Article
Engineering, Chemical
Norihiro Moriyama, Yuta Kawano, Qing Wang, Ryota Inoue, Meng Guo, Makoto Yokoji, Hiroki Nagasawa, Masakoto Kanezashi, Toshinori Tsuru
Summary: Pervaporation (PV) is a membrane technology with great potential for industrial applications. Research shows that the dehydration of different types of organic solvents in PV on various membranes results in different water permeance values, which are closely related to hydrogen permeance. This correlation allows for the prediction of PV performance using single-gas permeation properties.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Soojin Kwon, Marielis C. C. Zambrano, Joel J. J. Pawlak, Ericka Ford, Richard A. A. Venditti
Summary: This study investigates the interaction between biodegradable polymer PHB and non-biodegradable polymer PP by blending them and spinning them into fiber form. The addition of PP is found to significantly hinder the biodegradation of PHB. Furthermore, it is shown that increasing the miscibility between the two polymers using a compatibilizer MAPP can decrease the biodegradability of PHB.
JOURNAL OF POLYMERS AND THE ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yajing Zhang, Mingda Wang, Liquan Wang, Tao Chen, Weisheng Feng, Tianyi Wang, Liming Zhao
Summary: The effects of the structural units and blending ratio on the crystallization behavior of PA4-based blends were studied using molecular dynamics simulations and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics. The results showed that the crystallinity of PA4/PA56 blends decreased with increasing PA56 content, while the crystallinity of PA4/PA11 blends decreased with increasing PA11 content. Both blends formed phase-separated structures, with PA56 or PA11 rich phases. The blending ratio had no significant effect on the crystallization rate and crystal growth of PA4/PA11 blends, indicating a worse crystallization ability compared to PA4/PA56 blends.
PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY CHEMICAL PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Zhengxing Peng, Harald Ade
Summary: It has been reported that conjugated polymer:small molecule systems may exhibit complex phase behavior, but it was unclear if the observations were reflecting equilibrium. To study this, the liquidus and binodal for the same systems were presented, and it was found that the observed trends of the binodal were consistent with the liquidus, suggesting a thermodynamic cause behind the complex phase behavior. Additionally, a linear relationship between the composition difference (Delta phi) and the binodal composition (phi(b,polymer)) was discovered, providing a new approach for obtaining the crystalline-amorphous interaction parameter.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Liyuan Liu, Feiran Wang, Jiaxuan Zhang, Weilong Jiang, Fan Yang, Mingruo Hu, Fengjing Jiang
Summary: Polymer blending is a simple method to prepare cost-effective membranes for redox flow batteries, enhancing their performance. The effects of polymer chain morphology on membrane properties are revealed, allowing for tailored performance. Phase separations in different Nafion-based blends are predicted, and well-controlled phase separation in membranes is achieved. It is found that the domain size of polymer phase separation greatly influences ion transport behavior and battery performance.
JOURNAL OF POWER SOURCES
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Julia Resch, Julia Dreier, Christian Bonten, Marc Kreutzbruck
Summary: This study investigated the phase separation of PMMA/SAN blends using a novel nanoscale AFM-IR technique, which allowed for the chemically identification and precise classification of phase morphology within the nm-regime. The research showed that in the miscible domain, no individual phases could be detected down to the nanometer range, but with increasing temperature, two different phases were formed with sharply defined boundaries. The onset of these changes was identified at temperatures around 100°C.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Qing Wang, Nong Xu, Qiao Liu, Qiang Dong, Hiroki Nagasawa, Masakoto Kanezashi, Rongfei Zhou, Toshinori Tsuru
Summary: The physicochemical and pore structural variations of SiC-based membranes derived from different air-curing and pyrolysis temperatures were systematically investigated. The performance of these membranes in the separation of various organic mixtures was evaluated, with the most outstanding results achieved by SiC-based membranes with a pore size of 0.50 nm that were air-cured at 150 degrees C and pyrolyzed at 750 degrees C.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Thomas P. Chaney, Andrew J. Levin, Sebastian A. Schneider, Michael F. Toney
Summary: Precise control of the complex morphology of organic photovoltaic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) active layers is crucial for improving power conversion efficiency. The interfaces between electron donor and acceptor molecules, where charge separation and charge recombination occur, are of particular interest. The mixed phase at these interfaces, critical for unraveling the importance of charge separation and recombination processes, has been extensively studied in polymer:fullerene systems but remains poorly understood in state-of-the-art polymer:non-fullerene acceptor blends.
MATERIALS HORIZONS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jiao Jiao, Yihua Li, Tianlie Luo, Qi Song, Lifen Liu, Baicang Liu
Summary: In this study, a ceramic membrane was used as a substrate and thiosemicarbazide (TSC) was cross-linked with graphene oxide (GO) to tune the interlayer spacing of GO nanosheets and suppress their swelling. The prepared GO-TSC membrane exhibited a robust structure and showed great desalination performance with high water flux and salt rejection. This work provides a novel strategy for preparing GO-based membranes for pervaporation (PV) desalination.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Riya Sidhikku Kandath Valappil, Nayef Ghasem, Mohamed Al-Marzouqi
Summary: Polymeric gas separation membranes have emerged as a competitive technology in the past few decades, with a focus on broad classifications of membrane materials and selection criteria. Current research is centered on various synthesis routes for membrane fabrication and gas transport mechanisms. A comparison with conventional technologies highlights the advantages of membrane-based separation processes, but also acknowledges existing limitations.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Jialin Qiu, Xuejian Chen, Amy N. Le, Carlos R. Lopez-Barron, Brian J. Rohde, Ronald P. White, Jane E. G. Lipson, Ramanan Krishnamoorti, Megan L. Robertson
Summary: Thermodynamic interactions were studied in blends of melts containing 1,4-polyisoprene (1,4-PI) and copolymers of 1,2-polybutadiene (1,2-PBD), poly(ethyl ethylene) (PEE), and/or polyethylene (PE) units. The Flory-Huggins interaction parameter, chi, was measured using small angle neutron scattering (SANS), and the data were analyzed through different models to understand the behavior. Random copolymer theory (RCT) successfully described the behavior in 1,2-PBD-co-PEE/1,4-PI blends, but failed in PE-co-PEE/1,4-PI blends. The locally correlated lattice model showed promise in describing the phase behavior of PE-co-PEE/1,4-PI blends.
Review
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Ping Peng, Yongqiang Lan, Lun Liang, Kemeng Jia
Summary: Bioethanol is an important renewable energy resource for alleviating energy crisis and environmental protection. Pervaporation has shown potential in separating ethanol from biomass fermentation. The key challenge is to improve both selectivity and permeability of PV membranes for ethanol extraction in the future.
BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS
(2021)
Review
Polymer Science
Adrian Korycki, Fabrice Carassus, Olivier Tramis, Christian Garnier, Toufik Djilali, France Chabert
Summary: This review presents the current research status of polyaryletherketone-based thermoplastic blends (PAEK). Blending PAEK with other thermoplastic polymers offers the possibility to obtain materials with novel properties, but the lack of knowledge on the structure/morphology/property relationships poses a significant challenge for further development in this field.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jen-Yu Lee, Jin-Yun Zhan, Micah Belle Marie Yap Ang, Shih-Chieh Yeh, Hui-An Tsai, Ru-Jong Jeng
Summary: In this study, spirobisindane-functionalized graphene oxide (SFGO)/polyimide (Matrimid 5218) solutions were used to create nanocomposite membranes for alcohol dehydration. The membranes showed improved performance with the addition of spirobisindane structure, and different levels of dehydration were achieved depending on the alcohol feed solutions used. The modified membranes exhibited stability under various operating conditions, indicating potential for long-term use.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Polymer Science
Evgenia A. A. Grushevenko, Tatiana N. N. Rokhmanka, Ilya L. L. Borisov, Alexey V. V. Volkov, Stepan D. D. Bazhenov
Summary: This study investigates the influence of OH-groups introduced in polydecylmethylsiloxane (PDecMS) on the separation of CO2 from air and aldehydes from hydroformylation reaction media. The results show that the introduction of OH groups leads to a decrease in membrane permeability but a significant increase in selectivity towards acidic components.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Yi Tong Chew, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: The emergence of nanomaterial has led to the development of thin film nanocomposite (TFN) in membrane separation technology. The incorporation of nanofillers into the TFN selective layer can enhance membrane pure water permeability but may also affect the salt rejection. The shape/structure of nanofillers plays a crucial role in influencing the selectivity of the TFN membrane, impacting the transport mechanisms of water molecules and solutes.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN
(2021)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Ziwen Yuan, Hang Liu, Wai Fen Yong, Qianhong She, Jesus Esteban
Summary: The increasing discharge of metal-associated waste not only causes concerns on the environment and human health, but also accelerates the depletion of natural metal resources. Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as an interesting alternative to ionic liquids (ILs) in the field of metal separation and recovery due to their high biodegradability, low toxicity, and ease of preparation.
Editorial Material
Engineering, Chemical
Woei Jye Lau, Wai Fen Yong
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Can Zeng Liang, Wai Fen Yong, Ji Wu, Martin Weber, Christian Maletzko, Juin-Yih Lai, Tai-Shung Chung
Summary: In this study, a newly designed polymer, PTPES, was reported to significantly increase propylene permeance and propylene/propane selectivity through the plasticization effect. This was attributed to the plasticization-enlarged molecular sieving effect caused by the trimethylbenzene moieties in the polymer chains. This research provides new insights into the gas transport mechanisms of membrane materials and may inspire the development of new-generation polymeric materials and membranes for propylene/propane and other gas separations.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Shu Hua Goh, Hui Shen Lau, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This article reviews the development of MOFs-based MMMs in the past 3 years, discussing gas transport estimation models, preparation methods, and challenges in developing MMMs. The application and separation performance of various MOFs-based MMMs, including those using advanced MOFs materials, are summarized. The latest exploration of MOF materials for harsh operating conditions is emphasized. The outlook and future opportunities of MMMs are contemplated.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hui Shen Lau, Siew Kei Lau, Leong Sing Soh, Seang Uyin Hong, Xie Yuen Gok, Shouliang Yi, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This review provides a comprehensive overview of hollow fiber membranes, including their structural analyses and phase inversion mechanisms. It highlights the latest advances in the fabrication of organic, inorganic, and composite hollow fiber membranes. The review also discusses the applications of hollow fiber membranes in various fields and emphasizes the importance of green fabrication and modification techniques for future development.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Guat Teng Tee, Xie Yuen Gok, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This critical review focuses on the preparation, modification, application and regeneration of biosorbents, nanoparticles, and magnetic biosorbents for wastewater treatment. The development of magnetic biosorbents is highlighted due to their variable active sites, high specific surface area, easy separation, and low cost. Chemical activations such as acid, alkali, and salt activations are discussed to improve the adsorption performance of biosorbents. The surface characteristics and chemistry of biosorbents and magnetic biosorbents, including electrostatic interaction, 7C-7C interaction, and hydrogen bonding, are emphasized. The effects of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, initial concentration of pollutants, adsorption duration, and temperature on the adsorption capacity and removal efficiency are analyzed. The review concludes with a summary, challenges, and future outlook of magnetic biosorbents, aiming to provide insights for cost-effective and scalable adsorbents for environmental remediation.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Wenhao Xia, Siew Kei Lau, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This study investigated the environmental impacts of different synthesis methods for ZIF-8 through life cycle assessment (LCA), with a focus on the contribution of solvents. The findings showed that replacing the solvent DMF with methanol could significantly reduce the impact on human health, ecosystem, and resources. The mechanochemical method had the least environmental impact due to its simplicity and fewer production steps.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Boon Kee Voon, Hui Shen Lau, Can Zeng Liang, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This study investigates the application of functionalized two-dimensional nanosheets in mixed matrix membranes for gas separation. By modifying graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets with different functional groups, high separation properties are achieved, paving the way for hydrogen purification, air separation, and CO2 capture.
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Zin Thong Chong, Leong Sing Soh, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This review article introduces the recent developments of biosorbents in the field of adsorption, discussing their role in the green chemistry principle and Sustainable Development Goals. Various modifications of biosorbents and their applications in the adsorption of heavy metals, dyes, PAHs, and oils are systematically reviewed, along with their respective mechanisms. The potential practical applications of biosorbents, including simultaneous adsorption of pollutants, usage of real industrial wastewater matrix, and reusability performance, are also discussed. Recommendations for future adsorption studies are presented.
RESULTS IN ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Tian-Zhi Jia, Ming-Yue Rong, Chang-Tao Chen, Wai Fen Yong, Siew Kei Lau, Rong-Fei Zhou, Min Chen, Shi-Peng Sun
Summary: Nanofiltration (NF) membranes and processes, as a type of pressure-driven membranes, are widely used in various industries for purification, concentration, and resource recovery by separating molecules and ions with different molecular weights and valences. However, individual NF membranes often encounter issues such as poor separation efficiency and membrane instability in complex applications. To address these challenges, researchers have developed NF-based hybrid processes, which not only overcome the limitations of single NF membranes but also improve the overall efficiency of hybrid systems involving other separation processes. Despite the increasing number of publications on NF-based hybrid processes, a systematic review is still lacking. This review aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the key integration approaches and application areas of NF-based hybrid processes in recent years, as well as the challenges that researchers are facing in this field.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Hang Desmond Goh, Hui Shen Lau, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: Material synthesis using non-toxic chemicals is becoming increasingly important due to environmental burdens caused by organic solvents. In this study, a green fabrication strategy for the production of mixed matrix membranes was evaluated using life cycle and techno-economic assessments. The results showed that a novel synthesis approach for PIM-1 and a solvent-free route for UiO-66-NH2 had the least environmental impact and were most economically feasible. The findings also highlighted the cost-saving benefits of solvent reduction and the potential for further environmental improvement through solvent recovery or the use of greener alternatives.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Siew Kei Lau, Tian-Zhi Jia, Xue-Li Cao, Shi-Peng Sun, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: Thin-film composite membranes have been widely used for wastewater treatment due to their high energy efficiency, low investment, and environmental friendliness. However, the use of hazardous solvents and non-renewable resources during membrane preparation poses a major health and environmental threat. This study integrated a green solvent and a bio-monomer, fructose, into the membrane substrate and selective layer, respectively, to improve the membrane's water permeability and anti-fouling properties.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Seang Uyin Hong, Yida Wang, Leong Sing Soh, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This study integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) to evaluate the environmental and economic benefits of using green solvents in fabricating polyimide flat sheet membranes. The results showed that replacing the conventional solvent NMP with a less toxic green solvent can significantly reduce environmental impacts, but the production cost of green solvent DMSO is less competitive. Integrating the results from LCA and TEA, DMSO and EA were suggested as potential green solvents. The impact of synthesis approaches was negligible initially, but is expected to be more evident in larger-scale membrane production processes.
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Hui Shen Lau, Wai Fen Yong
Summary: This review discusses the development and application of membrane separation technology in air purification and gas separation, with a focus on the latest research progress, preparation principles, and applications of polymeric hollow fiber membranes. Future research directions include the development of CO2-induced plasticization, physical aging, and green solvents.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A
(2021)
