Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hussein K. Okoro, Lwazi Ndlwana, Monisola I. Ikhile, Tobias G. Barnard, J. Catherine Ngila
Summary: This study introduced a simple method to fabricate PES-based membranes modified with HPEI and nAg, and compared their performance with neat PES membranes. Characterisation techniques such as ATR-FTIR, XPS, SEM-EDS, and AFM were used to study the chemistry and morphology of the membranes. The modified membranes showed enhanced hydrophilicity, improved filtration performance, and high protein rejection rates, indicating great potential for antifouling applications in water treatment. Antibacterial studies revealed significant bioactivity, especially against bacterial strains commonly found in wastewater streams, suggesting these membranes could prolong operational lifespan by inhibiting biofilm formation.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Manorma Sharma, Catia V. T. Mendes, Patricia Alves, Licinio M. Gando-Ferreira
Summary: Black liquor, a by-product of the pulp and paper industry, contains valuable biopolymers like lignin and hemicelluloses. This study successfully recovered hemicelluloses from black liquor using ZnO/ polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane, providing a new pathway for resource recovery.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Nan Li, Tian-Jiao Lou, Wenyi Wang, Min Li, Zhi-Xian Yang, Ru-Yu Chang, Jianxin Li, Hong-Zhang Geng
Summary: The appearance of composite membranes offers a new approach for reducing membrane fouling. In this study, polyaniline (PANI) and Ti3C2Tx (MXene) were combined using electrostatic assembly to create a conductive network and adjust the distance between MXene layers. The resulting MXene-PANI/PES membrane exhibited significantly improved permeation flux and retention rates compared to a regular PES membrane, while also demonstrating enhanced conductivity and anti-fouling capabilities.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Manorma Sharma, Patricia Alves, M. H. Gil, Licinio M. Gando-Ferreira
Summary: Four types of ZnO-based polyethersulfone membranes were used to fractionate industrial black liquor into hemicellulose and lignin rich streams, with membranes containing 0.5% ZnO concentration showing the best performance. Optimal conditions at 60°C were suggested for minimal fouling and higher separation efficiency.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Taisir K. Abbas, Khalid T. Rashid, Qusay F. Alsalhy
Summary: This study successfully developed a modified PES membrane for the removal of cesium-137 from nuclear liquid waste. By adjusting the zeolite content and adding copper ferrocyanides, the removal efficiency and decontamination factor were significantly improved.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING RESEARCH & DESIGN
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hadi Mokarizadeh, Ahmadreza Raisi
Summary: The effects of different hydrophilic additives and coagulation bath temperature on the morphology and performance of PES ultrafiltration membranes were studied. PES/PVP membranes exhibited denser structure, while increasing CBT led to higher porosity and water permeability. Membranes containing 5% TEG showed the best separation performance for treating wastewater.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sabah M. Abdelbasir, Diaa A. Rayan, Mahmoud M. Ismail
Summary: This study investigated the recovery of copper and copper oxide as nanosized particles from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) using a hydrometallurgical process combining ammonia/ammonium chloride leaching and reduction with L-ascorbic acid. The results showed that 96.7% of copper could be recovered at a temperature of 35℃ for 2 hours with a concentration of 2 mol/L of ammonium chloride and ammonia. The synthesized particles exhibited spherical and distorted sphere morphology with average particle sizes of 460 nm and 50 nm for Cu and CuO nanoparticles, respectively. The Cu/CuO blend showed notable antibacterial, antifungal, and photocatalytic activities.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Amos Adeniyi, Gerald Oke Odo, Danae Gonzalez-Ortiz, Celine Pochat-Bohatier, Sandrine Mbakop, Maurice Stephen Onyango
Summary: This study demonstrated the potential of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) as a substitute for polyethylene glycol (PEG) in ultrafiltration membrane fabrication. Two sets of modified membranes were prepared using different additives and characterized for their performance in treating synthetic and real restaurant wastewater. The membranes prepared with CNC showed improved hydrophilicity, morphology, pore structure, and roughness compared to the membranes prepared with PEG. Additionally, the CNC membrane exhibited higher turbidity and COD removal when treating raw restaurant water.
Article
Polymer Science
Chao-Chuan Ho, Jenn Fang Su, Liao-Ping Cheng
Summary: NIPS separation process was carried out at 40 degrees C with water/GBL/PVP/PES system. Water was added in different amounts to modify the porous structure and enhance membrane permeability. The fabricated membranes showed high pure water flux and rejection capacity against bovine serum albumin molecules.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Dalia Muthana Al-Ani, Fads H. Al-Ani, Qusay F. Alsalhy, Salah S. Ibrahim
Summary: Membrane engineering is classified as an eco-friendly cleaning technology, especially in wastewater treatment. This study proposes a new method to enhance membrane performance by blending PES with PPSU for ultrafiltration membranes. The addition of PES significantly improves the membrane properties, leading to high dye removal rates above 99.65%.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Henrik Siegel, Alessio J. Sprockel, Matthew S. Schwenger, Jesse M. Steenhoff, Iske Achterhuis, Wiebe M. de Vos, Martin F. Haase
Summary: Ultrafiltration membranes are crucial for producing freshwater in a water-scarce world. A recent method called solvent transfer induced phase separation (STrIPS) has been used to create porous membranes. This study investigates the dynamics of hollow fiber structure evolution during STrIPS and demonstrates the separation performance of the resulting membrane in ultrafiltration.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dhiyaa A. Hussein Al-Timimi, Qusay F. Alsalhy, Adnan A. AbdulRazak, Mohammed Ahmed Shehab, Zoltan Nemeth, Klara Hernadi
Summary: This study aims to optimize operating parameters of mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) fabricated from polyethersulfone (PES) and silica nanoparticles (SiO2 NPs) or modified silica NPs with polyethylenimine (PEI) (SiO2-g-PEI NPs) for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. The results showed that SiO2 MMMs had a permeate flux of 38.27 LMH and 81.26% MBV rejection, while SiO2-g-PEI MMMs had a permeate flux of 104.11 LMH and 99.00% MBV rejection. The optimal parameters for SiO2 MMMs were SiO2 wt % of 0.8447%, MBV concentration of 98.18 ppm, and pH of 4, while the optimal parameters for SiO2-g-PEI MMMs were SiO2-g-PEI wt% of 0.93%, MBV concentration of 22.7 ppm, and pH of 4.79.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mahdie Safarpour, Shahla Hosseinpour, Mahsa Haddad Irani-nezhad, Yasin Orooji, Alireza Khataee
Summary: In this research, the Ti2SnC MAX phase was synthesized and used as a nano-additive to improve the performance of polyethersulfone membranes. The addition of Ti2SnC MAX phase increased membrane hydrophilicity and pure water flux, and improved the separation efficiency of the membranes.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mahmoud Kiannejad Amiri, Sasan Zahmatkesh, Mohammad Reza Sarmasti Emami, Awais Bokhari
Summary: The purpose of this paper is to synthesize ultrafiltration polycarbonate membranes containing Al2O3 nanoparticles using the phase separation procedure, and evaluate their ability to remove emerging contaminants from wastewater. The effects of temperature and nanoparticle content on the membrane structure and filtration performance were investigated.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bahadir Mert Erdugan, Elfi Demirel, Ender Suvaci
Summary: The use of nanomaterials in polymeric composite membranes has the potential to improve separation performance. However, the dispersion and stability of these nanomaterials have been major issues for commercial applications. In this study, zinc oxide powders were blended into polyvinyl chloride ultrafiltration membranes, resulting in improved membrane microstructure, separation performance, and bulk properties. The membranes with 0.05% weight MicNo (R) platelets had higher water flux and enhanced antifouling properties compared to pristine PVC and commercial ZnO-doped membranes.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lebea N. Nthunya, Mokgadi F. Bopape, Oranso T. Mahlangu, Bhekie B. Mamba, Bart Van der Bruggen, Cejna Anna Quist-Jensen, Heidi Richards
Summary: While water is essential for life, freshwater sources are depleting rapidly. Desalination of saline water through membrane technology is a common method to supplement water resources, but faces challenges such as membrane fouling. Different membrane processes like RO, PV, ED, MD, and MCr are used, with MD showing potential for high performance and cost efficiency.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Oranso T. Mahlangu, Machawe M. Motsa, Thabo Nkambule, Bhekie B. Mamba
Summary: This work critically reviews the application of various membrane separation processes in treating water polluted with trace organic compounds, paying attention to the mechanisms of rejection and the challenges in fouling and scaling. It also explores the potential of using renewable energy sources to drive energy intensive membrane separation processes.
REVIEWS IN CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Yiming Zhang, Zhouzheng Jin, Dan Liu, Zaitian Tan, Bhekie B. Mamba, Alex T. Kuvarega, Jianzhou Gui
Summary: In this study, S-scheme Bi2S3/CdS heterojunctions were constructed to enhance the separation and transfer efficiency of photoinduced carriers, while maintaining strong photoredox capacities. The 10% Bi2S3/CdS heterojunction exhibited the optimal photoreduction rate and photodegradation rate, and the 1096% Bi2S3/CdS heterojunction demonstrated good photoetching resistance. The results provide valuable insights into the fabrication of S-scheme heterojunctions with strong photoredox capabilities for pollutant removal.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jessica Tsakani Mhlongo, Yannick Nuapia, Boitumelo Tlhaole, Oranso Themba Mahlangu, Anita Etale
Summary: This study aimed to establish the optimal parameters for extracting cellulose microfibers from hemp biomass using organic acids instead of sulfuric acid. By pre-treating and ultrasonic treatment, microfibers with good thermal stability were successfully produced.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rapelang Patala, Oranso T. Mahlangu, Hlengilizwe Nyoni, Bhekie B. Mamba, Alex T. Kuvarega
Summary: In this study, Ag and Pd bimetallic nanoparticles were generated in PES dope solutions and fabricated into membranes. The addition of Ag/Pd nanoparticles increased the roughness and hydrophilicity of the membranes, resulting in improved pure water permeability and antifouling properties. The membranes showed potential for the treatment of pharmaceutical wastewater.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vimbainashe Chakachaka, Charmaine Tshangana, Oranso Mahlangu, Bhekie Mamba, Adolph Muleja
Summary: Photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMRs) are a promising technology for wastewater reclamation, combining photocatalytic degradation and membrane rejection. The viability of PMRs depends on design hypotheses and kinetic properties. This review addresses discrepancies with traditional kinetic models, fluid flow dynamics, and radiation emission and absorption. Computational and analytical descriptions are provided for developing high-performance PMR systems.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Oranso T. Mahlangu, Mukuna P. Mubiayi, Bhekie B. Mamba
Summary: The provision of safe drinking water is still a challenge in rural communities of low-income countries. This study investigated the application of optimized ceramic filters for the removal of methyl orange, lead, and chromium from water. The proposed filter fabrication method is environmentally friendly, facile, cost-effective, and does not require expertise to reproduce.
PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE EARTH
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Lebo Tjale, Heidi Richards, Oranso Mahlangu, Lebea N. Nthunya
Summary: This study successfully achieves efficient oil cleaning from polluted water sources through the preparation and evaluation of hybrid membranes.
RESULTS IN ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
V. M. Chakachaka, O. T. Mahlangu, C. S. Tshangana, B. B. Mamba, A. A. Muleja
Summary: CoFe2O4 nanoengineered membranes were developed and showed improved mechanical and rejection properties. They can remove inorganic salts and Naproxen from aqueous solutions. The rejection of solutes is mainly due to electrostatic exclusion rather than size exclusion. The rejection mechanism of salts was explained by the Donnan model and the role of valences was highlighted. The addition of CoFe2O4 led to the formation of denser membranes with smaller pore sizes. The membranes demonstrated antimicrobial activity and are suitable for desalination, bacterial disinfection, and wastewater reclamation.
JOURNAL OF MEMBRANE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Karabo C. Mashiloane, Oranso T. Mahlangu, Moshawe J. Madito, Machawe M. Motsa, Edward N. Nxumalo
Summary: Hexagonal-boron nitride nanosheets/polyvinylidene fluoride (h-BNNSs/PVDF) composite membranes were successfully fabricated using a simple one-step phase inversion process. The addition of h-BNNSs improved the wettability and water-oil separation performance of the membranes. The composite membranes showed enhanced selectivity towards water and increased water permeability due to the presence of h-BNNSs.
MATERIALS TODAY COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Indira Chimanlal, Lebea N. Nthunya, Oranso T. Mahlangu, Bastian Kirkebaek, Aamer Ali, Cejna A. Quist-Jensen, Heidi Richards
Summary: Hydrophobic functionalized carbon nanotubes (fCNTs) and silica nanoparticles (fSiO(2)NPs) were added to polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) flat-sheet membranes to improve their performance in membrane distillation (MD). The incorporation of fCNTS and fSiO(2)NPs improved the water contact angle (WCA) and liquid entry pressure (LEP) of the PVDF membrane, as well as the membrane surface roughness. This resulted in high salt rejection and stable fluxes in the MD process.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Mukuna Patrick Mubiayi, Oranso Themba Mahlangu, Bhekie Brilliance Mamba
Summary: Producing drinking water from polluted water is expensive, so it is important to develop environmentally-friendly and cost-effective materials for treating polluted water. One strategy is to use waste resources, such as ceramic filters. In this study, ceramic filters made from natural clay and macadamia nutshell powder were used to remove pollutants from aqueous solutions, and the filters showed high efficiency in removing methyl orange, chromium, and lead.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Oranso Themba Mahlangu, Mxolisi Machawe Motsa, Faisal Ibney Hai, Bhekie Brilliance Mamba
Summary: In this study, PES UF membranes were modified with GO, Ag, ZnO, Ag-GO, and ZnO-GO nanoparticles to enhance carbamazepine removal and fouling prevention by increasing hydrophilicity. The membranes were characterized and evaluated for their effectiveness in removing MgSO4 and carbamazepine as well as their antifouling properties. The role of affinity interactions in rejection and fouling was investigated, and the addition of nanoparticles showed improvements in membrane properties and rejection/fouling prevention.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Oranso T. Mahlangu, Gcina Mamba, Bhekie B. Mamba
Summary: In this study, graphene oxide-zinc oxide (GO-ZnO) nanocomposite photocatalytic membranes were fabricated using a novel double casting phase inversion method. The incorporation of GO-ZnO improved the hydrophilicity of the membranes, while the addition of PVP increased the pure water flux. Conversely, increasing GO-ZnO concentration improved the rejection of salt and drugs. Furthermore, the GO-ZnO/PVP membrane displayed the highest photocatalytic degradation performance. Overall, this work demonstrates the potential to improve both membrane filtration and photocatalytic properties through tailored membrane synthesis.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jessica Tsakani Mhlongo, Yannick Nuapia, Machawe Mxolisi Motsa, Themba Oranso Mahlangu, Anita Etale
Summary: This study presents an environmentally friendly method to prepare cellulose nanofibrils from industrial Hemp bast fibers, showing higher crystallinity and thermal stability. Low sulfuric acid hydrolysis leads to higher crystallinity and cellulose nanofibers with better properties.
MATERIALS TODAY-PROCEEDINGS
(2022)