Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sara Ouali, Patrick Loulergue, Pierre-Francois Biard, Noureddine Nasrallah, Anthony Szymczyk
Summary: In this study, the resistance of three commercial polymer nanofiltration membranes to ozone was investigated, revealing a decrease in pure water permeability for NP10 membrane and a dramatic increase for thin-film composite polyamide membranes. The polyethersulfone matrix showed good resistance to ozone, while the polyvinylpyrrolidone additive was substantially oxidized. The active layers of the NF90 and NF270 membranes were severely damaged after ozonation, leading to a sharp increase in permeability.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Roqaya A. Ismail, Mahendra Kumar, Noman K. Khanzada, Navya Thomas, Nurshaun Sreedhar, Alicia Kyoungjin An, Hassan A. Arafat
Summary: In this study, a quaternized polydopamine nanohybrid was synthesized and used as an additive in Poly(ether sulfone) membranes. The hybrid membranes exhibited high water permeability, excellent antifouling activity, and impressive rejection of salt solutions and dyes. They also showed strong antibacterial activity.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Luca Mazzaferro, Samuel J. Lounder, Ayse Asatekin
Summary: The limited chemistries of membranes on the market restrict their applications in various separations. This study introduces a new class of membrane materials based on self-assembly of random polyampholyte amphiphilic copolymers, which exhibit excellent permeability, selectivity, and fouling resistance. The membranes feature ionic nanodomains as nanochannels for water permeation, surrounded by hydrophobic nanodomains to maintain structural integrity. Precise control over selectivity is achieved by designing the copolymers, enabling a wide range of applications in wastewater treatment and chemical separations.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Katarzyna Jankowska, Ziran Su, Jakub Zdarta, Teofil Jesionowski, Manuel Pinelo
Summary: Nowadays, the increasing amounts of dyes in wastewater and water bodies have become a global problem. Researchers have developed new biosystems using nanofiltration or ultrafiltration membranes combined with laccase to decolorize aqueous solutions of azo dyes. The experiment showed that under the conditions of pH 5 and pressure of 2 bar, high decolorization efficiencies of 97% and 100% were achieved.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
T. M. Subrahmanya, Jing-Yang Lin, Januar Widakdo, Hannah Faye M. Austria, Yu-Hsuan Chiao, Tsung-Han Huang, Wei -Song Hung, Hideto Matsuyama, Kueir-Rarn Lee, Juin-Yih Lai
Summary: TFN membranes were synthesized by adding different functionalized nano-diamonds and surfactant mediation to enhance their performance. The addition of functionalized NDs improved the surface properties and crosslinking degree of the membranes, resulting in increased water flux and salt rejection. The addition of SDS further improved the membrane performance, leading to increased water flux and MgSO4 rejection. Overall, the addition of SDS improved the stability and performance of the TFN membranes, making them suitable for nanofiltration applications.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhenzhen Zhang, Md. Mushfequr Rahman, Barbara Bajer, Nico Scharnagl, Volker Abetz
Summary: In this study, a series of porous membranes with different effective pore sizes were successfully prepared using a membrane post-modification technique. The excellent separation performance was demonstrated by separating organic molecules of 1-2 nm in size.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Klaudia Czerwinska, Anna Marszalek, Edyta Kudlek, Maciej Sliz, Mariusz Dudziak, Malgorzata Wilk
Summary: This study focuses on post-processing methods for water derived from the hydrothermal carbonization process of sewage sludge, including membrane separation and coagulation. The results show that double nanofiltration can significantly reduce various indicators such as Chemical Oxygen Demand, conductivity, nitrate nitrogen, phosphate phosphorus, total organic carbon, total carbon, and inorganic carbon. In the second group, the addition of 10 cm3/L of iron coagulant to the permeate from ultrafiltration achieved the best reduction effect for multiple parameters.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Tiina Pohler, Andreas Mautner, Andrea Aguilar-Sanchez, Bjoern Hansmann, Vesa Kunnari, Antti Gronroos, Ville Rissanen, Gilberto Siqueira, Aji P. Mathew, Tekla Tammelin
Summary: The application of plant-derived nanoscale cellulosic materials in water purification membranes is gaining interest. A roll-to-roll membrane modification approach using thin submicron nanocellulose coatings was used to manufacture anti-biofouling membranes with size and charge dependent selectivity. The coated membranes showed high rejection levels and were able to withstand high filtration pressure.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
P. Tapia-Quir, M. F. Montenegro-Landivar, M. Reig, X. Vecino, J. Saurina, M. Granados, J. L. Cortina
Summary: This study evaluated different membrane separation processes for the recovery of polyphenols from winery and olive mill wastes. The results showed that microfiltration and ultrafiltration were effective in removing suspended solids and colloids, while nanofiltration and reverse osmosis were able to separate and concentrate polyphenols.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Boya Zhang, Xianshe Feng
Summary: This study compares the pervaporative concentration of dairy solutions with ultrafiltration (UF), nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). The results show that pervaporation exhibits almost complete retention of dairy solids and has a lower flux decline compared to other membrane processes. Unlike UF, NF, and RO, the mass transport in pervaporation is mainly determined by the membrane itself rather than external factors such as membrane fouling and concentration polarization.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Monica Reig, Xanel Vecino, Jose Luis Cortina
Summary: The use of membrane technologies in processing agricultural industrial streams can lead to efficient resource recovery, address challenges posed by traditional processes, and align with industrial symbiosis and circular economy principles.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xianli Zhang, Ruixiang Ying, Xuanru Chen, Qi Li, Jinhui Xu, Jiaoyue Qiu, Yanan Kong, Yue Zhang, Jianguo Shao, Fagen Zhu, Jinao Duan, Zhishu Tang, Bo Li, Huaxu Zhu
Summary: This study investigated the potential of membrane integration technology for recovering baicalin from Pudilan industry wastewater. Different membranes were analyzed for their impact on permeate flux and separation efficiency, and fouling mechanisms were identified using resistance-in-series and Hermia models. The CA50k and PES5k combination was found to be suitable for the process. The recovered baicalin was purified using an acid precipitation method, achieving a maximum recovery rate of 26.15% with a purity of 93.24%. The findings of this study have significant implications for the utilization of traditional Chinese medicine pharmaceutical wastewater.
JOURNAL OF WATER PROCESS ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Takahiro Fujioka, Sandrine Boivin, Haruka Takeuchi
Summary: The study developed an NF membrane-based pre-treatment system to remove interfering substances from treated wastewater for online analysis. Results showed that the system effectively removed interfering substances while maintaining bromate ion concentration, demonstrating the potential utility for continuous monitoring of bromate ion formation rate.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE-WATER RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mehmet Dilaver, Gulfem Soydemir, Mehtap Dursun, Selda Murat Hocaog, Buelent Keskinler, Meltem Agtas, Ismail Koyuncu, Kadir Alp
Summary: This study assessed the recovery and reuse potential of highly alkaline and heavily polluted caustic discharges using ceramic membrane technology. The results showed that acceptable permeate results could be obtained with two stage ceramic membrane filtration, and the permeate can be reused in the causticization process again.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Shushan Yuan, Zhaohuan Mai, Zhao Yang, Pengrui Jin, Gang Zhang, Junyong Zhu, Hideto Matsuyama, Bart Van der Bruggen
Summary: A novel block copolymer, polyarylene sulfide sulfone/amide tertiary amine (PASS/ATA), with adjustable and uniform pores was designed for membrane fabrication. By oxidizing the groups in the molecular chains, the pore size of the membranes was narrowed down, improving dye rejection and enabling various separations including ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and organic solvent nanofiltration.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Applied
Francesco Ferella, Lorenzo Biancalana, Fabio Marchetti, Marcello Crucianelli
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Francesco Ferella
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2020)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Svetlana B. Zueva, Francesco Ferella, Giuliana Taglieri, Ida De Michelis, Inna Pugacheva, Francesco Veglio
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Svetlana B. Zueva, Francesco Ferella, Valentina Innocenzi, Ida De Michelis, Valentina Corradini, Nicolo M. Ippolito, Francesco Veglio
Summary: The study demonstrates the potential use of spent pickling solutions as a coagulant in treating process wastewaters, along with sodium hydroxide. Precipitates with zinc contents higher than 40% were obtained, increasing the profitability of zinc recovery.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Nicolo Maria Ippolito, Ionela Birloaga, Francesco Ferella, Marcello Centofanti, Francesco Veglio
Summary: This study focuses on the extraction of gold from high-grade e-waste through leaching and electrowinning. Different samples yielded varying gold dissolution rates, with a high recovery rate achieved after 1.5 hours of electrowinning.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Svetlana Zueva, Francesco Ferella, Valentina Corradini, Elena V. Baturina, Nicolo M. Ippolito, Francesco Veglio
Summary: The vision and mission of companies in global markets are increasingly focused on the circular economy and environmental sustainability. The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, particularly in the energy sector, is widespread. However, the manufacturing of clean energy devices can produce hazardous by-products, resulting in increased environmental pollution.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Valentina Innocenzi, Svetlana B. Zueva, Francesco Ferella, Marina Prisciandaro, Francesco Vegli
Summary: The present work provides an overview of the available technologies and recent advancements in treating industrial wastewater containing tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH). TMAH, a quaternary ammonium salt widely used in the microelectronics industry, poses a risk to human health and the environment, making appropriate wastewater treatment necessary. The first part of the work reviews separation methods such as adsorption, ion exchange, membrane processes, and destruction technologies including advanced oxidation processes and biological processes for TMAH removal. The second part describes industrial patented wastewater treatment methods, with a focus on biological processes which are more economically feasible but may require long timeframes and may not always be sustainable.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Idiano D'Adamo, Francesco Ferella, Massimo Gastaldi, Nicolo M. Ippolito, Paolo Rosa
Summary: Photovoltaic (PV) panels play a crucial role in addressing global warming and the current energy crisis in the European Community. However, there are significant challenges in recovering materials from these e-waste during end-of-life (EoL) management. This work aims to assess the profitability of a PV module recycling plant by evaluating different market contexts and scenarios of material price, investment, and process costs.
WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nertil Xhaferaj, Nicolo M. Ippolito, Fabio Maggiore, Francesco Ferella
Summary: The present study proposes a comprehensive recycling process for spent hydrodesulfurization (HDS) catalysts, successfully extracting molybdenum (Mo) and vanadium (V) and obtaining commercial-grade V2O5 and MoO3.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Alessia Amato, Konstantina Tsigkou, Alessandro Becci, Francesca Beolchini, Nicolo M. Ippolito, Francesco Ferella
Summary: Considering the hindered gas supply from Russia, it is necessary to find alternative routes to guarantee the Italian gas stocks at a reasonable cost. This paper provides a quantitative tool to support the European green transition and reports the LCA of three different options for the production and supply of natural gas/methane in Italy. The application of LCA allowed for the quantification of the environmental benefit provided by the first option.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Nicolo Maria Ippolito, Marco Passadoro, Francesco Ferella, Giorgio Pellei, Francesco Veglio
Summary: The paper presents a small-scale plant based on the Gold-REC 1 process, which is a hydrometallurgical method developed by the University of L'Aquila for treating printed circuit boards (PCBs). The process includes mechanical treatment, extraction of base metals using sulfuric acid/hydrogen peroxide solution, and leaching with thiourea and ferric sulfate in a sulfuric acid solution to extract gold and silver. The profitability of the process is demonstrated with a net present value of EUR 10.7 million, an internal rate of return of 150%, and a discounted payback time of 2 years.
Correction
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Nertil Xhaferaj, Francesco Ferella
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
I. N. Pugacheva, A. Karmanov, S. B. Zueva, I De Michelis, F. Ferella, L. Molokanova, F. Veglio
IZVESTIYA VYSSHIKH UCHEBNYKH ZAVEDENII KHIMIYA I KHIMICHESKAYA TEKHNOLOGIYA
(2020)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Arvin Sohrabi, Mousa Meratizaman, Shuli Liu
Summary: This paper simulates and discusses possible solutions to improve the economic and technical performances of a battery-less renewable energy-powered BWRO system under real climate conditions. The study finds that the photovoltaic-based system performs better in terms of specific energy consumption and unused energy ratio.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Chunlan Pan, Xiaoyin Hu, Vishal Goyal, Theyab R. Alsenani, Salem Alkhalaf, Tamim Alkhalifah, Fahad Alturise, Hamad Almujibah, H. Elhosiny Ali
Summary: This paper introduces a novel waste heat recovery method using the hot flue gas from a ship's engine to produce liquefied hydrogen while meeting the ship's air-conditioning requirement. A comprehensive feasibility assessment is conducted and an artificial neural network with a multiobjective grey wolf optimization method is used for optimization. The findings indicate the highest mean sensitivity index of the flash temperature and the best optimization scenario for exergy efficiency, CO2 emission reduction, and liquefied hydrogen cost.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Daniele Chinello, Jan Post, Louis C. P. M. de Smet
Summary: In this study, PVDF-based anion-exchange membranes were designed to selectively separate nitrate from chloride. Experimental data showed that increasing the concentration of PVDF enhanced nitrate transport but also increased the membrane electrical resistance. The selectivity of nitrate was found to be independent of the membrane thickness and mainly driven by the increased affinity between the anion and the membrane.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Umar Noor, Muhammad Fayyaz Farid, Ammara Sharif, Amna Saleem, Zubair Nabi, Muhammad Furqan Mughal, Kiran Abbas, Toheed Ahmed
Summary: Global water scarcity is increasing, and water desalination is an important solution. Multifunctional advanced materials, such as membrane materials and solar-driven desalination, play a crucial role in water desalination. Additionally, these materials can be used for water purification, wastewater treatment, and pollutant elimination.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Emrah Gumus
Summary: With growing global concerns about climate change and environmental impacts, the use of nuclear energy in naval vessels offers a cleaner and more efficient solution to reduce emissions and address water and energy supply challenges. This study explores a novel system that combines a nuclear-driven supercritical carbon dioxide power cycle with reverse osmosis cogeneration to meet the water and electricity demands in maritime operations, enhancing the sustainability, efficiency, and self-sufficiency of naval vessels. The results indicate that the system has the potential to be a viable and effective solution for naval operations.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dao Thi Thanh Huyen, Saikat Sinha Ray, Young -Nam Kwon
Summary: This study focuses on the modification of a commercially available polyamide thin-film composite membrane with a zwitterionic material to enhance its fouling resistance. The modified membrane shows improved salt rejection and reduced permeability compared to the pristine membrane. Fouling tests demonstrate that the modified membrane has a lower fouling ratio and higher recovery ratio. The enhanced antifouling characteristics are attributed to the improved hydrophilicity resulting from the zwitterionic brushes and the salting-in effect.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Niklas Koeller, Lukas Mankertz, Selina Finger, Christian J. Linnartz, Matthias Wessling
Summary: This study presents a methodology to scale up Flow-electrode Capacitive Deionization (FCDI) technology from lab-scale to pilot-scale systems. By increasing membrane area and using a stacking approach, the FCDI modules were successfully scaled up and achieved a salt transfer rate comparable to lab-scale systems. This provides a foundation for future assessments of energy demand and economics.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mona Gulied, Sifani Zavahir, Tasneem Elmakki, Hyunwoong Park, Guillermo Hijos Gago, Ho Kyong Shon, Dong Suk Han
Summary: This study introduces a novel hybrid system that combines direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) and electrically switched ion exchange (ESIX) to facilitate seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) brine enrichment and selective lithium recovery.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Zhiqiang Zhang, Ruifeng Deng, Jiao Zhang, Lu She, Guangfeng Wei, Renyong Jia, Pengyu Xiang, Siqing Xia
Summary: A transmembrane electro-chemisorption system with authigenic acid and base was developed for enhancing ammonia recovery from strong ammonia wastewater. The system efficiently transformed ammonium into free ammonia, which was then adsorbed and recovered through transmembrane chemisorption. This system yielded pure (NH4)2SO4 product and produced valuable byproducts of pure hydrogen and oxygen. Higher applied voltage resulted in better ammonia recovery.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Alena Popova, Sandrine Boivin, Takuji Shintani, Takahiro Fujioka
Summary: This study aimed to produce a high-integrity RO membrane by forming a polyamide skin layer on a TE support layer, in order to enhance the integrity of the membrane and improve the microbiological safety of potable water reuse.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Sanjana Yagnambhatt, Saber Khanmohammadi, Jonathan Maisonneuve
Summary: This study investigates the concept of using heat to enhance reverse osmosis (RO) desalination. The effect of temperature on water permeate flux, specific energy, permeate quality, and applied operating pressures is evaluated using an analytical model. The results suggest that under specific conditions, the tradeoff between savings in mechanical pump work and thermal energy input in thermally-enhanced RO can be favorable, leading to overall energy savings.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiangju Si, Chenrui Xue, Shun Li, Linchao Yang, Weiwei Li, Jie Yang, Jihong Lan, Ningbo Sun
Summary: To meet the huge demand for lithium resources, there is an urgent need to develop a new efficient technology for lithium recovery from salt-lake brines. In this study, a selective membrane capacitive deionization system is reported, which achieves high lithium recovery capacity and rate through the use of materials with efficient intercalated pseudo-capacitance and a high specific area porous carbon. The use of a modified thin-coated membrane allows for selective Li+ recovery, and adjusting the concentrations of Li+ and Mg2+ in the feed solution enables higher Li+/Mg2+ selectivity.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Mohamed R. Salem, R. Y. Sakr, Ghazy M. R. Assassa, Omar A. Aly
Summary: This research proposes a new method of using wasted thermal energies as an additional heating source for solar still distillation units (SSDUs) to increase productivity and reduce pollution and global warming. By testing two SSDUs, the study shows that heating airflow can raise temperatures, enhance freshwater production, and improve system thermal efficiency.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Qimeng Sun, Miao Sun, Linyan Yang, Yuan Gao, Xinghai Zhou, Lihua Lyu, Chunyan Wei
Summary: This study presents an innovative design and fabrication of a fabric-based conical roll (FCR) evaporator, which enables low-temperature evaporation and achieves high evaporation efficiency with excellent thermal management ability. The evaporator has demonstrated advanced light-harvesting capability and can produce freshwater that meets drinking water standards, showing great potential for applications in desalination and sewage treatment.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yidong Zhang, Wangfang Deng, Meiyan Wu, Chao Liu, Guang Yu, Qiu Cui, Pedram Fatehi, Chunlin Xu, Bin Li
Summary: In this study, a novel polydopamine-functionalized lignin-containing pulp foam evaporator with high-efficiency desalination and multi-contaminant adsorption capabilities was designed. The foam evaporator showed excellent light absorption, water absorption, thermal conductivity, and chelation abilities, allowing for solar evaporation and contaminant adsorption synergistically. It also exhibited potential applications in metal ion concentration and contaminated seawater treatments, and demonstrated superior biodegradability compared to poly-styrene foam. This foam material holds promise for developing multifunctional photo-thermal systems for solar-driven water purification.
