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Tomczak W, Gryta M, Daniluk M, Żak S. Biogas Upgrading Using a Single-Membrane System: A Review. Membranes (Basel) 2024; 14:80. [PMID: 38668108 PMCID: PMC11051867 DOI: 10.3390/membranes14040080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
In recent years, the use of biogas as a natural gas substitute has gained great attention. Typically, in addition to methane (CH4), biogas contains carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as small amounts of impurities, e.g., hydrogen sulfide (H2S), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). One of the latest trends in biogas purification is the application of membrane processes. However, literature reports are ambiguous regarding the specific requirement for biogas pretreatment prior to its upgrading using membranes. Therefore, the main aim of the present study was to comprehensively examine and discuss the most recent achievements in the use of single-membrane separation units for biogas upgrading. Performing a literature review allowed to indicate that, in recent years, considerable progress has been made on the use of polymeric membranes for this purpose. For instance, it has been documented that the application of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes with a swollen polyamide (PA) layer ensures the successful upgrading of raw biogas and eliminates the need for its pretreatment. The importance of the performed literature review is the inference drawn that biogas enrichment performed in a single step allows to obtain upgraded biogas that could be employed for household uses. Nevertheless, this solution may not be sufficient for obtaining high-purity gas at high recovery efficiency. Hence, in order to obtain biogas that could be used for applications designed for natural gas, a membrane cascade may be required. Moreover, it has been documented that a significant number of experimental studies have been focused on the upgrading of synthetic biogas; meanwhile, the data on the raw biogas are very limited. In addition, it has been noted that, although ceramic membranes demonstrate several advantages, experimental studies on their applications in single-membrane systems have been neglected. Summarizing the literature data, it can be concluded that, in order to thoroughly evaluate the presented issue, the long-term experimental studies on the upgrading of raw biogas with the use of polymeric and ceramic membranes in pilot-scale systems are required. The presented literature review has practical implications as it would be beneficial in supporting the development of membrane processes used for biogas upgrading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wirginia Tomczak
- Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, ul. Seminaryjna 3, 85-326 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.D.); (S.Ż.)
| | - Marek Gryta
- Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, ul. Pułaskiego 10, 70-322 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Monika Daniluk
- Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, ul. Seminaryjna 3, 85-326 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.D.); (S.Ż.)
| | - Sławomir Żak
- Faculty of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, ul. Seminaryjna 3, 85-326 Bydgoszcz, Poland; (M.D.); (S.Ż.)
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2
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Kirk CH, Chong CYD, Wang X, Sun J, Zhao Q, Wang J. Nanofiltration Ceramic Membranes as a Feasible Two-Pronged Approach toward Desalination and Lithium Recovery. Glob Chall 2024; 8:2300151. [PMID: 38356683 PMCID: PMC10862150 DOI: 10.1002/gch2.202300151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Ceramic membranes are taking center stage for separation technologies in water treatment. Among them, ceramic nanofiltration membranes are at the forefront of membrane technologies. The desalination of seawater using ceramic nanofiltration membranes is a potential application toward increasing the global water supply and tackling water scarcity. However, while the high fabrication cost poses a challenge to their large-scale applications, high-value separation applications can help to offset the overall cost. In this regard, ceramic nanofiltration membranes can also be explored as a viable option for high-value lithium extraction from the waste seawater brine. In order to determine the potential of nanofiltration ceramic membranes for desalination and lithium recovery from seawater, the current efficiency of salt rejection across various operation parameters must be thoroughly evaluated. Specifically, the interactions between the Donnan exclusion, steric exclusion, zeta potential, and salt concentration play an important role in determining the salt rejection efficiency. Several strategies are then proposed to guide ceramic nanofiltration membranes toward potentially practical applications regarding desalination and lithium recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chin Ho Kirk
- Department of Material Science and EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117574Singapore
| | | | - Xingyang Wang
- Department of Material Science and EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117574Singapore
| | - Jianguo Sun
- Department of Material Science and EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117574Singapore
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Material Science and EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117574Singapore
| | - John Wang
- Department of Material Science and EngineeringFaculty of EngineeringNational University of SingaporeSingapore117574Singapore
- National University of Singapore (Chongqing) Research InstituteChongqing Liang Jiang New AreaChongqing401120China
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3
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Rasouli Y, Barbeau B, Maltais-Tariant R, Boudoux C, Claveau-Mallet D. Impact of Cleaning on Membrane Performance during Surface Water Treatment: A Hybrid Process with Biological Ion Exchange and Gravity-Driven Membranes. Membranes (Basel) 2024; 14:33. [PMID: 38392660 PMCID: PMC10890121 DOI: 10.3390/membranes14020033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
In this study, the hybrid biological ion exchange (BIEX) resin and gravity-driven membrane (GDM) process was employed for the treatment of coloured and turbid river water. The primary objective was to investigate the impact of both physical and chemical cleaning methods on ceramic and polymeric membranes in terms of their stabilised flux, flux recovery after physical/chemical cleaning, and permeate quality. To address these objectives, two types of MF and UF membranes were utilised (M1 = polymeric MF, M2 = polymeric UF, M3 = ceramic UF, and M4 = lab-made ceramic MF). Throughout the extended operation, the resin functioned initially in the primary ion exchange (IEX) region (NOM displacement with pre-charged chloride) and progressed to a secondary IEX stage (NOM displacement with bicarbonate and sulphate), while membrane flux remained stable. Subsequently, physical cleaning involved air/water backwash with two different flows and pressures, and chemical cleaning utilised NaOH at concentrations of 20 and 40 mM, as well as NaOCl at concentrations of 250 and 500 mg Cl2/L. These processes were carried out to assess flux recovery and identify fouling reversibility. The results indicate an endpoint of 1728 bed volumes (BVs) for the primary IEX region, while the secondary IEX continued up to 6528 BV. At the end of the operation, DOC and UVA254 removal in the effluent of the BIEX columns were 68% and 81%, respectively, compared to influent water. This was followed by 30% and 57% DOC and UVA254 removal using M4 (ceramic MF). The stabilised flux remained approximately 3.8-5.2 LMH both before and after the cleaning process, suggesting that membrane materials do not play a pivotal role. The mean stabilised flux of polymeric membranes increased after cleaning, whereas that of the ceramics decreased. Enhanced air-water backwash flow and pressure resulted in an increased removal of hydraulic reversible fouling, which was identified as the dominant fouling type. Ceramic membranes exhibited a higher removal of reversible hydraulic fouling than polymeric membranes. Chemical cleaning had a low impact on flux recovery; therefore, we recommend solely employing physical cleaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaser Rasouli
- Department of Civil, Geological & Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Benoit Barbeau
- Department of Civil, Geological & Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Raphaël Maltais-Tariant
- Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Caroline Boudoux
- Department of Engineering Physics, Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
- Castor Optics, Inc., St-Laurent, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Dominique Claveau-Mallet
- Department of Civil, Geological & Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal, 2900 Boulevard Édouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QC H3T 1J4, Canada
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Medina MS, Carvalho SGM, Tabuti FN, Muccillo ENS, Fonseca FC, Muccillo R. W-doped Lanthanum Molybdenum Oxide/Lithium-Sodium-Potassium Carbonate Composite Membranes for Carbon Dioxide Permeation. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:5128. [PMID: 37512402 PMCID: PMC10386737 DOI: 10.3390/ma16145128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Single-phase tungsten-doped lanthanum molybdenum oxide (La2MoWO9) ceramic powders were synthesized using the complex polymerization technique. Porous ceramic pellets were obtained by thermally removing graphite, which served as a pore former. The porous pellets were then impregnated with molten eutectic lithium-sodium-potassium carbonates. The energy dispersive X-ray analysis and scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM) images of the external and fracture surfaces of the La2MoWO9-(Li,Na,K)2CO3 composite dual-phase membrane revealed the percolation of the carbonate mixture through the pores. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements conducted at temperatures below and above the melting point of the eutectic carbonate composition demonstrated the contributions of oxygen and carbonate ions to the ionic conductivity of the dual membrane. The electrical conductivity of the carbonate ions within the membrane was continuously monitored for over 1300 h with negligible degradation, implying that the membrane could be used for long-term monitoring of CO2 without aging effects. A comparison of FEG-SEM images taken before and after this endurance test suggested minimal fouling, indicating that the membrane could potentially replace similar zirconia- and ceria-based composite membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Midilane S Medina
- Center of Science and Technology of Materials, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Sabrina G M Carvalho
- Center of Science and Technology of Materials, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Francisco N Tabuti
- Center of Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Eliana N S Muccillo
- Center of Science and Technology of Materials, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Fábio C Fonseca
- Center of Fuel Cells and Hydrogen, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
| | - Reginaldo Muccillo
- Center of Science and Technology of Materials, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Sao Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
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Galata E, Veziri CM, Theodorakopoulos GV, Romanos GE, Pavlatou EA. A Combined Gas and Water Permeances Method for Revealing the Deposition Morphology of GO Grafting on Ceramic Membranes. Membranes (Basel) 2023; 13:627. [PMID: 37504993 PMCID: PMC10385332 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13070627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The adhesion enhancement of a graphene oxide (GO) layer on porous ceramic substrates is a crucial step towards developing a high-performance membrane for many applications. In this work, we have achieved the chemical anchoring of GO layers on custom-made macroporous disks, fabricated in the lab by pressing α-Al2O3 powder. To this end, three different linkers, polydopamine (PDA), 3-Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and (3-Aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTMS), were elaborated for their capacity to tightly bind the GO laminate on the ceramic membrane surface. The same procedure was replicated on cylindrical porous commercial ZrO2 substrates because of their potentiality for applications on a large scale. The gas permeance properties of the membranes were studied using helium at 25 °C as a probe molecule and further scrutinized in conjunction with water permeance results. Measurements with helium at 25 °C were chosen to avoid gas adsorption and surface diffusion mechanisms. This approach allowed us to draw conclusions on the deposition morphology of the GO sheets on the ceramic support, the mode of chemical bonding with the linker and the stability of the deposited GO laminate. Specifically, considering that He permeance is mostly affected by the pore structural characteristics, an estimation was initially made of the relative change in the pore size of the developed membranes compared to the bare substrate. This was achieved by interpreting the results via the Knudsen equation, which describes the gas permeance as being analogous to the third power of the pore radius. Subsequently, the calculated relative change in the pore size was inserted into the Hagen-Poiseuille equation to predict the respective water permeance ratio of the GO membranes to the bare substrate. The reason that the experimental water permeance values may deviate from the predicted ones is related to the different surface chemistry, i.e., the hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity that the composite membranes acquire after the chemical modification. Various characterization techniques were applied to study the morphological and physicochemical properties of the materials, like FESEM, XRD, DLS and Contact Angle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evdokia Galata
- Laboratory of General Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9, Iroon Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Charitomeni M Veziri
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - George V Theodorakopoulos
- Laboratory of General Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9, Iroon Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - George Em Romanos
- Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, N.C.S.R. "Demokritos", Ag. Paraskevi, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Evangelia A Pavlatou
- Laboratory of General Chemistry, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Zografou Campus, 9, Iroon Polytechniou Str., Zografou, 15780 Athens, Greece
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6
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Zhang Z, Yang J, Qi R, Huang J, Chen H, Zhang H. Development of Hydrophobic Coal-Fly-Ash-Based Ceramic Membrane for Vacuum Membrane Distillation. Materials (Basel) 2023; 16:3153. [PMID: 37109989 PMCID: PMC10141027 DOI: 10.3390/ma16083153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Membrane distillation is an emerging separation technology with a high separation factor in water desalination. Ceramic membranes are increasingly used in membrane distillation because of high thermal and chemical stabilities. Coal fly ash is a promising ceramic membrane material with low thermal conductivity. In this study, three hydrophobic coal-fly-ash-based ceramic membranes were prepared for saline water desalination. The performances of different membranes in membrane distillation were compared. The effects of membrane pore size on permeate flux and salt rejection were researched. The coal-fly-ash-based membrane showed both a higher permeate flux and a higher salt rejection than the alumina membrane. As a result, using coal fly ash as the material for membrane fabrication can effectively increase the performance when applied to MD. Increasing the membrane pore size improved the permeate flux, but reduced the salt rejection. When the mean pore size increased from 0.15 μm to 1.57 μm, the water flux rose from 5.15 L·m-2·h-1 to 19.72 L·m-2·h-1, but the initial salt rejection was reduced from 99.95% to 99.87%. The hydrophobic coal-fly-ash-based membrane with a mean pore size of 0.18 μm exhibited a water flux of 9.54 L·m-2·h-1 and a salt rejection of higher than 98.36% in membrane distillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhang
- School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (Z.Z.); (J.Y.); (R.Q.); (J.H.); (H.C.)
| | - Jihao Yang
- School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (Z.Z.); (J.Y.); (R.Q.); (J.H.); (H.C.)
| | - Run Qi
- School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (Z.Z.); (J.Y.); (R.Q.); (J.H.); (H.C.)
| | - Jiguang Huang
- School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (Z.Z.); (J.Y.); (R.Q.); (J.H.); (H.C.)
| | - Haiping Chen
- School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (Z.Z.); (J.Y.); (R.Q.); (J.H.); (H.C.)
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pollutant Monitoring and Control in Thermoelectric Production Process, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Heng Zhang
- School of Energy, Power and Mechanical Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China; (Z.Z.); (J.Y.); (R.Q.); (J.H.); (H.C.)
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Pollutant Monitoring and Control in Thermoelectric Production Process, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
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7
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Carvalho SGM, Muccillo ENS, Muccillo R. Design and Validation of an Experimental Setup for Evaluation of Gas Permeation in Ceramic Membranes. Membranes (Basel) 2023; 13:246. [PMID: 36837749 PMCID: PMC9960571 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13020246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
An experimental setup for the evaluation of permeation of gaseous species with the possibility of simultaneously collecting electrochemical impedance spectroscopy data in disk-shaped ceramic membranes was designed and assembled. It consists of an alumina sample holder with thermocouple tips and platinum electrodes located close to both sides of the sample. Water-cooled inlet and outlet gas connections allowed for the insertion of the sample chamber into a programmable split tubular furnace. Gas permeation through a ceramic membrane can be monitored with mass flow controllers, a mass spectrometer, and an electrochemical impedance analyzer. For testing and data validation, ceramic composite membranes were prepared with the infiltration of molten eutectic compositions of alkali salts (lithium, sodium, and potassium carbonates) into porous gadolinia-doped ceria. Values of the alkali salt melting points and the permeation rates of carbon dioxide, in agreement with reported data, were successfully collected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina G. M. Carvalho
- Center of Science and Technology of Materials, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Cidade Universitária, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
- Institute of Physics, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-090, SP, Brazil
| | - Eliana N. S. Muccillo
- Center of Science and Technology of Materials, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Cidade Universitária, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Reginaldo Muccillo
- Center of Science and Technology of Materials, Energy and Nuclear Research Institute, Cidade Universitária, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 2242, São Paulo 05508-000, SP, Brazil
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Avornyo A, Thanigaivelan A, Krishnamoorthy R, Hassan SW, Banat F. Ag-CuO-Decorated Ceramic Membranes for Effective Treatment of Oily Wastewater. Membranes (Basel) 2023; 13:176. [PMID: 36837679 PMCID: PMC9967170 DOI: 10.3390/membranes13020176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Although ultrafiltration is a reliable method for separating oily wastewater, the process is limited by problems of low flux and membrane fouling. In this study, for the first time, commercial TiO2/ZrO2 ceramic membranes modified with silver-functionalized copper oxide (Ag-CuO) nanoparticles are reported for the improved separation performance of emulsified oil. Ag-CuO nanoparticles were synthesized via hydrothermal technique and dip-coated onto commercial membranes at varying concentrations (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 wt.%). The prepared membranes were further examined to understand the improvements in oil-water separation due to Ag-CuO coating. All modified ceramic membranes exhibited higher hydrophilicity and decreased porosity. Additionally, the permeate flux, oil rejection, and antifouling performance of the Ag-CuO-coated membranes were more significantly improved than the pristine commercial membrane. The 0.5 wt.% modified membrane exhibited a 30% higher water flux (303.63 L m-2 h-1) and better oil rejection efficiency (97.8%) for oil/water separation among the modified membranes. After several separation cycles, the 0.5 wt.% Ag-CuO-modified membranes showed a constant permeate flux with an excellent oil rejection of >95% compared with the unmodified membrane. Moreover, the corrosion resistance of the coated membrane against acid, alkali, actual seawater, and oily wastewater was remarkable. Thus, the Ag-CuO-modified ceramic membranes are promising for oil separation applications due to their high flux, enhanced oil rejection, better antifouling characteristics, and good stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos Avornyo
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Arumugham Thanigaivelan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Rambabu Krishnamoorthy
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Shadi W. Hassan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
| | - Fawzi Banat
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
- Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates
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Gulamussen NJ, Donse D, Arsénio AM, Heijman SGJ, Rietveld LC. Softening with Ceramic Micro-Filtration for Application on Water Reclamation for Industrial Recirculating Cooling Systems. Membranes (Basel) 2022; 12:980. [PMID: 36295739 PMCID: PMC9607096 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12100980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
There is a global need for optimizing the use of water that has resulted from increased demand due to industrial development, population growth, climate change and the pollution of natural water resources. One of the solutions is to use reclaimed water in industrial applications that do not require water of potable quality, such as cooling water. However, for cooling water, (treated) wastewater's hardness is too high, apart from having a high load of suspended solids and organic matter. Therefore, a combination of softening with ceramic micro-filtration was proposed for treating wastewater treatment effluent containing fouling agents for potential use in industrial cooling systems. The effectiveness of the softening process on model-treated wastewater with calcium hydroxide in the presence of phosphate and sodium alginate was first evaluated using jar tests. Furthermore, membrane fouling was studied when filtering the softened water. The results showed that the inhibition of calcium carbonate precipitation occurred when inorganic substances, such as phosphate and organic compounds, were present in the water. The fouling of the membranes due to sodium alginate in water was only slightly negatively affected when combined with softening and phosphate. Therefore, this combination of treatments could be potentially helpful for the post-treatment of secondary effluent for cooling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Jehan Gulamussen
- Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Eduardo Mondlane University, Maputo P.O. Box 257, Mozambique
| | - Daniël Donse
- Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
| | - André Marques Arsénio
- Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Sebastiaan Gerard Jozef Heijman
- Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Louis Cornelis Rietveld
- Department of Water Management, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CN Delft, The Netherlands
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10
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Modak S, Valle J, Tseng KT, Sakamoto J, Kwabi DG. Correlating Stability and Performance of NaSICON Membranes for Aqueous Redox Flow Batteries. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2022; 14:19332-19341. [PMID: 35442617 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c00266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Aqueous redox flow batteries (RFBs) are promising candidates for low-cost, grid-scale energy storage. However, the polymer-based membranes that are used in most prototypical systems fail to prevent crossover of small-molecule reactants, which results in high rates of capacity fade. In this work, we explore the feasibility of a von Alpen sodium superionic conductor Na3.1Zr1.55Si2.3P0.7O11 (NaSICON) as an RFB membrane by examining its resistance, permeability, and interfacial morphology as a function of electrolyte composition and temperature. The resistance of NaSICON is stable for several weeks while immersed in neutral to strongly alkaline ([OH-] = 3 M) aqueous electrolytes, and its permeability to polysulfide-based and permanganate-based small-molecule RFB reactants is negligible compared to that of Nafion. The glassy phase of the NaSICON microstructure at the membrane-electrolyte interface is susceptible to some etching while in contact with aqueous electrolytes containing sodium ions. This etching becomes more extensive when potassium ions are present in the electrolyte, leading in certain instances to complete disintegration of the membrane. A ∼0.7 mm-thin NaSICON membrane can nevertheless support over three weeks of cycling of a ferrocyanide|permanganate flow cell in a strongly alkaline electrolyte ([OH-] = 3 M), with apparently negligible reactant crossover and very low capacity fade (<0.04%/day). NaSICON's area-specific resistance also decreases dramatically with increasing temperature and decreasing membrane thickness; there is a 5.6× reduction from a 1.19 mm-thick membrane at 18 °C (101 Ωcm2) to a 0.61 mm-thick one at 70 °C (18 Ωcm2). Lowering the thickness of the membrane to 0.1 mm or lower will result in power densities at above ambient temperatures that are comparable to power densities of polymer membrane-containing flow cells. This work highlights the promise of ceramic membranes as effective separators in RFBs operating under neutral pH to strongly alkaline pH conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanat Modak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Joseph Valle
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Kang-Ting Tseng
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - Jeff Sakamoto
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
| | - David G Kwabi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, United States
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11
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Moyo W, Chaukura N, Motsa MM, Msagati TAM, Mamba BB, Heijman SGJ, Nkambule TTI. Modeling the antifouling properties of atomic layer deposition surface-modified ceramic nanofiltration membranes. Biofouling 2022; 38:441-454. [PMID: 35686367 DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2022.2084613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This work investigates the enhancement of antifouling properties of ceramic nanofiltration membranes by surface modification via atomic layer deposition (ALD) of TiO2. Feed solutions containing bovine serum albumin (BSA), humic acid (HA) and sodium alginate (SA) were used as model foulants. The classic fouling mechanism models and the modified fouling indices (MFI) were deduced from the flux decline profiles. Surface roughness values of the ALD coated and uncoated membranes were 63 and 71 nm, respectively, while the contact angles were 34.2 and 59.5°, respectively. Thus, coating increased the water affinity of the membrane surfaces and consequently improved the anti-fouling properties. The MFI values and the classic fouling mechanism correlation coefficients for cake filtration for the ALD coated and the uncoated membrane upon SA fouling were 42,963 (R2 = 0.82) and 143,365 sL-2 (R2 = 0.98), respectively, whereas the correlation coefficients for the combined foulants (SA + BSA + HA) were 267,185 (R2 = 0.99) and 9569 sL-2 (R2 = 0.37), respectively. The study showed that ALD can effectively enhance the antifouling properties of ceramic membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Welldone Moyo
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nhamo Chaukura
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Machawe M Motsa
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Titus A M Msagati
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bhekie B Mamba
- College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sebastiaan G J Heijman
- Department of Civil Engineering and GeoSciences, Technical University of Delft, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Thabo T I Nkambule
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS), University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
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12
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Dizayee KKH, Judd SJ. A Brief Review of the Status of Low-Pressure Membrane Technology Implementation for Petroleum Industry Effluent Treatment. Membranes (Basel) 2022; 12. [PMID: 35448361 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12040391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Low-pressure membrane technology (ultrafiltration and microfiltration) has been applied to two key effluents generated by the petroleum industry: produced water (PW) from oil exploration, a significant proportion being generated offshore, and onshore refinery/petrochemical effluent. PW is treated physicochemically to remove the oil prior to discharge, whereas the onshore effluents are often treated biologically to remove both the suspended and dissolved organic fractions. This review examines the efficacy and extent of implementation of membrane technology for these two distinct applications, focusing on data and information pertaining to the treatment of real effluents at large/full scale. Reported data trends from PW membrane filtration reveal that, notwithstanding extensive testing of ceramic membrane material for this duty, the mean fluxes sustained are highly variable and generally insufficiently high for offshore treatment on oil platforms where space is limited. This appears to be associated with the use of polymer for chemically-enhanced enhanced oil recovery, which causes significant membrane fouling impairing membrane permeability. Against this, the application of MBRs to onshore oil effluent treatment is well established, with a relatively narrow range of flux values reported (9−17 L·m−2·h−1) and >80% COD removal. It is concluded that the prospects of MBRs for petroleum industry effluent treatment are more favorable than implementation of membrane filtration for offshore PW treatment.
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13
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Moyo W, Motsa MM, Chaukura N, Msagati TAM, Mamba BB, Heijman SGJ, Nkambule TTI. Characterization of natural organic matter in South African drinking water treatment plants: Towards integrating ceramic membrane filtration. Water Environ Res 2022; 94:e10693. [PMID: 35199396 DOI: 10.1002/wer.10693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
This work presents the first comprehensive investigation of natural organic matter (NOM) fraction removal using ceramic membranes in South Africa. The rate of removal of bulk NOM (measured as UV254 and DOC % removal), the biodegradable dissolved organic carbon (BDOC) fraction, polarity-based fractions, and fluorescent dissolved organic carbon (FDOM) fractions was investigated from water abstracted from drinking water treatment plants (WTPs) in South Africa. Further, mechanisms of ceramic membrane fouling by waters of South Africa were studied. Ceramic membranes removed more than 80% DOC from samples from coastal WTPs, whereas for inland plants, the removal was between 60% and 75% of DOC. FDOM was removed to at least 80% regardless of the site of the plant. The BDOC removal by the ceramic membranes was above 85%. The hydrophobic fraction was the most amenable to removal by ceramic membranes regardless of the site of sample abstraction (above 60% for all sites). The freshness index (β:α) correlated strongly to UV254 removal (R2 = 0.96), thus UV254 removal can serve as a proxy for the susceptibility to removal of such class of NOM by ceramic membranes. This investigation demonstrated that ceramic membranes could be a valuable technology if integrated into the existing WTPs. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The removal of bulk parameters by ceramic membrane was greater than unit conventional processes used in all the sampled water treatment plants. The hydrophobic polarity-based fraction of NOM was the most amenable to removal by ceramic membranes regardless of the site of the WTP. Polarity-based fractions, aromaticity, and initial DOC had a combined influence on the removal of organic matter by ceramic membranes as explained by principal component three.
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Affiliation(s)
- Welldone Moyo
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Machawe M Motsa
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nhamo Chaukura
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Physical and Earth Sciences, Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley, South Africa
| | - Titus A M Msagati
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bhekie B Mamba
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sebastiaan G J Heijman
- Department of Civil Engineering and GeoSciences, Technical University of Delft, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Thabo T I Nkambule
- Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, University of South Africa (UNISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
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14
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Kujawa J, Głodek M, Koter I, Li G, Knozowska K, Kujawski W. Bioconjugation Strategy for Ceramic Membranes Decorated with Candida Antarctica Lipase B-Impact of Immobilization Process on Material Features. Materials (Basel) 2022; 15:671. [PMID: 35057388 DOI: 10.3390/ma15020671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A strategy for the bioconjugation of the enzyme Candida antarctica lipase B onto titania ceramic membranes with varied pore sizes (15, 50, 150, and 300 kDa) was successfully performed. The relationship between the membrane morphology, i.e.,the pore size of the ceramic support, and bioconjugation performance was considered. Owing to the dimension of the enzyme (~33 kDa), the morphology of the ceramics allowed (50, 150, and 300 kDa) or did not allow (15 kDa) the entrance of the enzyme molecules into the porous structure. Such a strategy made it possible to better understand the changes in the material (morphology) and physicochemical features (wettability, adhesiveness, and surface charge) of the samples, which were systematically examined. The silane functionalization and enzyme immobilization were accomplished via the covalent route. The samples were characterized after each stage of the modification, which was very informative from the material point of view. As a consequence of the modification, significant changes in the contact angle, roughness, adhesion, and zeta potential were observed. For instance, for the 50 kDa membrane, the contact angle increased from 29.1 ± 1.5° for the pristine sample to 72.3 ± 1.5° after silane attachment; subsequently, it was reduced to 57.2 ± 1.5° after the enzyme immobilization. Finally, the contact angle of the bioconjugated membrane used in the enzymatic process rose to 92.9 ± 1.5°. By roughness (Sq) controlling, the following amendments were noticed: for the pristine 50 kDa membrane, Sq = 1.87 ± 0.21 µm; after silanization, Sq = 2.33 ± 0.30 µm; after enzyme immobilization, Sq = 2.74 ± 0.26 µm; and eventually, after the enzymatic process, Sq = 2.37 ± 0.27 µm. The adhesion work of the 50 kDa samples was equal to 136.41 ± 2.20 mN m−1 (pristine membrane), 94.93 ± 2.00 mN m−1 (with silane), 112.24 ± 1.90 mN m−1 (with silane and enzyme), and finally, 69.12 ± 1.40 mN m−1 (after the enzymatic process). The materials and physicochemical features changed substantially, particularly after the application of the membrane in the enzymatic process. Moreover, the impact of ceramic material morphology on the zeta potential value is here presented for the first time. With an increase in the ceramic support cut-off, the amount of immobilized lipase rose, but the specific productivity was higher for membranes possessing smaller pores, owing to the higher grafting density. For the enzymatic process, two modes of accomplishment were selected, i.e., stirred-tank and cross-flow. The latter method was characterized by a much higher effectiveness, with a resulting productivity equal to 99.7 and 60.3 µmol h−1 for the 300 and 15 kD membranes, respectively.
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El-Kordy A, Elgamouz A, Lemdek EM, Tijani N, Alharthi SS, Kawde AN, Shehadi I. Preparation of Sodalite and Faujasite Clay Composite Membranes and Their Utilization in the Decontamination of Dye Effluents. Membranes (Basel) 2021; 12:12. [PMID: 35054538 DOI: 10.3390/membranes12010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The present work describes the deposition of two zeolite films, sodalite and faujasite, by the hydrothermal method to tune the mesopores of clay support, which are prepared from a widely available clay depot from the central region of Morocco (Midelt). The clay supports were prepared by a powder metallurgy method from different granulometries with activated carbon as a porosity agent, using uniaxial compression followed by a sintering process. The 160 µm ≤ Φ ≤ 250 µm support showed the highest water flux compared to the supports made from smaller granulometries with a minimum water flux of 1405 L.m−2·h−1 after a working time of 2 h and 90 min. This support was chosen for the deposition of sodalite (SOM) and faujasite (FAM) zeolite membranes. The X-ray diffraction of sodalite and faujasite showed that they were well crystallized, and the obtained spectra corresponded well with the sought phases. Such findings were confirmed by the SEM analysis, which showed that SOM was crystalized as fine particles while the FAM micrographs showed the existence of crystals with an average size ranging from 0.53 µm to 1.8 µm with a bipyramidal shape and a square or Cubo octahedral base. Nitrogen adsorption analysis showed that the pore sizes of the supports got narrowed to 2.28 nm after deposition of sodalite and faujasite. The efficiencies of SOM and FAM membranes were evaluated by filtration tests of solutions containing methyl orange (MO) using a flow loop, which were developed for dead-end filtration. The retention of methylene orange (MO) followed the order: SOM > FAM > 160 µm ≤ Φ ≤ 250 µm clay support with 55%, 48% and 35%, respectively. Size exclusion was the predominant mechanism of filtration of MO through SOM, FAM, and the support. However, the charge repulsion between the surface of the membrane and the negatively charged MO have not been ruled out. The point of zero charge (pzc) of the clay support, SOM and FAM membrane were pHpzc = 9.4, pHpzc = 10.6, and pHpzc = 11.4, respectively. Filtrations of MO were carried out between pH = 5.5 and pH = 6.5, which indicated that the surface of the membranes was positively charged while MO was negatively charged. The interaction of MO with the membranes might have happened through its vertical geometry.
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Dutournié P, Daou TJ, Déon S. A Novel Numerical Procedure to Estimate the Electric Charge in the Pore from Filtration of Single-Salt Solutions. Membranes (Basel) 2021; 11:726. [PMID: 34677493 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11100726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The assessment of physicochemical parameters governing the transport of ions through nanoporous membranes is a major challenge due to the difficulty in experimental estimation of the dielectric constant of the solution confined in nanopores and the volumetric membrane charge. Numerical identification by adjusting their values to fit experimental data is a potential solution, but this method is complicated for single-salt solutions due to the infinite number of couples that can describe a rejection curve. In this study, a novel procedure based on physical simplifications which allows the estimation of a range of values for these two parameters is proposed. It is shown here that the evolution of the interval of membrane charge with salt concentration can be described in all the experimental conditions by the Langmuir–Freundlich hybrid adsorption isotherm. Finally, it is highlighted that considering the mean dielectric constant and the adsorption isotherms assessed from a range of concentrations allowed a good prediction of rejection curves, irrespective of the salt and membrane considered.
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Gu Q, Kotobuki M, Kirk CH, He M, Lim GJH, Ng TCA, Zhang L, Ng HY, Wang J. Overcoming the Trade-off between Water Permeation and Mechanical Strength of Ceramic Membrane Supports by Interfacial Engineering. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2021; 13:29199-29211. [PMID: 34126737 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.1c08157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Porous ceramic membrane supports with high mechanical strength and permeation are required for highly permeable ceramic membranes. The water permeation of a ceramic membrane support is largely dependent on its level of open porosity, which can be however generally detrimental to the mechanical strength. In this work, low-cost kaolin nanoflakes were rationally composited with coarse alumina particles, and multichannel flat-sheet ceramic supports were successfully fabricated by extrusion and subsequent partial sintering. The macroscopic properties, microstructure characteristics, permeability, and mechanical strength of the ceramic membrane supports were systematically established and comprehensively studied. The incorporation of kaolin nanoflakes effectively reduced the sintering temperature to about 1200 °C. An interesting evolution of the pore structure was evidenced with the increase in sintering temperature. Interestingly, the porous ceramic supports prepared at 1400 °C with a nominal pore size of 1.47 μm showed the highest water permeability of 9911.9 ± 357.5 LMHB, and at the same time the flexural strength reached 109.6 ± 4.6 MPa. The much improved permeability was attributed to the unique multilevel pore structures, and the enhanced flexural strength mainly originated from the strongly interfacial bonding, as evidenced by the trans-granular fracture behavior. Also, the ceramic membrane supports exhibited excellent chemical resistance and good removal efficiency for oily wastewater. This work highlights the significant role of interfacial engineering in simultaneously improving the water permeation and mechanical strength, thereby overcoming their trade-off in porous ceramic membrane supports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qilin Gu
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574, Singapore
| | - Masashi Kotobuki
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574, Singapore
| | - Chin Ho Kirk
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574, Singapore
| | - Meibo He
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Gwendolyn J H Lim
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574, Singapore
| | - Tze Chiang Albert Ng
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574, Singapore
| | - How Yong Ng
- Centre for Water Research, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576, Singapore
- NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 5A Engineering Drive 1, Singapore 117411, Singapore
| | - John Wang
- Department of Material Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574, Singapore
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Gruskevica K, Mezule L. Cleaning Methods for Ceramic Ultrafiltration Membranes Affected by Organic Fouling. Membranes (Basel) 2021; 11:membranes11020131. [PMID: 33672835 PMCID: PMC7918771 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11020131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of ceramic membranes in the treatment and processing of various liquids, including those of organic origin, has increased tremendously at the industrial level. Apart from the selection of the most appropriate membrane materials and operational conditions, suitable membrane cleaning procedures are a must to minimize fouling and increase membrane lifespan. The review summarizes currently available and practiced non-reagent and cleaning-in-place methods for ceramic membranes that are used in the treatment of organic liquids, thus causing organic fouling. Backflushing, backwashing, and ultrasound represent the most often used physical methods for reversible fouling treatment. At the same time, the use of alkalis, e.g, sodium hydroxide, acids, or strong oxidants are recommended for cleaning of irreversible fouling treatment.
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Campinas M, Viegas RMC, Coelho R, Lucas H, Rosa MJ. Adsorption/Coagulation/Ceramic Microfiltration for Treating Challenging Waters for Drinking Water Production. Membranes (Basel) 2021; 11:91. [PMID: 33514022 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11020091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pressurized powdered activated carbon/coagulation/ceramic microfiltration (PAC/Alum/MF) was investigated at pilot scale for treating low turbidity and low natural organic matter (NOM) surface waters spiked with organic microcontaminants. A total of 11 trials with clarified or non-clarified waters spiked with pesticides, pharmaceutical compounds, or microcystins were conducted to assess the removal of microcontaminants, NOM (as 254 nm absorbance, A254, and dissolved organic carbon, DOC), trihalomethane formation potential (THMFP), aerobic endospores as protozoan (oo)cysts indicators, bacteriophages as viruses indicators, and regular drinking water quality parameters. PAC/(Alum)/MF achieved 75% to complete removal of total microcontaminants with 4-18 mg/L of a mesoporous PAC and 2 h contact time, with a reliable particle separation (turbidity < 0.03 NTU) and low aluminium residuals. Microcontaminants showed different amenabilities to PAC adsorption, depending on their charge, hydrophobicity (Log Kow), polar surface area and aromatic rings count. Compounds less amenable to adsorption showed higher vulnerability to NOM competition (higher A254 waters), greatly benefiting from DOC-normalized PAC dose increase. PAC/Alum/MF also attained 29-47% NOM median removal, decreasing THMFP by 26%. PAC complemented NOM removal by coagulation (+15-19%), though with no substantial improvement towards THMFP and membrane fouling. Furthermore, PAC/Alum/MF was a full barrier against aerobic endospores, and PAC dosing was crucial for ≥1.1-log reduction in bacteriophages.
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20
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Viegas RMC, Campinas M, Coelho R, Lucas H, Rosa MJ. Hybrid Process of Adsorption/Coagulation/Ceramic MF for Removing Pesticides in Drinking Water Treatment-Inline vs. Contact Tank PAC Dosing. Membranes (Basel) 2021; 11:72. [PMID: 33498247 DOI: 10.3390/membranes11020072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Two pilot trials of powdered activated carbon (PAC)/(coagulation)/ceramic microfiltration were conducted to compare continuous 10-12 mg/L PAC inline dosing with 8-10 mg/L dosing to a 2 h-contact tank. Two low turbidity/low natural organic matter (NOM, total organic carbon <2 mg C/L) surface waters spiked with 7.2-10.3 µg/L total-pesticides were tested and the dosing options were compared towards operational performance, average removal of pesticides and NOM and costs. Removal differences between the two PAC dosing options depended on pesticides' amenability to adsorption and NOM characteristics (254 nm absorbance, A254). Waters containing low A254-absorbing NOM and only pesticides amenable to adsorption showed very high removals (all pesticides ≥93%) and no significant differences between the two PAC dosing options. Waters containing higher A254-absorbing NOM and high loads of pesticides less amenable to adsorption (dimethoate, bentazone) required higher inline PAC dose. Those or more severe conditions may require PAC doses higher than tested to comply with the Drinking Water Directive limits for pesticides. Cost analysis showed PAC inline dosing is more cost-effective than PAC dosing to the contact tank when identical PAC dose is sufficient or when the doses are low, even if 50% higher for inline dosing, and the plant is small.
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21
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Kujawa J, Głodek M, Koter I, Ośmiałowski B, Knozowska K, Al-Gharabli S, Dumée LF, Kujawski W. Molecular Decoration of Ceramic Supports for Highly Effective Enzyme Immobilization-Material Approach. Materials (Basel) 2021; 14:E201. [PMID: 33401646 DOI: 10.3390/ma14010201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
A highly effective method was developed to functionalize ceramic supports (Al2O3 powders and membranes) using newly synthesized spacer molecules. The functionalized materials were subsequently utilized for Candida antarctica lipase B enzyme immobilization. The objective is to systematically evaluate the impact of various spacer molecules grafted onto the alumina materials will affect both the immobilization of the enzymes and specific material surface properties, critical to enzymatic reactors performance. The enzyme loading was significantly improved for the supports modified with shorter spacer molecules, which possessed higher grafting effectiveness on the order of 90%. The specific enzyme activity was found to be much higher for samples functionalized with longer modifiers yielding excellent enantioselectivity >97%. However, the enantiomeric ratio of the immobilized lipase was slightly lower in the case of shorter spacer molecules.
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22
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Astudillo-Castro C, Cordova A, Oyanedel-Craver V, Soto-Maldonado C, Valencia P, Henriquez P, Jimenez-Flores R. Prediction of the Limiting Flux and Its Correlation with the Reynolds Number during the Microfiltration of Skim Milk Using an Improved Model. Foods 2020; 9:E1621. [PMID: 33172214 DOI: 10.3390/foods9111621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Limiting flux (JL) determination is a critical issue for membrane processing. This work presents a modified exponential model for JL calculation, based on a previously published version. Our research focused on skim milk microfiltrations. The processing variables studied were the crossflow velocity (CFV), membrane hydraulic diameter (dh), temperature, and concentration factor, totaling 62 experimental runs. Results showed that, by adding a new parameter called minimum transmembrane pressure, the modified model not only improved the fit of the experimental data compared to the former version (R2 > 97.00%), but also revealed the existence of a minimum transmembrane pressure required to obtain flux (J). This result is observed as a small shift to the right on J versus transmembrane pressure curves, and this shift increases with the flow velocity. This fact was reported in other investigations, but so far has gone uninvestigated. The JL predicted values were correlated with the Reynolds number (Re) for each dh tested. Results showed that for a same Re; JL increased as dh decreased; in a wide range of Re within the turbulent regime. Finally, from dimensionless correlations; a unique expression JL = f (Re, dh) was obtained; predicting satisfactorily JL (R2 = 84.11%) for the whole set of experiments
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Hakami MW, Alkhudhiri A, Al-Batty S, Zacharof MP, Maddy J, Hilal N. Ceramic Microfiltration Membranes in Wastewater Treatment: Filtration Behavior, Fouling and Prevention. Membranes (Basel) 2020; 10:E248. [PMID: 32971963 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10090248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, integrated microfiltration (MF) membrane systems treatment is becoming widely popular due to its feasibility, process reliability, commercial availability, modularity, relative insensitivity in case of wastewater of various industrial sources as well as raw water treatment and lower operating costs. The well thought out, designed and implemented use of membranes can decrease capital cost, reduce chemical usage, and require little maintenance. Due to their resistance to extreme operating conditions and cleaning protocols, ceramic MF membranes are gradually becoming more employed in the drinking water and wastewater treatment industries when compared with organic and polymeric membranes. Regardless of their many advantages, during continuous operation these membranes are susceptible to a fouling process that can be detrimental for successful and continuous plant operations. Chemical and microbial agents including suspended particles, organic matter particulates, microorganisms and heavy metals mainly contribute to fouling, a complex multifactorial phenomenon. Several strategies, such as chemical cleaning protocols, turbulence promoters and backwashing with air or liquids are currently used in the industry, mainly focusing around early prevention and treatment, so that the separation efficiency of MF membranes will not decrease over time. Other strategies include combining coagulation with either inorganic or organic coagulants, with membrane treatment which can potentially enhance pollutants retention and reduce membrane fouling.
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Storms M, Kadhem AJ, Xiang S, Bernards M, Gentile GJ, Fidalgo de Cortalezzi MM. Enhancement of the Fouling Resistance of Zwitterion Coated Ceramic Membranes. Membranes (Basel) 2020; 10:E210. [PMID: 32872489 DOI: 10.3390/membranes10090210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Ceramic membranes suffer from rapid permeability loss during filtration of organic matter due to their fouling propensity. To address this problem, iron oxide ultrafiltration membranes were coated with poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (polySBMA), a superhydrophilic zwitterionic polymer. The ceramic-organic hybrid membrane was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical profilometry (OP). Membranes with and without polySBMA coating were subjected to fouling with bovine serum albumin solution. Hydraulic cleaning was significantly more effective for the coated membrane than for the non-coated one, as 56%, 66%, and 100% of the fouling was removed for the first, second, and third filtration cycle, respectively. Therefore, we can highlight the improved cleaning due to an increased fouling reversibility. Although some loss of polymer during operation was detected, it did not affect the improved behavior of the tested membranes.
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Yang Z, Zhou Y, Feng Z, Rui X, Zhang T, Zhang Z. A Review on Reverse Osmosis and Nanofiltration Membranes for Water Purification. Polymers (Basel) 2019; 11:E1252. [PMID: 31362430 PMCID: PMC6723865 DOI: 10.3390/polym11081252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustainable and affordable supply of clean, safe, and adequate water is one of the most challenging issues facing the world. Membrane separation technology is one of the most cost-effective and widely applied technologies for water purification. Polymeric membranes such as cellulose-based (CA) membranes and thin-film composite (TFC) membranes have dominated the industry since 1980. Although further development of polymeric membranes for better performance is laborious, the research findings and sustained progress in inorganic membrane development have grown fast and solve some remaining problems. In addition to conventional ceramic metal oxide membranes, membranes prepared by graphene oxide (GO), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and mixed matrix materials (MMMs) have attracted enormous attention due to their desirable properties such as tunable pore structure, excellent chemical, mechanical, and thermal tolerance, good salt rejection and/or high water permeability. This review provides insight into synthesis approaches and structural properties of recent reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes which are used to retain dissolved species such as heavy metals, electrolytes, and inorganic salts in various aqueous solutions. A specific focus has been placed on introducing and comparing water purification performance of different classes of polymeric and ceramic membranes in related water treatment industries. Furthermore, the development challenges and research opportunities of organic and inorganic membranes are discussed and the further perspectives are analyzed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi Yang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2041 N. College Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Yi Zhou
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2041 N. College Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Zhiyuan Feng
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, 2041 N. College Road, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Xiaobo Rui
- State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instrument, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zhien Zhang
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Ayral A. Ceramic Membranes Photocatalytically Functionalized on the Permeate Side and Their Application to Water Treatment. Membranes (Basel) 2019; 9:E64. [PMID: 31126136 DOI: 10.3390/membranes9050064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Revised: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This work deals with direct coupling of membrane separation and photocatalytic degradation by using photocatalytic ceramic membranes. An unusual configuration is considered here, with the irradiation applied on the permeate side of the membrane in order to mineralize small organic molecules not retained by the membrane. Different types of such membranes are presented. Their functional performance is quantified thanks to a simple experimental method enabling the estimation of the specific degradation rate δ, i.e., the quantity of destroyed organic molecules per unit of time and of membrane surface area. The relevance of δ for the design and scale-up of purification units is then illustrated. Finally, current technological challenges and potential solutions concerning the industrial implementation of such photocatalytic membranes are discussed.
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Heidebrecht HJ, Toro-Sierra J, Kulozik U. Concentration of Immunoglobulins in Microfiltration Permeates of Skim Milk: Impact of Transmembrane Pressure and Temperature on the IgG Transmission Using Different Ceramic Membrane Types and Pore Sizes. Foods 2018; 7:foods7070101. [PMID: 29958476 PMCID: PMC6068916 DOI: 10.3390/foods7070101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of bioactive bovine milk immunoglobulins (Ig) has been found to be an alternative treatment for certain human gastrointestinal diseases. Some methodologies have been developed with bovine colostrum. These are considered in laboratory scale and are bound to high cost and limited availability of the raw material. The main challenge remains in obtaining high amounts of active IgG from an available source as mature cow milk by the means of industrial processes. Microfiltration (MF) was chosen as a process variant, which enables a gentle and effective concentration of the Ig fractions (ca. 0.06% in raw milk) while reducing casein and lactose at the same time. Different microfiltration membranes (ceramic standard and gradient), pore sizes (0.14–0.8 µm), transmembrane pressures (0.5–2.5 bar), and temperatures (10, 50 °C) were investigated. The transmission of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and casein during the filtration of raw skim milk (<0.1% fat) was evaluated during batch filtration using a single channel pilot plant. The transmission levels of IgG (~160 kDa) were measured to be at the same level as the reference major whey protein β-Lg (~18 kDa) at all evaluated pore sizes and process parameters despite the large difference in molecular mass of both fractions. Ceramic gradient membranes with a pore sizes of 0.14 µm showed IgG-transmission rates between 45% to 65% while reducing the casein fraction below 1% in the permeates. Contrary to the expectations, a lower pore size of 0.14 µm yielded fluxes up to 35% higher than 0.2 µm MF membranes. It was found that low transmembrane pressures benefit the Ig transmission. Upscaling the presented results to a continuous MF membrane process offers new possibilities for the production of immunoglobulin enriched supplements with well-known processing equipment for large scale milk protein fractionation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans-Jürgen Heidebrecht
- Chair for Food and Bioprocess Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
| | - José Toro-Sierra
- Chair for Food and Bioprocess Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
- Kraft Foods R&D Inc./Mondelēz International GmbH, 82008 Unterhaching, Germany.
| | - Ulrich Kulozik
- Chair for Food and Bioprocess Engineering, Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
- ZIEL Institute for Food & Health, Technical University of Munich, Weihenstephaner Berg 1, 85354 Freising, Germany.
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Kujawa J, Al-Gharabli S, Kujawski W, Knozowska K. Molecular Grafting of Fluorinated and Nonfluorinated Alkylsiloxanes on Various Ceramic Membrane Surfaces for the Removal of Volatile Organic Compounds Applying Vacuum Membrane Distillation. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2017; 9:6571-6590. [PMID: 28124901 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b14835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Four main tasks were presented: (i) ceramic membrane functionalization (TiO2 5 kDa and 300 kDa), (ii) extended material characterization (physicochemistry and tribology) of pristine and modified ceramic samples, (iii) evaluation of chemical and mechanical stability, and finally (iv) assessment of membrane efficiency in vacuum membrane distillation applied for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) removal from water. Highly efficient molecular grafting with four types of perfluoroalkylsilanes and one nonfluorinated agent was developed. Materials with controllable tribological and physicochemical properties were achieved. The most meaningful finding is associated with the applicability of fluorinated and nonfluorinated grafting agents. The results of contact angle, hysteresis of contact angle, sliding angle, and critical surface tension as well as Young's modulus, nanohardness, and adhesion force for grafting by these two modifiers are comparable. This provides insight into the potential applicability of environmental friendly hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces. The achieved hydrophobic membranes were very effective in the removal of VOCs (butanol, methyl-tert-butyl ether, and ethyl acetate) from binary aqueous solutions in vacuum membrane distillation. The correlation between membrane effectiveness and separated solvent polarity was compared in terms of material properties and resistance to the wetting (kinetics of wetting and in-depth liquid penetration). Material properties were interpreted considering Zisman theory and using Kao diagram. The significant influence of surface chemistry on the membrane performance was noticed (5 kDa, influence of hydrophobic nanolayer and separation controlled by solution-diffusion model; 300 kDa, no impact of surface chemistry and separation controlled by liquid-vapor equilibrium).
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kujawa
- Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Samer Al-Gharabli
- Pharmaceutical and Chemical Engineering Department, German-Jordanian University , Amman 11180, Jordan
| | - Wojciech Kujawski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Torun, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Knozowska
- Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Torun, Poland
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29
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Darvishmanesh S, Van der Bruggen B. Mass Transport through Nanostructured Membranes: Towards a Predictive Tool. Membranes (Basel) 2016; 6:membranes6040049. [PMID: 27918434 PMCID: PMC5192405 DOI: 10.3390/membranes6040049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study proposes a new mechanism to understand the transport of solvents through nanostructured membranes from a fundamental point of view. The findings are used to develop readily applicable mathematical models to predict solvent fluxes and solute rejections through solvent resistant membranes used for nanofiltration. The new model was developed based on a pore-flow type of transport. New parameters found to be of fundamental importance were introduced to the equation, i.e., the affinity of the solute and the solvent for the membrane expressed as the hydrogen-bonding contribution of the solubility parameter for the solute, solvent and membrane. A graphical map was constructed to predict the solute rejection based on the hydrogen-bonding contribution of the solubility parameter. The model was evaluated with performance data from the literature. Both the solvent flux and the solute rejection calculated with the new approach were similar to values reported in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siavash Darvishmanesh
- ProcESS-Process Engineering for Sustainable Systems, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Leuven B-3001, Belgium.
| | - Bart Van der Bruggen
- ProcESS-Process Engineering for Sustainable Systems, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, Leuven B-3001, Belgium.
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Clark Wooten MK, Koganti VR, Zhou S, Rankin SE, Knutson BL. Synthesis and Nanofiltration Membrane Performance of Oriented Mesoporous Silica Thin Films on Macroporous Supports. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:21806-21815. [PMID: 27479791 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b06765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Silica thin films with accessible hexagonal close-packed (HCP) pores have been deposited on macroporous supports to achieve composite nanofiltration membranes. The properties of these pore channels have been characterized through solvent flux and solute diffusion experiments. A chemically neutral surface (provided by a cross-linked layer of P123 copolymer) for silica thin film synthesis on the alumina macroporous support promotes the alignment of HCP channels vertical to the substrate, where the mesopore templating agent is block copolymer P123 (poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol)). Vertical pore alignment is achieved for thin films (less than ∼100 nm) on a neutral surface and by sandwiching thicker films (∼240 nm) between two chemically neutral surfaces. Solvent flux through the composite membranes is consistent with accessible 10 nm diameter pores. Size selectivity of the membranes is characterized from the permeability of fluorescently tagged solutes (ranging from 4000 to 70 000 Da), where a size cut off occurs at 69 000 Da for the model protein bovine serum albumin. These permeability studies of the nanofiltration membranes serve to demonstrate solute transport in oriented silica thin film membranes and also highlight their versatility for membrane-based separations.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kaitlyn Clark Wooten
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky 177 F. Paul Anderson Tower, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0046, United States
| | - Venkat R Koganti
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky 177 F. Paul Anderson Tower, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0046, United States
| | - Shanshan Zhou
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky 177 F. Paul Anderson Tower, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0046, United States
| | - Stephen E Rankin
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky 177 F. Paul Anderson Tower, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0046, United States
| | - Barbara L Knutson
- Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Kentucky 177 F. Paul Anderson Tower, Lexington, Kentucky 40506-0046, United States
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31
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Kujawa J, Cerneaux S, Kujawski W, Bryjak M, Kujawski J. How To Functionalize Ceramics by Perfluoroalkylsilanes for Membrane Separation Process? Properties and Application of Hydrophobized Ceramic Membranes. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:7564-7577. [PMID: 26925614 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.6b00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The combination of microscopic (atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy) and goniometric (static and dynamic measurements) techniques, and surface characterization (surface free energy determination, critical surface tension, liquid entry pressure, hydraulic permeability) was implemented to discuss the influence of perfluoroalkylsilanes structure and grafting time on the physicochemistry of the created hydrophobic surfaces on the titania ceramic membranes of 5 kD and 300 kD. The impact of molecular structure of perfluoroalkylsilanes modifiers (possessing from 6 to 12 carbon atoms in the fluorinated part of the alkyl chain) and the time of the functionalization process in the range of 5 to 35 h was studied. Based on the scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, it was found that the localization of grafting molecules depends on the membrane pore size (5 kD or 300 kD). In the case of 5 kD titania membranes, modifiers are attached mainly on the surface and only partially inside the membrane pores, whereas, for 300 kD membranes, the perfluoroalkylsilanes molecules are present within the whole porous structure of the membranes. The application of 4 various types of PFAS molecules enabled for interesting observations and remarks. It was explained how to obtain ceramic membrane surfaces with controlled material (contact angle, roughness, contact angle hysteresis) and separation properties. Highly hydrophobic surfaces with low values of contact angle hysteresis and low roughness were obtained. These surfaces possessed also low values of critical surface tension, which means that surfaces are highly resistant to wetting. This finding is crucial in membrane applicability in separation processes. The obtained and characterized hydrophobic membranes were subsequently applied in air-gap membrane distillation processes. All membranes were very efficient in MD processes, showing good transport and selective properties (∼99% of NaCl salt rejection). Depending on the membrane pore size and used modifiers, the permeate flux was in the range of 0.5-4.5 kg·m(-2)·h(-1) and 0.3-4.2 kg·m(-2)·h(-1) for 5 kD and 300 kD membranes, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kujawa
- Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , Faculty of Chemistry, 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Sophie Cerneaux
- Institut Europeen des Membranes, UMR 5635 , Place Eugene Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex 5, France
| | - Wojciech Kujawski
- Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , Faculty of Chemistry, 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Marek Bryjak
- Department of Polymer & Carbon Materials, Wrocław University of Technology , 27 Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
| | - Jan Kujawski
- Department of Polymer & Carbon Materials, Wrocław University of Technology , 27 Wyspianskiego Street, 50-370 Wrocław, Poland
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32
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Kujawa J, Kujawski W. Functionalization of Ceramic Metal Oxide Powders and Ceramic Membranes by Perfluoroalkylsilanes and Alkylsilanes Possessing Different Reactive Groups: Physicochemical and Tribological Properties. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces 2016; 8:7509-7521. [PMID: 26919087 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b11975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The functionalization of ceramic materials, metal oxide powders (TiO2 and ZrO2), and ceramic membranes (5 kD TiO2 and 300 kD TiO2) was performed and thoroughly discussed. The objective of the functionalization was to change the natively hydrophilic character to the hydrophobic. The hydrophilic character of the ceramics generates limitations in wider application of such materials. Material functionalization was performed using perfluoroalkylsilanes and trifunctional(octyl)silanes possessing three different reactive functional groups: -Cl, -OMe, and -OEt. The characterization of functionalized metal oxide powders and ceramic membranes was assessed by a combination of various analytical methods and techniques: NMR, TGA, HR-TEM, FT-IR, SEM-EDX, AFM, and contact goniometry. The impact of molecular structure of grafting agents (type of reactive group), time of functionalization process (5-15 min), and type of membrane morphology on the material, physicochemical, and tribological properties was studied. Effectiveness of hydrophobization was confirmed by HR-TEM technique. The thickness of the attached hydrophobic nanolayer on the surface of ceramics was around 2.2 nm. It was found that the stable hydrophobic surfaces were obtained by functionalization with both fluorinated and nonfluorinated modifiers. The materials modified with perfluoroalkylsilanes (FC6OEt3) and trichloro(octyl)silanes (C6Cl3) during 15 min hydrophobization possess comparable properties: contact angle (CA) equal to 130° and 133°; roughness RMS of 10.2 and 12 nm; adhesive force of 4.1 and 5.7 nN; and Young modulus of 135 and 130 GPa, respectively. The relation between hydrophobicity level and ceramic membrane roughness was discussed applying the Kao diagram concept. (29)Si NMR results show that type of modifier has an important influence on grafting efficiency and on the mode of the grafting molecules attachment. In case of grafting with n-octyltrichlorosilane (C6OCl3) and n-octyltrimethoxysilane (C6OMe3), an increase of lateral polymerization across the octylsilane layer was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Kujawa
- Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Wojciech Kujawski
- Faculty of Chemistry, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń , 7 Gagarina Street, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
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Wang B, Lee M, Li K. YSZ-Reinforced Alumina Multi-Channel Capillary Membranes for Micro-Filtration. Membranes (Basel) 2015; 6:membranes6010005. [PMID: 26729178 PMCID: PMC4812411 DOI: 10.3390/membranes6010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The combined phase-inversion and sintering method not only produces ceramic hollow fibre membranes with much lower fabrication costs than conventional methods, but these membranes can also be designed to have greatly reduced transport resistances for filtration processes. The bottleneck of this technique is the weak mechanical property of the fibres, due to the small dimensions and the brittle nature of the ceramic materials. In this study, yttrium stabilised zirconia (YSZ) reinforced alumina seven-channel capillary microfiltration membranes were prepared with a pore size of ~230 nm and their mechanical property and permeation characteristics were studied. It is found that the addition of YSZ can effectively enhance the mechanical property of the membrane and also increase pure water permeation flux. The Al2O3-YSZ seven-channel capillary membranes could reach a fracture load of 23.4 N and a bending extension of 0.54 mm when being tested with a 6 cm span, to meet the requirements for most industrial microfiltration applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Wang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Melanie Lee
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
| | - Kang Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
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34
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Kassu A, Farley C 3rd, Sharma A, Kim W, Guo J. Effect of Pore Size and Film Thickness on Gold-Coated Nanoporous Anodic Aluminum Oxide Substrates for Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Sensor. Sensors (Basel) 2015; 15:29924-37. [PMID: 26633402 DOI: 10.3390/s151229778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 11/14/2015] [Accepted: 11/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A sensitive surface enhanced Raman scattering chemical sensor is demonstrated by using inexpensive gold-coated nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide substrates. To optimize the performance of the substrates for sensing by the Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique, the size of the nanopores is varied from 18 nm to 150 nm and the gold film thickness is varied from 30 nm to 120 nm. The sensitivity of gold-coated nanoporous surface enhanced Raman scattering sensor is characterized by detecting low concentrations of Rhodamine 6G laser dye molecules. The morphology of the SERS substrates is characterized by atomic force microscopy. Optical properties of the nanoporous SERS substrates including transmittance, reflectance, and absorbance are also investigated. Relative signal enhancement is plotted for a range of substrate parameters and a detection limit of 10−6 M is established.
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35
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Adams MC, Barbano DM. Effect of ceramic membrane channel diameter on limiting retentate protein concentration during skim milk microfiltration. J Dairy Sci 2015; 99:167-82. [PMID: 26519975 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-9897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Our objective was to determine the effect of retentate flow channel diameter (4 or 6mm) of nongraded permeability 100-nm pore size ceramic membranes operated in nonuniform transmembrane pressure mode on the limiting retentate protein concentration (LRPC) while microfiltering (MF) skim milk at a temperature of 50°C, a flux of 55 kg · m(-2) · h(-1), and an average cross-flow velocity of 7 m · s(-1). At the above conditions, the retentate true protein concentration was incrementally increased from 7 to 11.5%. When temperature, flux, and average cross-flow velocity were controlled, ceramic membrane retentate flow channel diameter did not affect the LRPC. This indicates that LRPC is not a function of the Reynolds number. Computational fluid dynamics data, which indicated that both membranes had similar radial velocity profiles within their retentate flow channels, supported this finding. Membranes with 6-mm flow channels can be operated at a lower pressure decrease from membrane inlet to membrane outlet (ΔP) or at a higher cross-flow velocity, depending on which is controlled, than membranes with 4-mm flow channels. This implies that 6-mm membranes could achieve a higher LRPC than 4-mm membranes at the same ΔP due to an increase in cross-flow velocity. In theory, the higher LRPC of the 6-mm membranes could facilitate 95% serum protein removal in 2 MF stages with diafiltration between stages if no serum protein were rejected by the membrane. At the same flux, retentate protein concentration, and average cross-flow velocity, 4-mm membranes require 21% more energy to remove a given amount of permeate than 6-mm membranes, despite the lower surface area of the 6-mm membranes. Equations to predict skim milk MF retentate viscosity as a function of protein concentration and temperature are provided. Retentate viscosity, retentate recirculation pump frequency required to maintain a given cross-flow velocity at a given retentate viscosity, and retentate protein determination by mid-infrared spectrophotometry were all useful tools for monitoring the retentate protein concentration to ensure a sustainable MF process. Using 6-mm membranes instead of 4-mm membranes would be advantageous for processors who wish to reduce energy costs or maximize the protein concentration of a MF retentate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael C Adams
- Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - David M Barbano
- Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
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