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Ma Y, Yu Z, Fu X, Qiu T, Zhao N, Liu H, Huang Z, Liu K. High Breakthrough Pressure in Hydrogels Enabled Ultrastable Treatment of Hypersaline Wastewaters. NANO LETTERS 2024; 24:4202-4208. [PMID: 38547140 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Surface effects of low-surface-tension contaminants accumulating at the evaporation surface easily induce wetting in membrane distillation, especially in hypersaline scenarios. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to eliminate the surface effect and redistribute contaminants at the evaporation interface simply by incorporating a layer of hydrogel. The as-fabricated composite membrane exhibits remarkable stability, even when exposed to solution with salt concentration of 5 M and surfactant concentration of 8 mM. Breakthrough pressure of the membrane reaches 20 bar in the presence of surfactants, surpassing commercial hydrophobic membranes by one to two magnitudes. Density functional theory and molecular dynamics simulations reveal the important role of the hydrogel-surfactant interaction in suppressing the surface effect. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate the membrane in stably processing synthetic wastewater containing 144 mg L-1 surfactants, 1 g L-1 mineral oils, and 192 g L-1 NaCl, showing its potential in addressing challenges of hypersaline water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanni Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Zehua Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Xifan Fu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Tenghui Qiu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Na Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Huidong Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Zhi Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
| | - Kang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydraulic Machinery Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430072, China
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2
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Wang C, Ma Z, Qiu Y, Wang C, Ren LF, Shen J, Shao J. Patterned dense Janus membranes with simultaneously robust fouling, wetting and scaling resistance for membrane distillation. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120308. [PMID: 37451192 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Membrane fouling, wetting and scaling are three prominent challenges that severely hinder the practical applications of membrane distillation (MD). Herein, polyamide/polyvinylidene fluoride (PA/PVDF) Janus membrane comprising a hydrophobic PVDF substrate and a patterned dense PA layer by reverse interfacial polymerization (R-IP) was developed. Direct contact MD experiments demonstrated that PA/PVDF Janus membrane could exhibit simultaneously superior resistance towards surfactant-induced wetting, oil-induced fouling and gypsum-induced scaling without compromising flux. Importantly, the size-sieving effect, rather than the breakthrough pressure of the membrane, was revealed as the critical factor that probably endowed its resistance to wetting. Furthermore, a unique possible anti-scaling mechanism was unveiled. The superhydrophilic patterned dense PA layer with strong salt rejection capability not only prevented scale-precursor ions from intruding the substrate but also resulted in the high surface interfacial energy that inhibited the adhesion and growth of gypsum on the membrane surface, while its relatively low surface -COOH density benefited from R-IP process further ensured the membrane with a low scaling propensity. This study shall provide new insights and novel strategies in designing high-performance MD membranes and enable robust applications of MD facing the challenges of membrane fouling, wetting and scaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zhongbao Ma
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yangbo Qiu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Chengyi Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Long-Fei Ren
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Jiangnan Shen
- College of Chemical Engineering, Zhejiang University of Technology, 18 Chaowang Road, Hangzhou 310014, China
| | - Jiahui Shao
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
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3
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Zhang N, Zhang J, Yang X, Zhou C, Zhu X, Liu B, Chen Y, Lin S, Wang Z. Janus Membrane with Hydrogel-like Coating for Robust Fouling and Wetting Resistance in Membrane Distillation. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:19504-19513. [PMID: 37022125 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c02781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising technique for water reclamation from hypersaline wastewater. However, fouling and wetting of the hydrophobic membranes are two prominent challenges for the widespread application of MD. Herein, we developed an antiwetting and antifouling Janus membrane comprising a hydrogel-like polyvinyl alcohol/tannic acid (PVA/TA) top layer and a hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane substrate via a facile and benign strategy combining mussel-amine co-deposition with the shrinkage-rehydration process. Interestingly, the vapor flux of the Janus membrane was not compromised, though a microscale PVA/TA layer was introduced, possibly due to the high water uptake and reduced water evaporation enthalpy of the hydrogel-like structure. Moreover, the PVA/TA-PTFE Janus membrane sustained stable MD performance while treating a challenging saline feed containing surfactants and mineral oils. The robust wetting resistance arises from the synergistic effects of the elevated liquid entry pressure (1.01 ± 0.02 MPa) of the membrane and the retardation of surfactant transport to the substrate PTFE layer. Meanwhile, the hydrogel-like PVA/TA layer hinders oil fouling due to its strongly hydrated state. Furthermore, the PVA/TA-PTFE membrane exhibited improved performance in purifying shale gas wastewater and landfill leachate. This study provides new insights into the facile design and fabrication of promising MD membranes for hypersaline wastewater treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Jiaojiao Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Xin Yang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Changxu Zhou
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Xiaohui Zhu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
| | - Baicang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Hydraulics and Mountain River Engineering, College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610207, P. R. China
| | - Yue Chen
- State Key Lab of Fluorinated Functional Membrane Materials, Shandong Dongyue Polymer Material Co., Ltd., Zibo 256401, P. R. China
| | - Shihong Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1831, United States
| | - Zhining Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, P. R. China
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4
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Gryta M. The effects of fibers layer assembled on the capillary membranes applied for separation of brines by membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.121289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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5
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Luo Y, Shao S, Mo J, Yang Y, Wang Z, Li X. Spatio-temporal progression and influencing mechanism of local wetting in membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2023.121374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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6
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Chang J, Chang H, Meng Y, Zhao H, Lu M, Liang Y, Yan Z, Liang H. Effects of surfactant types on membrane wetting and membrane hydrophobicity recovery in direct contact membrane distillation. Sep Purif Technol 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.seppur.2022.122029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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7
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Feng D, Li X, Wang Z. Comparison of omniphobic membranes and Janus membranes with a dense hydrophilic surface layer for robust membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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8
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Liu J, Wang Y, Li S, Li Z, Liu X, Li W. Insights into the wetting phenomenon induced by scaling of calcium sulfate in membrane distillation. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 216:118282. [PMID: 35320768 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118282] [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: 12/05/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Development of water/wastewater treatment based on membrane distillation (MD) suffers from the drawback that the hydrophobic membrane could be wetted for various reasons. Despite significant efforts, there is uncertainty in addressing the wetting induced by scaling of calcium sulfate, which is ubiquitous and recalcitrant in MD processes. This study made the first attempt to analyze the interplay between the growing crystals and the porous structures in the framework of Stoney's equation. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) was exploited to measure the membrane shift, whereby the scaling-induced deformation was correlated with the variation in stress created in the crystal-containing layer. Along with the stress analysis, the OCT-based characterization was combined with conventional approaches to ascertain the dependence of the scaling-induced wetting on the rate of concentrating the crystallizing species when arriving at a high degree of supersaturation in the feed. This study would refine the physical picture for better understanding crystal-membrane interactions that result in not only the wetting phenomenon but also the irreversible damage of membrane structures, thereby lending itself to the development of strategies for MD-based applications with improved efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, P. R. China; School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, P. R. China
| | - Yewei Wang
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, P. R. China
| | - Shengzhe Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, P. R. China
| | - Zhuo Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, P. R. China
| | - Xin Liu
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, P. R. China
| | - Weiyi Li
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, P. R. China.
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9
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Jiao L, Meng L, Yan K, Wang J, Li G, Yao Z, Sun Z, Zhang L. Micromechanism Underlying Wetting Behavior of the Vacuum Membrane Distillation during Desalination. Ind Eng Chem Res 2022. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c05035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lei Jiao
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, PR China
| | - Lida Meng
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, PR China
| | - Kangkang Yan
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, PR China
| | - Jing Wang
- Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment of MOE, College of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, PR China
- Research Institute of Ningbo, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Ge Li
- Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment of MOE, College of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, PR China
- Research Institute of Ningbo, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Zhikan Yao
- Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment of MOE, College of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, PR China
- Research Institute of Ningbo, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
| | - Zhilin Sun
- Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan 316021, PR China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Engineering Research Center of Membrane and Water Treatment of MOE, College of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, PR China
- Research Institute of Ningbo, Zhejiang University, Ningbo 315100, PR China
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11
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Han M, Zhao R, Shi J, Li X, He D, Liu L, Han L. Membrane Distillation Hybrid Peroxydisulfate Activation toward Mitigating the Membrane Wetting by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:membranes12020164. [PMID: 35207085 PMCID: PMC8875670 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12020164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The fouling/wetting of hydrophobic membrane caused by organic substances with low-surface energy substantially limits the development of the membrane distillation (MD) process. The sulfate radical (SO4 ·−)-based advanced oxidation process (AOP) has been a promising technology to degrade organics in wastewater treatment, and peroxydisulfate (PDS) could be efficiently activated by heat. Thus, a hybrid process of MD-AOP via PDS activated by a hot feed was hypothesized to mitigate membrane fouling/wetting. Experiments dealing with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) containing a salty solution via two commercial membranes (PVDF and PTFE) were performed, and varying membrane wetting extents in the coupling process were discussed at different PDS concentrations and feed temperatures. Our results demonstrated permeate flux decline and a rise in conductivity due to membrane wetting by SDS, which was efficiently alleviated in the hybrid process rather than the standalone MD process. Moreover, such a mitigation was enhanced by a higher PDS concentration up to 5 mM and higher feed temperature. In addition, qualitative characterization on membrane coupons wetted by SDS was successfully performed using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The EIS results implied both types of hydrophobic membranes were protected from losing their hydrophobicity in the presence of PDS activation, agreeing with our initial hypothesis. This work could provide insight into future fouling/wetting control strategies for hydrophobic membranes and facilitate the development of an MD process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyuan Han
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; (M.H.); (R.Z.)
| | - Ruixue Zhao
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; (M.H.); (R.Z.)
| | - Jianchao Shi
- School of Civil Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China;
| | - Xiaobo Li
- Animal Husbandry Service of Chongqing, Chongqing 401121, China; (X.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Daoling He
- Animal Husbandry Service of Chongqing, Chongqing 401121, China; (X.L.); (D.H.)
| | - Lang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China;
| | - Le Han
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region’s Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China; (M.H.); (R.Z.)
- Correspondence:
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12
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Shao S, Shi D, Hu J, Qing W, Li X, Li X, Ji B, Yang Z, Guo H, Tang CY. Unraveling the Kinetics and Mechanism of Surfactant-Induced Wetting in Membrane Distillation: An In Situ Observation with Optical Coherence Tomography. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:556-563. [PMID: 34928146 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we performed a direct contact membrane distillation and successfully demonstrated the non-invasive imaging of surfactant-induced wetting using optical coherence tomography. This method enabled us to investigate the wetting kinetics, which was found to follow a "three-region" relationship between the wetting rate and surfactant concentration: the (i) nonwetted region, (ii) concentration-dependent region, and (iii) concentration-independent region at low, intermediate, and high surfactant concentrations, respectively. This wetting behavior was explained by the "autophilic effect", i.e., the wetting was caused by the transfer of surfactants from the water-vapor interface to the unwetted membrane and rendered this membrane hydrophilic, and then the wetting frontier moved forward under capillary forces. At region-(i), the surfactant concentration in the water-vapor interface (Clv) was too low to make the unwetted membrane sufficiently hydrophilic; thereby, the membrane could not be wetted. At region-(ii), due to the fast adsorption of the surfactant on the newly wetted membrane, the wetting rate was determined by the advection/diffusion of surfactants from the feed stream. Consequently, the wetting rate increased with the increases in the water flux and surfactant concentration. At region-(iii), the advection/diffusion provided excess surfactants for adsorption, and thus Clv reached its upper limit (maximum surface excess) and the wetting rate leveled off.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senlin Shao
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Danting Shi
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Jiangshuai Hu
- Department of Water and Wastewater Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, PR China
| | - Weihua Qing
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey 07102, United States
| | - Xianhui Li
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xue Li
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, PR China
| | - Bin Ji
- Department of Water and Wastewater Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430081, PR China
| | - Zhe Yang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Chuyang Y Tang
- Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
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13
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Feng D, Chen Y, Wang Z, Lin S. Janus Membrane with a Dense Hydrophilic Surface Layer for Robust Fouling and Wetting Resistance in Membrane Distillation: New Insights into Wetting Resistance. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:14156-14164. [PMID: 34597031 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Although membrane distillation (MD) has been identified as a promising technology to treat hypersaline wastewaters, its practical applications face two prominent challenges: membrane wetting and fouling. Herein, we report a facile and scalable approach for fabricating a Janus MD membrane comprising a dense polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) surface layer and a hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane substrate. By testing the Janus membrane in direct contact MD experiments using feeds containing a sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant or/and mineral oil, we demonstrated that the dense Janus membrane can simultaneously resist wetting and fouling. This method represents the simplest approach to date for fabricating MD membranes with simultaneous wetting and fouling resistance. Importantly, we also unveil the mechanism of wetting resistance by measuring the breakthrough pressure and surfactant permeation (through the PVA layer) and found that wetting resistance imparted by a dense hydrophilic layer is attributable to capillary pressure. This new insight will potentially change the paradigm of fabricating wetting-resistant membranes and enable robust applications of MD and other membrane contactor processes facing challenges of pore wetting or/and membrane fouling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dejun Feng
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yuanmiaoliang Chen
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Zhangxin Wang
- Key Laboratory for City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Quality Improvement and Ecological Restoration for Watershed, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shihong Lin
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1831, United States
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235-1831, United States
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14
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Liao X, Wang Y, Liao Y, You X, Yao L, Razaqpur AG. Effects of different surfactant properties on anti-wetting behaviours of an omniphobic membrane in membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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15
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Chen Y, Lu KJ, Gai W, Chung TS. Nanofiltration-Inspired Janus Membranes with Simultaneous Wetting and Fouling Resistance for Membrane Distillation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:7654-7664. [PMID: 34014649 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c01269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Membranes with robust antiwetting and antifouling properties are highly desirable for membrane distillation (MD) of wastewater. Herein, we have proposed and demonstrated a highly effective method to mitigate wetting and fouling by designing nanofiltration (NF)-inspired Janus membranes for MD applications. The NF-inspired Janus membrane (referred to as PVDF-P-CQD) consists of a hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane and a thin polydopamine/polyethylenimine (PDA/PEI) layer grafted by sodium-functionalized carbon quantum dots (Na+-CQDs) to improve its hydrophilicity. The vapor flux data have confirmed that the hydrophilic layer does not add extra resistance to water vapor transport. The PVDF-P-CQD membrane exhibits excellent resistance toward both surfactant-induced wetting and oil-induced fouling in direct contact MD (DCMD) experiments. The impressive performance arises from the fact that the nanoscale pore sizes of the PDA/PEI layer would reject surfactant molecules by size exclusion and lower the propensity of surfactant-induced wetting, while the high surface hydrophilicity resulted from Na+-CQDs would induce a robust hydration layer to prevent oil from attachment. Therefore, this study may provide useful insights and strategies to design novel membranes for next-generation MD desalination with minimal wetting and fouling propensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanmiaoliang Chen
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
| | - Kang-Jia Lu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117585, Singapore
| | - Wenxiao Gai
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117585, Singapore
| | - Tai-Shung Chung
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119077, Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117585, Singapore
- Graduate Institute of Applied Science and Technology, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei 10607, Taiwan
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16
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Deka BJ, Guo J, An AK. Robust dual-layered omniphobic electrospun membrane with anti-wetting and anti-scaling functionalised for membrane distillation application. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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17
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Janus membranes for membrane distillation: Recent advances and challenges. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 289:102362. [PMID: 33607551 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2021.102362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising hybrid thermal-membrane separation technology that can efficiently produce freshwater from seawater or contaminated wastewater. However, the relatively low flux and the presence of fouling or wetting agents in feed solution negate the applicability of MD for long term operation. In recent years, 'two-faced' membranes or Janus membranes have shown promising potential to decrease wetting and fouling problem of common MD system as well as enhance the flux performance. In this review, a comprehensive study was performed to investigate the various fabrication, modification, and novel design processes to prepare Janus membranes and discuss their performance in desalination and wastewater treatment utilizing MD. The promising potential, challenges and future prospects relating to the design and use of Janus membranes for MD are also tackled in this review.
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18
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Zhang W, Hu B, Wang Z, Li B. Fabrication of omniphobic PVDF composite membrane with dual-scale hierarchical structure via chemical bonding for robust membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.119038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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19
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Chang H, Liu B, Zhang Z, Pawar R, Yan Z, Crittenden JC, Vidic RD. A Critical Review of Membrane Wettability in Membrane Distillation from the Perspective of Interfacial Interactions. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:1395-1418. [PMID: 33314911 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c05454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Hydrophobic membranes used in membrane distillation (MD) systems are often subject to wetting during long-term operation. Thus, it is of great importance to fully understand factors that influence the wettability of hydrophobic membranes and their impact on the overall separation efficiency that can be achieved in MD systems. This Critical Review summarizes both fundamental and applied aspects of membrane wetting with particular emphasis on interfacial interaction between the membrane and solutes in the feed solution. First, the theoretical background of surface wetting, including the relationship between wettability and interfacial interaction, definition and measurement of contact angle, surface tension, surface free energy, adhesion force, and liquid entry pressure, is described. Second, the nature of wettability, membrane wetting mechanisms, influence of membrane properties, feed characteristics and operating conditions on membrane wetting, and evolution of membrane wetting are reviewed in the context of an MD process. Third, specific membrane features that increase resistance to wetting (e.g., superhydrophobic, omniphobic, and Janus membranes) are discussed briefly followed by the comparison of various cleaning approaches to restore membrane hydrophobicity. Finally, challenges with the prevention of membrane wetting are summarized, and future work is proposed to improve the use of MD technology in a variety of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqing Chang
- Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering (Ministry of Education), College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610207, China
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Baicang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Science and Engineering (Ministry of Education), College of Architecture and Environment, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610207, China
| | - Zhewei Zhang
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Ritesh Pawar
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
| | - Zhongsen Yan
- College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fujian, 350116, China
| | - John C Crittenden
- Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, United States
| | - Radisav D Vidic
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
- Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15261, United States
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Fabrication of superhydrophobic PDTS-ZnO-PVDF membrane and its anti-wetting analysis in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) applications. J Memb Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2020.118924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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21
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Chen Y, Lu KJ, Japip S, Chung TS. Can Composite Janus Membranes with an Ultrathin Dense Hydrophilic Layer Resist Wetting in Membrane Distillation? ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:12713-12722. [PMID: 32877174 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c04242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tackling membrane wetting is an ongoing challenge for large-scale applications of membrane distillation (MD). Herein, composite Janus MD membranes comprising an ultrathin dense hydrophilic layer are developed by layer-by-layer assembling cationic polyethyleneimine and anionic poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) polyelectrolytes on a hydrophobic polyvinylidene fluoride substrate. Using surfactant-containing saline water as the feed with low surface tension, experiments reveal that the number of polyelectrolyte layers, rather than surface wettability or surface charge, determines the anti-wetting performance of the composite Janus membranes. More deposited layers yield higher wetting resistance. With the aid of positron annihilation spectroscopy, this study, for the first time, demonstrates the origin of the excellent wetting resistance of the composite Janus membranes. The effective pore size of the polyelectrolyte multilayer decreases with an increase in the number of the deposited layer. The membrane with an ultrathin hydrophilic multilayer of 48 nm has a sufficiently small pore size to sieve out surfactant molecules from the feed solution via a size exclusion mechanism, thus protecting the hydrophobic substrate from being wetted by the low-surface-tension feed water. This study may pave the way for developing next-generation anti-wetting Janus membranes for robust membrane distillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanmiaoliang Chen
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117456 Singapore
| | - Kang-Jia Lu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585 Singapore
| | - Susilo Japip
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585 Singapore
| | - Tai-Shung Chung
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117456 Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117585 Singapore
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Xu Y, Yang Y, Sun M, Fan X, Song C, Tao P, Shao M. High‐performance desalination of high‐salinity reverse osmosis brine by direct contact membrane distillation using superhydrophobic membranes. J Appl Polym Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/app.49768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanlu Xu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
| | - Yi Yang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
| | - Menghan Sun
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
| | - Xinfei Fan
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
| | - Chengwen Song
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
| | - Ping Tao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
| | - Mihua Shao
- College of Marine Engineering Dalian Maritime University Dalian China
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Nascimbén Santos É, László Z, Hodúr C, Arthanareeswaran G, Veréb G. Photocatalytic membrane filtration and its advantages over conventional approaches in the treatment of oily wastewater: A review. ASIA-PAC J CHEM ENG 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/apj.2533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Érika Nascimbén Santos
- Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering University of Szeged Szeged Hungary
- Doctoral School of Environmental Sciences University of Szeged Szeged Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna László
- Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering University of Szeged Szeged Hungary
| | - Cecilia Hodúr
- Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering University of Szeged Szeged Hungary
- Institute of Environmental and Technological Sciences University of Szeged Szeged Hungary
| | - Gangasalam Arthanareeswaran
- Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering National Institute of Technology Tiruchirappalli India
| | - Gábor Veréb
- Department of Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering University of Szeged Szeged Hungary
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Chen Y, Lu KJ, Chung TS. An omniphobic slippery membrane with simultaneous anti-wetting and anti-scaling properties for robust membrane distillation. J Memb Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.117572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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25
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Effect of surfactant on wetting due to fouling in membrane distillation membrane: Application of response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural networks (ANN). KOREAN J CHEM ENG 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11814-019-0420-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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26
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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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Deka BJ, Guo J, Khanzada NK, An AK. Omniphobic re-entrant PVDF membrane with ZnO nanoparticles composite for desalination of low surface tension oily seawater. WATER RESEARCH 2019; 165:114982. [PMID: 31473356 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.114982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
In this study, an omniphobic membrane was fabricated by electrospraying fluorinated zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) mixed with polyvinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-HFP) on the surface of an organosilane functionalized polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. Our results revealed that the functionalized ZnO NPs membrane exhibited a rough hierarchical re-entrant morphology with low surface energy which allowed it to achieve high omniphobic characteristics. It was observed that the addition of 30% ZnO (w/w of PVDF-HFP) was found to be optimal and imparted a high repulsive characteristic. The optimized PVDF/ZnO(30)/FAS/PVDF-HFP referred as cPFP-30Z membrane exhibited a high contact angle values of 159.0 ± 3.1°, 129.6 ± 2.2°, 130.4 ± 4.1° and 126.1 ± 1.2° for water, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) saline solution (0.3 mM SDS in 3.5% NaCl), ethanol, and vegetable oil, respectively. The low surface energy and high surface roughness (Ra) of optimised membrane was assessed as 0.78 ± 0.14 mN m-1 and 1.37 μm, respectively. Additionally, in contrast with the commercial PVDF membrane, the cPFP-30Z membrane exhibited superior anti-wetting/anti-fouling characteristics and high salt rejection performance (>99%) when operated with a saline oil solution (0.015 v/v) and SDS (0.4 mM) feed solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaskar Jyoti Deka
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Jiaxin Guo
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Noman Khalid Khanzada
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
| | - Alicia Kyoungjin An
- School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
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28
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Recent advances in membrane development for treating surfactant- and oil-containing feed streams via membrane distillation. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2019; 273:102022. [PMID: 31494337 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2019.102022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 08/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Membrane distillation (MD) has been touted as a promising technology for niche applications such as desalination of surfactant- and oil-containing feed streams. Hitherto, the deployment of conventional hydrophobic MD membranes for such applications is limited and unsatisfactory. This is because the presence of surfactants and oils in aqueous feed streams reduces the surface-tension of these media significantly and the attachment of these contaminants onto hydrophobic membrane surfaces often leads to membrane fouling and pore wetting, which compromises on the quantity and quality of water recovered. Endowing MD membranes with surfaces of special wettabilities has been proposed as a strategy to combat membrane fouling and pore wetting. This involves the design of local kinetic energy barriers such as multilevel re-entrant surface structures, surfaces with ultralow surface-energies, and interfacial hydration layers to impede transition to the fully-wetted Wenzel state. This review critiques the state-of-the-art fabrication and surface-modification methods as well as practices used in the development of omniphobic and Janus MD membranes with specific emphasis on the advances, challenges, and future improvements for application in challenging surfactant- and oil-containing feed streams.
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29
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Tan YZ, Velioglu S, Han L, Joseph BD, Unnithan LG, Chew JW. Effect of surfactant hydrophobicity and charge type on membrane distillation performance. J Memb Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2019.117168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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30
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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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31
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Zhao X, Lu X, Liu Z, Zheng S, Liu S, Zhang Y. Gas-liquid interface extraction: An effective pretreatment approach to retard pore channel wetting in hydrophobic membrane application processes. J Memb Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2018.12.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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