Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Zhang, Shuili Yu, Rongsheng Ning, Pan Li, Xingli Ji, Ying Xu
Summary: A laboratory-scale VMD system coupled with MBA was developed for treating high-salinity brine with organic matters. The study found that a thin and loose organic-fouling layer did not affect the permeate flux, while a compact and protective crystals/organic-fouling layer prevented the intrusion of scaling ions. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that organics had a high tendency to adsorb on the membrane surface before inorganic scaling. Furthermore, MBA effectively alleviated membrane fouling, removing nearly 50% of salt precipitation with a consumption of about 2.2% of total energy.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yaxin Wang, Can Yuan, Ke Zhou, Qilin Gu, Wenheng Jing, Zhaoxiang Zhong, Weihong Xing
Summary: Janus silicon carbide (SiC) membranes with selectively controlled surface wettability were designed and prepared. The hydrophobic and amphiphobic modifiers were used to create different surface properties on each side of the membrane, which affected the emulsification performance. The amphiphobic-hydrophilic Janus membranes achieved high emulsification efficiency and had improved anti-fouling ability.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Siddharth Gupta, Hassan Gomaa, Madhumita B. Ray
Summary: The potential of membrane fouling in a submerged membrane reactor due to particle deposition was investigated using aeration and membrane oscillations. Experimental and simulation results showed that membrane oscillation was a more effective fouling mitigation strategy compared to aeration, with higher shear rates. Photocatalytic degradation was used to characterize the system performance, and the results confirmed the superiority of membrane oscillation.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Wei Zhang, Shuili Yu, Haodi Zhao, Xingli Ji, Rongsheng Ning
Summary: In this study, a laboratory-scale vacuum membrane distillation system was used to treat seawater concentrate. The effects of temperature, vacuum pressure, and ionic composition on the system performance were investigated. It was found that the presence or absence of scaling ions significantly affected the system performance. Additionally, microbubble aeration cleaning was proposed as an effective method to mitigate membrane fouling.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chunhong Shi, Bo Yan, Xiangmeng Zuo, Cheng Wang, Zifu Li, Lixin Zhu
Summary: This study investigated the effect of aeration mode on membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for rural greywater treatment. The results showed that the permeability of MBRs in intermittent aeration mode was higher than that in the continuous aeration mode, and the TN and TP removal rates were also higher. The hollow-fiber membrane was more susceptible to biofilm formation and biological fouling compared to the flat-sheet organic membrane. The relative abundance of Thermomonas was positively correlated with EPS concentration, indicating its involvement in EPS synthesis. This study provides important insights for evaluating the influence of aeration modes on MBRs and improving membrane fouling control in rural greywater treatment.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chunhong Shi, Bo Yan, Xiangmeng Zuo, Cheng Wang, Zifu Li, Lixin Zhu
Summary: This study investigated the effect of aeration mode on membrane bioreactors (MBRs) for rural greywater treatment using self-designed hollow fiber and flat sheet MBRs. The study systematically analyzed pollutant removal efficiency, sludge characteristics, and membrane fouling mechanisms under intermittent and continuous aeration modes. The results showed that MBRs under intermittent aeration had higher permeability and better removal rates of nitrogen and phosphorus compared to continuous aeration. The study also identified Thermomonas as a participant in extracellular polymeric substance synthesis. Overall, this study provides valuable insights for evaluating the influence of aeration modes on MBRs and guiding better control of membrane fouling and greywater treatment.
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kaixin Yi, Yichen Ouyang, Jinhui Huang, Haoliang Pang, Chunhua Liu, Wenli Shu, Cong Ye, Jinkun Guo
Summary: Microbial quorum quenching (QQ) is an effective approach to mitigate biofouling in MBRs by reducing biopolymers production and improving sludge conditions. This study investigated the impact of aeration rate on the performance, membrane fouling, and energy consumption of QQ-MBR and C-MBR. It was found that QQ significantly mitigates biofouling, but the efficiency is lowest at high aeration intensity. QQ also reduces the content of SMP and EPS in sludge, with better performance at moderate aeration intensity. High aeration intensity results in the highest energy consumption, while QQ can optimize energy consumption by minimizing aeration intensity.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Liguo Shen, Qihang Wu, Qunfeng Ye, Hongjun Lin, Jianzhen Zhang, Cheng Chen, Rong Yue, Jiaheng Teng, Huachang Hong, Bao-Qiang Liao
Summary: A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used to simulate the hydrodynamic characteristics of a flat sheet membrane bioreactor (MBR). The optimization of membrane module configuration and operating conditions was performed to mitigate membrane fouling. Increasing the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration was found to improve the uniform distribution of shear stress. Additionally, a novel in-situ aeration method dramatically improved the turbulence and bubble distribution.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Shengying Yang, Saade Abdalkareem Jasim, Dmitry Bokov, Supat Chupradit, Ali Taghvaie Nakhjiri, A. S. El-Shafay
Summary: Membrane distillation is a promising membrane-based separation technique with potential industrial applications. However, the lack of information about membrane types, module specifications, and techno-economic data hinders its widespread use. This paper provides an overview of the advantages and challenges of membrane distillation and proposes strategies to address fouling and wetting issues.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Ying Liu, Liguo Shen, Zhengyi Huang, Jiahao Liu, Yanchao Xu, Renjie Li, Meijia Zhang, Huachang Hong, Hongjun Lin
Summary: In this study, a PVDF-Ni-Co membrane was fabricated using an in-situ reduction method, showing excellent conductivity, magnetism, and in-situ micro-aeration function. The membrane exhibited outstanding decoloration efficiency to RB, CR, and MB solutions, with a rejection rate of 98.33% to CR solution. Additionally, in-situ micro-aeration was confirmed to be critical in enhancing membrane antifouling performance.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Weilong Song, Dong Xu, Xuan Yang, Jian Li, Pin Zhao, Xinhua Wang, How Yong Ng
Summary: Zwitterionic surface engineering was employed to improve the antifouling ability of hollow-fiber membranes. A flow-through coating method using zwitterionic organosilica material was used to introduce zwitterions onto the membrane, which was then incorporated into a membrane bioreactor (MBR) to demonstrate enhanced fouling control. The zwitterion-coated membrane showed superior fouling resistance in the MBR, with improved critical flux, extended fouling cycle, and higher resistance to key foulants such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and soluble microbial polymer (SMP). The interfacial free energy analysis revealed that zwitterions altered the interfacial interaction between the membrane and the fouling substances, leading to elevated energy barrier for foulants attachment.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhenhua Lue, Guoliang Ding, Meihong Liu, Sanchuan Yu, Congjie Gao
Summary: In this study, a new coating layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/polyquaternium-10 (PQ10) was developed on the surface of polyamide-based reverse osmosis (RO) membrane. Permeation tests showed that the incorporation of PQ10 into PVA significantly enhanced the water permeation ability of the coating layer. The coated membrane exhibited excellent anti-fouling performance and improved durability against chemical agents.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Libing Zheng, Min Tang, Yize Wang, Deyin Hou, Xiaoyu Li, Jun Wang
Summary: A novel Janus membrane was developed with Cu-BTC metal-organic frameworks coating on PVDF membrane, showing excellent anti-oil-fouling and anti-NOM-fouling properties. The main antifouling mechanisms included hydration layer formation, slip boundary effect, and electrostatic repulsion. Inorganic fouling was predominant for high CP and inorganic-organic coupling, while humic acid exhibited stronger hydrogen bond interactions in the Janus membrane.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Xiaolei Zhang, Xuedi Chai, Jianxin Liu, Runxin Wang, Yu Yang, Xiangting He
Summary: The study found that in membrane filtration, the internal factor affecting the penetration of carbohydrate oil droplets is surface wettability, while the external factors are trans-membrane pressure and cross flow rate. Under different water flow conditions, the motion and deformation of oil droplets have different patterns, affecting the form of pollution.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sanghun Park, Moon Son, Jaegyu Shim, Kwanho Jeong, Kyung Hwa Cho
Summary: This study compared chemical cleaning with OBW-assisted chemical cleaning for removing organic fouling from reverse osmosis membranes. The use of OBW increased the water permeability coefficient of the fouled membrane, improving water flux by up to 10.8%. In-situ monitoring revealed that pore generation below the fouling layer helped to dissociate the fouling layer and facilitated rapid encounter between the cleaning agent and foulants. Characterization of the fouled membrane showed that applying OBW before chemical cleaning enhanced membrane cleaning efficiency.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yunfei Yu, Xue Yang, Chenchen Zhang, Jie Chen, Wei Lin, Jianqiang Meng
Summary: This study reports an environmentally friendly and simple approach for preparing double-network (DN) ion gel membranes with high strength and excellent gas separation performance. By optimizing crosslinking density, mass ratio, and the type and content of free ionic liquid, the mechanical and gas separation properties of the DN membrane are improved.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Si-qi Jiang, Qiang Gao, Xi-guang Li, Chao-zhu Deng, Jun Qiu, Xiang-nan Zhu
Summary: A dual-strengthening pretreatment method is proposed to remove PVDF more efficiently and enhance the leaching of LiCoO2. Experimental results show that dual-strengthening pretreatment can effectively remove PVDF and significantly improve the leaching efficiency compared to single pretreatment methods.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zengchi Hu, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiaohui Zhang, Xue Li, Jiangbin Xia
Summary: The rapid fabrication of high-performance composite membranes based on CMPs using simple and low-cost methods is challenging. In this study, three CMPs-based composite membranes were rapidly fabricated with adjustable size using unidirectional diffusion synthesis. The microstructural design enhanced the rejection rates of the membranes and they showed strong hydrolytic resistance, thermal stability, and acid-base resistance. Electrostatic adsorption and the adjustable microstructures significantly varied the repellence of the membranes to different charged molecules.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Farzaneh Rouhani, Matineh Ayedi, Nasser Safari
Summary: Introducing defects into porous metal-organic frameworks is important for improving their adsorption performance. Quasi-MOFs, an underutilized variant of large-scale, fundamentally deficient MOFs, have been found to have substantial amounts of unsaturated metal sites to offset the drawbacks of MOFs. In this study, a quasi-MOF was produced using a water-stable MOF and demonstrated significantly improved phosphate adsorption capability due to the presence of defect sites.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Valentin Reungoat, Morad Chadni, Louis M. M. Mouterde, Fanny Brunissen, Florent Allais, Helene Ducatel, Irina Ioannou
Summary: This study focuses on the recovery of sinapic acid using liquid-liquid extraction assisted by a hollow fiber membrane contactor from an aqueous feed obtained through the hydrolysis of mustard bran. The screening of solvents of different chemical nature showed that all tested solvents had an extraction efficiency of more than 80% for pH < 5. Four solvents were selected for use in the hollow fiber membrane contactor, and the volatile solvents showed higher mass transfer coefficients compared to non-volatile solvents. The extraction efficiency was intensified by increasing the initial concentration of sinapic acid and the feed-to-solvent ratio. CPME was found to have optimal recovery efficiency at a phase ratio of 8:1, yielding 0.9 g of sinapic acid per liter of CPME used.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Takahiro Sakamoto, Takafumi Hanada, Hayate Sato, Mayu Kamisono, Masahiro Goto
Summary: The emergence of the battery society has led to a high demand for battery metals, resulting in a strain on their supply. This study introduces a novel technique using a hydrophobic deep eutectic solvent (DES) for leaching and recovering battery metals from low-grade nickel laterite ores. The DES enables selective leaching and recovery of the metals, offering a promising pathway for the extraction of critical battery metals.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Rongrong He, Jiarui Chen, Chunyao Zhang, Dan Lu, Lin Zhang, Tao He
Summary: Researcher has developed a method to quantify the charge density in nanofiltration (NF) membrane separation layer and applied it in NF membranes that can separate Mg2+ and Li+. The results showed that overcompensated amine groups played a major role, and there was a linear relationship between charge density and coating bi-layers or PAH layers.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhijian Zhang, Min Chen, Zhe Lin, Zhichao Yang, Yafeng Du, Zhihui Chen, Zhenhao Yang, Kongyin Zhao, Ligang Lin
Summary: Membrane technology plays an important role in molecular/ion separation processes, but faces challenges such as membrane fouling. This study introduces a new ion-crosslinking method to fabricate copper alginate hydrogel membranes with improved mechanical strength and antimicrobial capabilities. The membranes exhibit excellent separation performance and enhanced long-term molecule/ion separation through improved anti-swelling properties. Molecular dynamics simulations and life cycle analysis highlight the pore structure and environmental friendliness of the hydrogel membranes. These findings provide valuable insights for developing sustainable hydrogel membranes with stable performance and high separation efficiency.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dongmei Liu, Aiying Guo, Yanling Qi, Zhixin Ji, Hongjuan Li, Zhiwei Zhang, Xinyue Zhang, Kunze Wu, Aijun Cai
Summary: In this study, a stable magnetic Mg/Mn-layered double oxide-doped biochar composite (MgMnLDO-MBC) was prepared and successfully used for the removal of antibiotics and bacteria from wastewater. The composite exhibited enhanced surface areas, adsorption sites, and free radicals, leading to improved catalytic activity. The effects of different factors on the removal efficiency were evaluated, and the composite showed good reusability.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Feng Wang, Zhaoyong Bian, Yaru Zhang, Wenchao Yu, Qiang Zhang, Hui Wang
Summary: In this study, a nanofibrous layered structure of Ff-Ti3C2Tx-Co3O4 was prepared by self-assembling nanofibrous Co3O4 with lamellar fluorine-free MXene (Ff-Ti3C2Tx). The Ff-Ti3C2Tx-Co3O4 exhibited excellent catalytic activity for degradation, resistant to ionic interference, and maintained high removal efficiency of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) in municipal wastewater. The rapid SMX degradation involved fast electron transfer in redox cycles with PMS and the generation of 1O2 via PMS ->center dot O2 -> 1O2. This work provides new insights into antibiotic degradation mechanisms and electron transfer based on PMS activation.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Weipeng He, Jiacheng Luo, Yujie Wu, Tianhao Luo, Chen Tang
Summary: This study comparatively evaluated the role of cationic, anionic, and nonionic polyacrylamides (PAMs) in ballasted flocculation of clay suspensions under different aluminum sulfate (AS) coagulant dosages. The selection of PAMs and AS dosage had a significant influence on the size and shear resistance of ballasted floc aggregates.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Lixian Wang, Lizhi Zhao, Didi Si, Zhixin Li, Huiqin An, Hui Ye, Qingping Xin, Hong Li, Yuzhong Zhang
Summary: Metalloporphyrin-based nanozymes integrated with poly (vinylidene fluoride) membrane show high catalytic activity and reusability for the decolorization of Congo Red dye in continuous flow process.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yongfei Ma, Chenyu Zeng, Yongzhen Ding, Jiayi Tang, Ondrej Masek, Zhikang Deng, Rui Mu, Zulin Zhang
Summary: In this study, sludge-derived biochar (SBC) was functionalized with various iron salts to enhance its adsorption ability for sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and magnetic collection performance. Ball milling was further employed to treat the optimal iron salt functionalized SBC (MSBC), resulting in ball milled SBC (BMSBC) with improved adsorption performance for SMX. The dominant driving mechanism for SMX adsorption onto BMSBC was confirmed to be multiple physicochemical forces, including 7C-7C conjugation, pore filling, H-bonding, Fe-O complexation, and electrostatic interactions. BMSBC exhibited favorable adsorption ability for SMX in actual waters and could be easily collected within 1 min due to its magnetic sensitivity.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jinglin Tan, Xiaohui Mao, Wenjihao Hu, Hongbo Zeng
Summary: This study investigates the influence of PDMS chain architectures on surface properties and reveals that PDMS coatings with looped structures exhibit superior hydrophobicity, self-cleaning, and water sliding compared to coatings with linear structures. Additionally, both looped and linear PDMS coated stainless steel mesh/polyester fibers show efficient separation of oil/water mixture.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Wei-Liang Chen, Chih-Chia Cheng, Chien-Hsing Lu, Jem-Kun Chen
Summary: This study designs a novel sandwich-structured capacitor that reduces the absorption time of pollutants using dielectrophoresis force. By coating graphene oxide on polystyrene microspheres as adsorbents and encapsulating them within the capacitor, the adsorption rate is significantly enhanced. Additionally, frequency manipulation allows for the recycling of adsorbents and concentration of dyes, minimizing secondary pollution.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2024)