradation. The photocatalytic process followed the pseudo-first-order kinetic model, and, for the initial MB concentration of 5 mg L^-1, the apparent constants were 0.05415 and 0.00642 min^-1 for suspended and supported catalysts, respectively. The treated MB solutions presented low phytotoxicity to the germination Lactuca sativa seeds with germination indexes greater than 80% after irrigation with the treated MB solutions. The produced supported ZnO catalyst showed suitable photocatalytic stability even after several reuse cycles.

pH and pCl Operational Parameters in Some Metallic Ions Separation with Composite Chitosan/Sulfonated Polyether Ether Ketone/Polypropylene Hollow Fibers Membranes

The development of new composite membranes is required to separate chemical species from aggressive environments without using corrective reagents. One such case is represented by the high hydrochloric acid mixture (very low pH and pCl) that contains mixed metal ions, or that of copper, cadmium, zinc and lead ions in a binary mixture (Cu-Zn and Cd-Pb) or quaternary mixture. This paper presents the obtaining of a composite membrane chitosan (Chi)-sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (sPEEK)-polypropylene hollow fiber (Chi/sPEEK/PPHF) and its use in the separation of binary or quaternary mixtures of copper, cadmium, zinc, and lead ions by nanofiltration and pertraction. The obtained membranes were morphologically and structurally characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution SEM (HR-SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis (EDAX), Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry (TGA-DSC), but also used in preliminary separation tests. Using the ion solutions in hydrochloric acid 3 mol/L, the separation of copper and zinc or cadmium and lead ions from binary mixtures was performed. The pertraction results were superior to those obtained by nanofiltration, both in terms of extraction efficiency and because at pertraction, the separate cation was simultaneously concentrated by an order of magnitude. The mixture of the four cations was separated by nanofiltration (at 5 bars, using a membrane of a 1 m² active area) by varying two operational parameters: pH and pCl. Cation retention could reach 95% when adequate values of operational parameters were selected. The paper makes some recommendations for the use of composite membranes, chitosan (Chi)-sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) (sPEEK)-polypropylene hollow fiber (Chi/sPEEK/PPHF), so as to obtain the maximum possible retention of the target cation.

Challenges, Opportunities and Future Directions of Membrane Technology for Natural Gas Purification: A Critical Review

Natural gas is an important and fast-growing energy resource in the world and its purification is important in order to reduce environmental hazards and to meet the required quality standards set down by notable pipeline transmission, as well as distribution companies. Therefore, membrane technology has received great attention as it is considered an attractive option for the purification of natural gas in order to remove impurities such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) to meet the usage and transportation requirements. It is also recognized as an appealing alternative to other natural gas purification technologies such as adsorption and cryogenic processes due to its low cost, low energy requirement, easy membrane fabrication process and less requirement for supervision. During the past few decades, membrane-based gas separation technology employing hollow fibers (HF) has emerged as a leading technology and underwent rapid growth. Moreover, hollow fiber (HF) membranes have many advantages including high specific surface area, fewer requirements for maintenance and pre-treatment. However, applications of hollow fiber membranes are sometimes restricted by problems related to their low tensile strength as they are likely to get damaged in high-pressure applications. In this context, braid reinforced hollow fiber membranes offer a solution to this problem and can enhance the mechanical strength and lifespan of hollow fiber membranes. The present review includes a discussion about different materials used to fabricate gas separation membranes such as inorganic, organic and mixed matrix membranes (MMM). This review also includes a discussion about braid reinforced hollow fiber (BRHF) membranes and their ability to be used in natural gas purification as they can tackle high feed pressure and aggressive feeds without getting damaged or broken. A BRHF membrane possesses high tensile strength as compared to a self-supported membrane and if there is good interfacial bonding between the braid and the separation layer, high tensile strength, i.e., upto 170Mpa can be achieved, and due to these factors, it is expected that BRHF membranes could give promising results when used for the purification of natural gas.

Development of Amine-Functionalized Metal-Organic Frameworks Hollow Fiber Mixed Matrix Membranes for CO2 and CH4 Separation: A Review

CO₂ separation from raw natural gas can be achieved through the use of the promising membrane-based technology. Polymeric membranes are a known method for separating CO₂ but suffer from trade-offs between its permeability and selectivity. Therefore, through the use of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) which utilizes inorganic or hybrid fillers such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in polymeric matrix, the permeability and selectivity trade-off can be overcome and possibly surpass the Robeson Upper Bounds. In this study, various types of MOFs are explored in terms of its structure and properties such as thermal and chemical stability. Next, the use of amine and non-amine functionalized MOFs in MMMs development are compared in order to investigate the effects of amine functionalization on the membrane gas separation performance for flat sheet and hollow fiber configurations as reported in the literature. Moreover, the gas transport properties and various challenges faced by hollow fiber mixed matrix membranes (HFMMMs) are discussed. In addition, the utilization of amine functionalization MOF for mitigating the challenges faced is included. Finally, the future directions of amine-functionalized MOF HFMMMs are discussed for the fields of CO₂ separation.

Photocatalytic membrane reactors for produced water treatment and reuse: Fundamentals, affecting factors, rational design, and evaluation metrics

Treatment and reuse of produced water (PW), the largest wastewater stream generated during oil and gas production, provides a promising option to address the increasing clean water demands. High-performance treatment technologies are needed to efficiently remove the organic and inorganic contaminants in PW for fit-for-purpose applications. Photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR) is an emerging green technology for removal of organic pollutants, photoreduction of heavy metals, photo-inactivation of bacteria, and resource recovery. This study critically reviewed the mechanisms of photocatalysis and membrane processes in PMR, factors affecting PMR performance, rational design, and evaluation metrics for PW treatment. Specifically, PW characteristics, photocatalysts properties, membranes applied, and operating conditions are of utmost importance for rational design and reliable operation of PMR. PW pretreatment to remove oil and grease, colloidal and suspended solids is necessary to reduce membrane fouling and ensure optimal PMR performance. The metrics to evaluate PMR performance were developed including light utilization, exergetic efficiency, water recovery, product water improvement, lifetime of the photocatalyst, and costs. This review also presented the research gaps and outlook for future research.

Membrane bioreactors for syngas permeation and fermentation

Syngas fermentation to biofuels and chemicals is an emerging technology in the biobased economy. Mass transfer is usually limiting the syngas fermentation rate, due to the low aqueous solubilities of the gaseous substrates. Membrane bioreactors, as efficient gas-liquid contactors, are a promising configuration for overcoming this gas-to-liquid mass transfer limitation, so that sufficient productivity can be achieved. We summarize the published performances of these reactors. Moreover, we highlight numerous parameters settings that need to be used for the enhancement of membrane bioreactor performance. To facilitate this enhancement, we relate mass transfer and other performance indicators to the type of membrane material, module, and flow configuration. Hollow fiber modules with dense or asymmetric membranes on which biofilm might form seem suitable. A model-based approach is advocated to optimize their performance.

Hollow fibers: from fabrication to applications

Hollow fibers have attracted more and more attention due to their broad range of applications in numerous fields. We review the latest advance and summarize the fabrication methods, types and applications of hollow fibers. We mainly introduce the fabrication methods of hollow fibers, including co-extrusion/co-axial spinning methods, template methods, 3D printing methods, electrospinning methods, self-crimping methods and gas foaming process. Meanwhile, we summarize four types of hollow fibers: one-layered hollow fibers, multi-layered hollow fibers, multi-hollow fibers and branched hollow fibers. Next, we focus on the main applications of hollow fibers, such as gas separation, cell culture, microfluidic channels, artificial tubular tissues, etc. Finally, we present the prospects of the future trend of development. The review would promote the further development of hollow fibers and benefit their advance in sensing, bioreactors, electrochemical catalysis, energy conversion, microfluidics, gas separation, air purification, drug delivery, functional materials, cell culture and tissue engineering. This review has great significance for the design of new functional materials and development of devices and systems in the related fields.

Numerical Modelling Assisted Design of a Compact Ultrafiltration (UF) Flat Sheet Membrane Module

The increasing adoption of ultra-low pressure (ULP) membrane systems for drinking water treatment in small rural communities is currently hindered by a limited number of studies on module design. Detailed knowledge on both intrinsic membrane transport properties and fluid hydrodynamics within the module is essential in understanding ULP performance prediction, mass transfer analysis for scaling-up between lab-scale and industrial scale research. In comparison to hollow fiber membranes, flat sheet membranes present certain advantages such as simple manufacture, sheet replacement for cleaning, moderate packing density and low to moderate energy usage. In the present case study, a numerical model using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of a novel custom flat sheet membrane module has been designed in 3D to predict fluid flow conditions. The permeate flux through the membrane decreased with an increase in spacer curviness from 2.81 L/m²h for no (0%) curviness to 2.73 L/m²h for full (100%) curviness. A parametric analysis on configuration variables was carried out to determine the optimum design variables and no significant influence of spacer inflow or outflow thickness on the fluid flow were observed. The numerical model provides the necessary information on the role of geometrical and operating parameters for fabricating a module prototype where access to technical expertise is limited.

Hollow Fiber Membrane Contactors for Post-Combustion Carbon Capture: A Review of Modeling Approaches

Hollow fiber membrane contactors (HFMCs) can effectively separate CO2 from post-combustion flue gas by providing a high contact surface area between the flue gas and a liquid solvent. Accurate models of carbon capture HFMCs are necessary to understand the underlying transport processes and optimize HFMC designs. There are various methods for modeling HFMCs in 1D, 2D, or 3D. These methods include (but are not limited to): resistance-in-series, solution-diffusion, pore flow, Happel’s free surface model, and porous media modeling. This review paper discusses the state-of-the-art methods for modeling carbon capture HFMCs in 1D, 2D, and 3D. State-of-the-art 1D, 2D, and 3D carbon capture HFMC models are then compared in depth, based on their underlying assumptions. Numerical methods are also discussed, along with modeling to scale up HFMCs from the lab scale to the commercial scale.

Micro-aeration with hollow fiber membrane enhanced the nitrogen removal in constructed wetlands

The nitrogen removal efficiency in constructed wetlands (CWs) was largely affected by the dissolved oxygen (DO). In this study, micro-aeration with different numbers of hollow fiber membrane modules (HFMEs) was adopted to increase the oxygen availability and improve the nitrogen removal efficiency in CWs under different air temperatures and different hydraulic retention time (HRT). Compared to the plant oxygen release (ROL) of wetland plants and traditional mechanical aeration, HFME increased the oxygen availability and enhanced the nitrogen removal efficiency in CWs. The COD and NH₄⁺-N removal efficiencies increased with the increase of the HMFE. TN removal efficiency was increased by 8~16% after the application of HFME in CWs in the high-temperature stage. However, less HFME in CW-M1 realized the highest TN removal efficiency in low- and medium-temperature stages. At low temperature after 4-day HRT, the DO concentration respectively reached 6.25 mg L^-1 and 3.25 mg L^-1 in the upper zone and the bottom of CW-M1. The TN removal efficiencies in the upper zone of CW-M1 (60.69%) and the bottom of CW-M1 (64.98%) were all significantly higher than those in the upper zone of CK (35.98%) and the bottom of CK (39.9%). In addition, the microbial biomass and community analyses revealed that CW-M1 showed the most nitrifying bacteria and the best metabolic activity of bacteria. HEMF in CW-M1 also increased the nitrifying capacity from 0.12 to 0.46 mg kg^-1 h^-1. The application of HFME in CWs accelerated the nitrification process by enhancing nitrifying bacteria and less HFME realized the highest TN removal efficiency through nitrification-denitrification processes. Graphical abstract The application of hollow fiber membrane modules in CWs enhanced the pollutants (TN and COD) removal efficiency in the process of biological nitrification-denitrification and increased the number of nitrifying bacteria.

Permeate Flux and Rejection Behavior in Submerged Direct Contact Membrane Distillation Process Treating a Low-Strength Synthetic Wastewater

The effects of operational conditions such as permeate recirculation velocity, mixing intensity, and trans-membrane temperature on the performances of hydrophobic polyethylene (PE) hollow-fiber membrane were investigated by operating the submerged direct contact membrane distillation (SDCMD) process treating a synthetic low-strength wastewater. Permeate flux of the membrane increased with increasing a permeate recirculation velocity through the fiber lumen. However, the effectiveness was less pronounced as the velocity was higher than 0.5 m/s. Increasing rotational speed to 600 rpm, which can lead to mixing intensity from a bulk wastewater toward hollow-fiber membrane, enhanced permeate flux. Feed temperature played a more significant role in enhancing permeate flux rather than a permeate temperature under constant trans-membrane temperature. The SDCMD process treating a synthetic low-strength wastewater achieved an excellent rejection efficiency which is higher than 97.8% for both chemical oxygen demand (CODCr) and total phosphorus (T-P) due to the hydrophobic property of membrane material which can allow water vapor through membrane. However, the rejection efficiency of the ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) was relatively low at about 87.5% because ammonia gas could be volatized easily through membrane pores in SDCMD operation. In a long-term operation of the SDCMD process, the permeate flux decreased significantly due to progressive formation of inorganic scaling on membrane.

Adsorptive nanocomposite membranes for heavy metal remediation: Recent progresses and challenges

Heavy metal contamination in aqueous system has attracted global attention due to the toxicity and carcinogenicity effects towards living bodies. Among available removal techniques, adsorptive removal by nanosized materials such as metal oxide, metal organic frameworks, zeolite and carbon-based materials has attracted much attention due to the large active surface area, large number of functional groups, high chemical and thermal stability which led to outstanding adsorption performance. However, the usage of nanosized materials is restricted by the difficulty in separating the spent adsorbent from aqueous solution. The shift towards the use of adsorptive composite membrane for heavy metal ions removal has attracted much attention due to the synergistic properties of adsorption and filtration approaches in a same chamber. Thus, this review critically discusses the development of nanoadsorbents and adsorptive nanocomposite membranes for heavy metal removal over the last decade. The adsorption mechanism of heavy metal ions by the advanced nanoadsorbents is also discussed using kinetic and isotherm models. The challenges and future prospect of adsorptive membrane technology for heavy metal removal is presented at the end of this review.

A review of membrane development in membrane distillation for emulsified industrial or shale gas wastewater treatments with feed containing hybrid impurities

Investigations on membrane materials for membrane distillation (MD) and its applications have been ongoing since the 1990s. However, a lack of materials that produce robustly stable and up-to-the-mark membranes for MD for different industrial applications remains an ongoing problem. This paper provides an overview of materials developed for MD applications. Although key aspects of published articles reviewed in this paper pertain to MD membranes synthesized for desalination, future MD can also be applied to organic wastewater containing surfactants with inorganic compounds, either with the help of hybrid treatment processes or with customized membrane materials. Many industrial discharges produce effluents at a very high temperature, which is an available driving force for MD. However, there remains a lack of cost-effective membrane materials. Amphiphobic and omniphobic membranes have recently been developed for treating emulsified and shale gas produced water, but the problem of organic fouling and pore wetting remains a major challenge, especially when NaCl and other inorganic impurities are present, which further deteriorate separation performance. Therefore, further advancements in materials are required for the treatment of emulsified industrial wastewater containing surfactants, salts, and for oil or shale gas wastewater for its commercialized reuse. Integrated MD systems, however, may represent a major change in shale gas wastewater and emulsified wastewater that are difficult to treat.

A Pd-TSH composite membrane reactor for one-step oxidation of benzene to phenol

Pd membranes with excellent stability and flux were prepared by modified electroless plating, and a loose TSH zeolite with intraparticle hollows was joined on the Pd membrane by a covalent bonding method. The prepared Pd-TSH composite membrane shows outstanding performance for phenol production in the one-step oxidation of benzene to phenol.

Structures, Properties, and Performances-Relationships of Polymeric Membranes for Pervaporative Desalination

For the fulfilment of increasing global demand and associated challenges related to the supply of clean-and-safe water, PV has been considered as one of the most attractive and promising areas in desalinating salty-water of varied salinities. In pervaporative desalination, the sustainability, endurance, and structural features of membrane, along with operating parameters, play the dominant roles and impart paramount impact in governing the overall PV efficiency. Indeed, polymeric- and organic-membranes suffer from several drawbacks, including inferior structural stability and durability, whereas the fabrication of purely inorganic membranes is complicated and costly. Therefore, recent development on the high-performance and cost-friendly PV membrane is mostly concentrated on synthesizing composite- and NCP-membranes possessing the advantages of both organic- and inorganic-membranes. This review reflects the insights into the physicochemical properties and fabrication approaches of different classes of PV membranes, especially composite- and NCP-membranes. The mass transport mechanisms interrelated to the specialized structural features have been discussed. Additionally, the performance potential and application prospects of these membranes in a wide spectrum of desalination and wastewater treatment have been elaborated. Finally, the challenges and future perspectives have been identified in developing and scaling up different high-performance membranes suitable for broader commercial applications.

The controlled synthesis of complex hollow nanostructures and prospective applications†

Functionality in nanoengineered materials has been usually explored on structural and chemical compositional aspects of matter that exist in such solid materials. It is well known that the absence of solid matter is also relevant and the existence of voids confined in the nanostructure of certain particles is no exception. Indeed, over the past decades, there has been great interest in exploring hollow nanostructured materials that besides the properties recognized in the dense particles also provide empty spaces, in the sense of condensed matter absence, as an additional functionality to be explored. As such, the chemical synthesis of hollow nanostructures has been driven not only for tailoring the size and shape of particles with well-defined chemical composition, but also to achieve control on the type of hollowness that characterize such materials. This review describes the state of the art on late developments concerning the chemical synthesis of hollow nanostructures, providing a number of examples of materials obtained by distinct strategies. It will be apparent by reading this progress report that the absence of solid matter determines the functionality of hollow nanomaterials for several technological applications.