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Zhang J, Peng K, Xu ZK, Xiong Y, Liu J, Cai C, Huang X. A comprehensive review on the behavior and evolution of oil droplets during oil/water separation by membranes. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2023; 319:102971. [PMID: 37562248 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2023.102971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Membrane separation technology has significant advantages for treating oil-in-water emulsions. Understanding the evolution of oil droplets could reveal the interfacial and colloidal interactions, facilitate the design of advanced membranes, and improve the separation performances. This review on the characteristic behavior and evolution of oil droplets focuses on the advanced analytical techniques, and the subsequent fouling as well as demulsification effects during membrane separation. A detailed introduction is provided on microscopic observations and numerical simulations of the dynamic evolution of oil droplets, featuring real-time in-situ visualization and accurate reconstruction, respectively. Characteristic behaviors of these oil droplets include attachment, pinning, wetting, spreading, blockage, intrusion, coalescence, and detachment, which have been quantified by specific proposed parameters and criteria. The fouling process can be evaluated using Hermia and resistance models. The related adhesion force and intrusion pressure as well as droplet-droplet/membrane interfacial interactions can be accurately quantified using various force analysis methods and advanced force measurement techniques. It is encouraging to note that oil coalescence has been achieved through various effects such as electrostatic interactions, mechanical actions, Laplace pressure/surface free energy gradients, and synergistic effects on functional membranes. When oil droplets become destabilized and coalesce into larger ones, the functional membranes can overcome the limitations of size-sieving effect to attain higher separation efficiency. This not only bypasses the trade-off between permeability and rejection, but also significantly reduces membrane fouling. Finally, the challenges and potential research directions in membrane separation are proposed. We hope this review will support the engineering of advanced materials for oil/water separation and research on interface science in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Kaiming Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
| | - Zhi-Kang Xu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, and Key Lab of Adsorption and Separation Materials & Technologies of Zhejiang Province, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, No.38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou 310027, PR China
| | - Yongjiao Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Jia Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Chen Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China
| | - Xiangfeng Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China; Institute of Carbon Neutrality, Tongji University, No.1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
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Echakouri M, Salama A, Henni A. Experimental Investigation of the Novel Periodic Feed Pressure Technique in Minimizing Fouling during the Filtration of Oily Water Systems Using Ceramic Membranes. MEMBRANES 2022; 12:868. [PMID: 36135887 PMCID: PMC9504730 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12090868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Fouling represents a bottleneck problem for promoting the use of membranes in filtration and separation applications. It becomes even more persistent when it comes to the filtration of fluid emulsions. In this case, a gel-like layer that combines droplets, impurities, salts, and other materials form at the membrane's surface, blocking its pores. It is, therefore, a privilege to combat fouling by minimizing the accumulation of these droplets that work as seeds for other incoming droplets to cluster and coalesce with. In this work, we explore the use of the newly developed and novel periodic feed pressure technique (PFPT) in combating the fouling of ceramic membranes upon the filtration of oily water systems. The PFPT is based on alternating the applied transmembrane pressure (TMP) between the operating one and zero. A PFPT cycle is composed of a filtration half-cycle and a cleaning half-cycle. Permeation occurs when the TMP is set at its working value, while the cleaning occurs when it is zero. Three PFPT patterns were examined over two feeds of oily water systems with oil contents of 100 and 200 ppm, respectively. The results show that the PFPT is very effective in minimizing the problem of fouling compared to a non-PFPT normal filtration. Furthermore, the overall drops in permeate flux during the cleaning half-cycles are compensated by appreciable enhancement due to the significant elimination of fouling development such that the overall production of filtered water is even increased. Inspection of the internal surface of the membrane post rinsing at the end of the experiment proves that all PFPT cycles maintained the ceramic membranes as clean after a 2-h operation. This can ensure a prolonged lifespan of the ceramic membrane use and a continuous greater permeate volume production. The advantage of the PFPT is that it can be implemented on existing units with minimal modification, ease of operation, and saving energy.
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Shirzadi M, Ueda M, Hada K, Fukasawa T, Fukui K, Mino Y, Tsuru T, Ishigami T. High-Resolution Numerical Simulation of Microfiltration of Oil-in-Water Emulsion Permeating through a Realistic Membrane Microporous Structure Generated by Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron Microscopy Images. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:2094-2108. [PMID: 35104148 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c03183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Owing to the limitations of visualization techniques in experimental studies and low-resolution numerical models based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the detailed behavior of oil droplets during microfiltration is not well understood. Hence, a high-resolution CFD model based on an in-house direct numerical simulation (DNS) code was constructed in this study to analyze the detailed dynamics of an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion using a microfiltration membrane. The realistic microporous structure of commercial ceramic microfiltration membranes (mullite and α-alumina membranes) was obtained using an image processing technique based on focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). Numerical simulations of microfiltration of O/W emulsions on the membrane microstructure obtained by FIB-SEM were performed, and the effects of different parameters, including contact angle, transmembrane pressure, and membrane microporous structure, on filtration performance were studied. Droplet deformation had a strong impact on filtration behavior because coalesced droplets with diameters larger than the pore diameter permeated the membrane pores. The permeability, oil hold-up fraction inside the pores, and rejection were considerably influenced by the contact angle, while the transmembrane pressure had a little impact on the permeability and oil hold-up fraction. The membrane structure, especially the pore size distribution, also had a significant effect on the microfiltration behavior and performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammadreza Shirzadi
- Chemical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Masaki Ueda
- Chemical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Kodai Hada
- Chemical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Tomonori Fukasawa
- Chemical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Kunihiro Fukui
- Chemical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Yasushi Mino
- Division of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
| | - Toshinori Tsuru
- Chemical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
| | - Toru Ishigami
- Chemical Engineering Program, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, 1-4-1, Kagamiyama, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8527, Japan
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The Effect of the Oleophobicity Deterioration of a Membrane Surface on Its Rejection Capacity: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11040253. [PMID: 33807347 PMCID: PMC8065469 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11040253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2021] [Revised: 03/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In this work, the effects of the deteriorating affinity-related properties of membranes due to leaching and erosion on their rejection capacity were studied via computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The function of affinity-enhancing agents is to modify the wettability state of the surface of a membrane for dispersed droplets. The wettability conditions can be identified by the contact angle a droplet makes with the surface of the membrane upon pinning. For the filtration of fluid emulsions, it is generally required that the surface of the membrane is nonwetting for the dispersed droplets such that the interfaces that are formed at the pore openings provide the membrane with a criterion for the rejection of dispersals. Since materials that make up the membrane do not necessarily possess the required affinity, it is customary to change it by adding affinity-enhancing agents to the base material forming the membrane. The bonding and stability of these materials can be compromised during the lifespan of a membrane due to leaching and erosion (in crossflow filtration), leading to a deterioration of the rejection capacity of the membrane. In order to investigate how a decrease in the contact angle can lead to the permeation of droplets that would otherwise get rejected, a CFD study was conducted. In the CFD study, a droplet was released in a crossflow field that involved a pore opening and the contact angle was considered to decrease with time as a consequence of the leaching of affinity-enhancing agents. The CFD analysis revealed that the decrease in the contact angle resulted in the droplet spreading over the surface more. Furthermore, the interface that was formed at the entrance of the pore opening flattened as the contact angle decreased, leading the interface to advance more inside the pore. The droplet continued to pass over the pore opening until the contact angle reached a certain value, at which point, the droplet became pinned at the pore opening.
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Salama A. Coalescence of an Oil Droplet with a Permeating One over a Membrane Surface: Conditions of Permeation, Recoil, and Pinning. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2021; 37:3672-3684. [PMID: 33734691 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.1c00077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
When a droplet lands over a nonwetting surface it forms a convex interface that makes a contact angle larger than 90°. If the droplet lands over a pore opening, an interface is also formed at the pore opening that can prevent the droplet from permeating. The conditions for permeation and pinning are very much related to a threshold critical pressure that above which the droplet will permeate. This property defines a selectivity criterion for microfiltration processes of oily water systems using membrane technology. Such a feature of the membrane gets compromised, however, due to the permeation of droplets that are relatively smaller in size or whose critical entry pressure is smaller than the applied transmembrane pressure (TMP). In this work, we investigate what happens to a droplet when it coalesces with a droplet that undergoes permeation. Two scenarios are considered: namely, (1) a droplet coalesces with a permeating one whose interface inside the pore has not broken through the pore exit and (2) a droplet coalesces with a permeating one whose interface in the pore has broken through. We show that a larger droplet (that will essentially not permeate if pinned over a membrane opening) will now permeate when the pore is filled with oil from a preceding one or recoils when the interface inside the pore of a preceding droplet has not broken through the exit of the pore. This has interesting implications for the rejection capacity of the membrane, which decreases due to the permeation of droplets that would, otherwise, not permeate. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) study has been conducted to confirm the conclusions obtained from the theoretical study and to reproduce the fates of the combined droplet after coalescence at the surface of the membrane. Furthermore, a simplified formula for estimating the critical entry pressure is developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amgad Salama
- Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
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Salama A, Sun S, Zhang T. A Unified, One Fluid Model for the Drag of Fluid and Solid Dispersals by Permeate Flux towards a Membrane Surface. MEMBRANES 2021; 11:membranes11020154. [PMID: 33671756 PMCID: PMC7926833 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11020154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The drag of dispersals towards a membrane surface is a consequence of the filtration process. It also represents the first step towards the development of the problem of fouling. In order to combat membrane fouling, it is important to understand such drag mechanisms and provide a modeling framework. In this work, a new modeling and numerical approach is introduced that is based on a one-domain model in which both the dispersals and the surrounding fluid are dealt with as a fluid with heterogeneous property fields. Furthermore, because of the fact that the geometry of the object assumes axial symmetry and the configuration remains fixed, the location of the interface may be calculated using geometrical relationships. This alleviates the need to define an indicator function and solve a hyperbolic equation to update the configuration. Furthermore, this approach simplifies the calculations and significantly reduces the computational burden required otherwise if one incorporates a hyperbolic equation to track the interface. To simplify the calculations, we consider the motion of an extended cylindrical object. This allows a reduction in the dimensions of the problem to two, thereby reducing the computational burden without a loss of generality. Furthermore, for this particular case there exists an approximate analytical solution that accounts for the effects of the confining boundaries that usually exist in real systems. We use such a setup to provide the benchmarking of the different averaging techniques for the calculations of properties at the cell faces and center, particularly in the cells involving the interface.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amgad Salama
- Process System Engineering, University of Regina, Regina, SK S4S 0A2, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Shuyu Sun
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; (S.S.); (T.Z.)
| | - Tao Zhang
- Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia; (S.S.); (T.Z.)
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