Reversible Fouling Research Articles

Copper Acetate Monohydrate/Nickel Chloride Impregnated PVDF Ultrafiltration Membrane: An Antifouling Membrane for Peat Water Treatment

AbstractThis study examines the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane impregnated with the copper acetate monohydrate/nickel chloride/thiourea (CuNit) nanoparticle through its physical properties, chemical properties, water flux, humic rejection, and antifouling properties against peat water. The ultrafiltration membrane was fabricated via phase inversion by blending CuNit nanoparticles (1, 3, and 5 wt/wt PVDF %) and PVDF (16 wt %) in N‐Methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP, 42 wt %) as the solvent. The humic rejection and fouling test are conducted using peat water collected from the Beladin water treatment plant. As a result, M03, which has 1 wt/wt PVDF % of CuNit nanoparticle, gives a better result of pure water flux, humic rejection, and fouling recovery rate with a value of 82 L/m2 h, 93 %, and 40 % compared to pristine PVDF membrane. The fouling of M03 recorded a low total rate of fouling (76 %) that is caused by high reversible fouling and low irreversible fouling with a value of 0.16 and 0.59, respectively, compared to the pristine PVDF membrane. In conclusion, due to the agglomeration that occurs in the further addition of CuNit nanoparticles, coating or encapsulation must be done to improve the stability of nanoparticles and reduce the leach‐out problem as well as provide a good distribution between the nanoparticle and casting solution during the membrane fabrication.

The Application of TiO2/ZrO2-Modified Nanocomposite PES Membrane for Improved Permeability of Textile Dye in Water.

This study investigates the modification of polyethersulfone (PES) membranes with 1 wt% titanium dioxide (TiO2), zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) and a nanocomposite of TiO2/ZrO2. The aim was to efficiently remove Rhodamine B (RhB) from water using a threefold approach of adsorption, filtration and photodegradation. Among the modified membranes (TiO2, ZrO2 and TiO2/ZrO2), the TiO2/ZrO2-PES nanocomposite membrane showed a better performance in rejection of RhB than other membranes with the rejection efficiency of 96.5%. The TiO2/ZrO2-PES membrane was found to possess a thicker selective layer and reduced mean pore radius, which contributed to its improved rejection. The TiO2/ZrO2 nanocomposite membrane also showed high bulk porosity and a slightly lower contact angle of 69.88° compared to pristine PES with a value of 73°, indicating an improvement in hydrophilicity. Additionally, the TiO2/ZrO2-PES nanocomposite membrane demonstrated a relatively lower surface roughness (Sa) of 8.53 nm, which offers the membrane antifouling properties. The TiO2/ZrO2-PES membrane showed flux recovery ratio (FRR), total fouling (Rt), reversible fouling (Rr) and irreversible fouling (Rir) of 48.0%, 88.7%, 36,8% and 52.9%, respectively. For the photocatalytic degradation performance, the removal efficiency of RhB followed this order TiO2 > TiO2/ZrO2 > ZrO2 (87.6%, 85.7%, 67.8%). The tensile strength and elongation were found to be compromised with the addition of nanoparticles and nanocomposites. This indicates the necessity to further modify and optimise membrane fabrication to achieve improved mechanical strength of the membranes. At low pressure, the overall findings suggest that the TiO2/ZrO2 nanocomposite has the potential to offer significant improvements in membrane performance (water flux) compared to other modifications.

Synergistic effects of deep eutectic solvents on the morphology and performance of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes

This study investigates the synthesis of flat sheet asymmetric Polysulfone (PSF) membranes using the Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation (NIPS) method, enhanced by incorporating Deep Eutectic Solvents (DES) composed of Choline Chloride (ChCl) and DL-Malic Acid (MA). The research explores the individual and combined effects of ChCl and MA on membrane morphology and performance. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy-Universal Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-UATR), and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), were employed to analyze the structural and surface properties of the membranes. Key performance metrics such as Pure Water Permeability (PWP), protein and dye rejection, fouling behavior, porosity, surface hydrophilicity, and mechanical strength were evaluated. Results demonstrated that integrating DES into the PSF matrix significantly improved membrane properties. The 3% DES membrane exhibited the highest Pure Water Permeability (PWP) of 186.82 L/m2h/bar, the lowest water contact angle of 68.8°, and optimal balance in surface roughness parameters, leading to superior antifouling properties with high flux recovery ratio (FRR) and balanced reversible (Rr) and irreversible fouling (Rir) components. The ChCl (HBA) membrane displayed a notable PWP of 121.62 L/m2h/bar, large pore sizes (42.72 nm), and moderate surface roughness (Ra of 3.32 nm). In contrast, the MA (HBD) membrane demonstrated the highest hydrophilicity with the lowest contact angle (70.7°) and a compact, robust structure, despite its smallest pore sizes and lack of permeability. The findings underscore the synergistic effect of DES formation in the membrane, improving overall performance for ultrafiltration applications. This study provides valuable insights into the distinct roles of ChCl as an HBA and MA as an HBD in DES-modified PSF membranes, revealing their individual contributions and the importance of optimizing DES components and concentrations for specific filtration applications.

Direct Membrane Filtration (DMF) of municipal wastewater – A study on the prevention and remediation of fouling

Direct membrane filtration (DMF) has gained a lot of attention in recent years because of its potential to treat low-strength and low temperature wastewater, where biological based treatments are inefficient. However, fouling is a major concern which keeps this technique from being more widely used. The main aim of this study was to investigate membrane fouling, its mitigation approaches and the organic/nutrient retention during DMF of municipal wastewater by adjusting operational parameters and pretreating the sewage. In a laboratory-scale setup employing crossflow to mitigate fouling, both ultrafiltration and microfiltration membranes were utilized. Physicochemical pre-treatment of sewage with polyaluminum chloride and polyamide significantly inhibited membrane fouling and improved organics/nutrient retention. Subsequent experiments with physiochemically pre-treated sewage, using microfiltration and ultrafiltration separately, revealed that (i) an increase in crossflow velocity from 1 to 2 m s −1 improved filtration performance by reducing irreversible fouling, (ii) elevating transmembrane pressure from 0.18 to 0.4 bar increased both reversible and irreversible fouling, and (iii) periodic relaxation increased the extent of irreversible fouling, contributing to higher overall fouling in ultrafiltration. When employing DMF for sewage concentration, ultrafiltration demonstrated superior filtration performance and organics retention compared to microfiltration. Furthermore, through pre-precipitation and microsieving (100 μm) followed by DMF with ultrafiltration membranes, a remarkable removal efficiency of 92 % for chemical oxygen demand (COD), 98 % for total phosphorus (TP), and 100 % for total suspended solids (TSS) was achieved. By cleaning the fouled membranes using an alkaline cleaning solution (Ultrasil-10) at 50 °C, combined with a crossflow of 1 m s−1, the permeability was completely restored. Overall, this study demonstrates that by optimizing operational settings and cleaning conditions, a sustainable DMF process for wastewater treatment with controlled membrane fouling and improved resource recovery can potentially be developed for upscaling. Short abstractThis study investigated the effectiveness of direct membrane filtration for municipal wastewater treatment. It was found that physicochemical pre-treatment with polyaluminum chloride and polyamide significantly reduced membrane fouling and improved nutrient retention. Ultrafiltration membranes demonstrated superior performance and nutrient retention compared to microfiltration membranes. By optimizing operational parameters and cleaning conditions, a sustainable direct membrane filtration process with controlled fouling and improved resource recovery can be developed for wastewater treatment.

High-performance of anti-bacterial composite membrane prepared from polyethersulfone-polyethylene glycol-silver nanoparticles

A bench-scale study of river water treatment using composite polyethersulfone (PES) membrane was carried out. Polyethylene glycol-silver nanoparticles (PEG-AgNPs) additive was designed to support the simultaneous filtration and disinfection performance of PES membranes via in situ incorporation. Significant improvements in the PES membranes after modification with PEG-AgNPs were observed. The experimental results showed that the PEG-AgNPs increased the PES membrane water flux from 2.87 to 172.84 L/m2·h. The anti-fouling test of the PES membrane toward humic acid molecules after the addition of PES/PEG-AgNPs increased the reversible fouling and decreased the irreversible fouling. In terms of filtration performance, the PES/PEG-AgNP membranes showed high filtration performance, with a water disinfection ability of 99.99 %. Moreover, the leach of silver particles from the PES membrane forced by ultrasonication was <50 ppb, indicating the security and stability of the PES/PEG-AgNP membrane.

Impact of genetic variants on the separation efficiency of β-lactoglobulin during microfiltration of skim milk

Genetic variants of milk proteins are often overlooked by dairy processors as a parameter that can effect process efficiency. This study assessed the impact of the A and B genetic variants of β-lactoglobulin on the isolation of whey proteins from skim milk by microfiltration. The A and B genetic variants of β-lactoglobulin differ by two amino acids at positions 64 (A = aspartic acid, B = glycine) and 118 (A = valine, B = alanine), with the A variant thus having a higher negative charge. Mass balance calculations indicated that 46.7 % more whey proteins permeated during microfiltration for the A compared to the B variant, with the A also having significantly (P < 0.05) more total and reversible fouling accumulation than the B variant. These findings could be of importance to the dairy industry to improve microfiltration efficiency and increase protein yield during manufacture of native whey protein ingredients.

Effect of N-isopropylacrylamide and graphene oxide on the microstructure and performance of thermo-responsive membranes by Ce (IV)-induced redox radical polymerization

In this study, a series of novel thermo-responsive materials were synthesized using polyvinylidene fluoride, N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM) and graphene oxide (GO) via Ce (IV)-induced redox radical polymerization name as PNG. Thermo-responsive membranes were prepared by non-solvent induced phase separation. The results demonstrated that the CO and N-H stretching absorption intensities increased with the addition of NIPAM. XPS analysis demonstrated that the PNG1 membrane exhibited abundant functional group structure under the dosage of NIPAM at 1 g. The finger-like porous structure of membrane became longer and wider with the addition of NIPAM at 1 g, leading to a maximum porosity of 45.5 %. The CA decreased from 62.4 ° to 49.0 ° at 35 °C under the adding dosage of NIPAM at 1 g. The temperature-sensitive of PNG1 membrane was 35 °C. In addition, The PNG1 membrane had the lower Rir and higher flux recover than the others under the BSA rejection. According to the XDLVO theory analysis, the total interaction energy for PNG1 membrane achieved the maximum absolute values of −33.850 mJ/m2 and −19.956 mJ/m2 than the others under the temperature at 25 °C and 35 °C. This interaction influenced the adsorption between the pollutant and membrane surface, resulting in reversible fouling.

Critical flux-based fouling control method for forward osmosis during simultaneous thickening and digestion of waste activated sludge

The use of forward osmosis (FO) membranes for simultaneous thickening and digestion of waste activated sludge (WAS) (FO-MSTD) has recently garnered significant interest. However, a major challenge hindering the widespread adoption of the FO-MSTD process is severe membrane fouling, which results from increasing sludge concentrations and deteriorating sludge properties. In response, this study proposes a novel FO membrane fouling control strategy based on the critical flux concept, involving a variable draw solution (DS) operating mode. Two operating modes were examined based on the critical flux behavior of the FO membrane: a constant DS concentration mode (with a fixed DS concentration of 1.5 M, referred to as Constant DS1.5) and a variable DS concentration mode (with varying DS concentrations at different operational stages, referred to as Variable DS1.5-1.0 and Variable DS1.5-0.75). Over 21 days of operation, the MLSS concentrations of WAS in the Constant DS1.5, Variable DS1.5-1.0, and Variable DS1.5-0.75 reactors increased from initial values of 3.46, 3.88, and 4.20 g/L to 35.2, 31.5, and 29.2 g/L, respectively. Concurrently, the cumulative digestion rates of MLVSS in the three FO-MSTD processes reached 29.3 %, 29.0 %, and 36.3 %, respectively. After adjusting the DS concentration, the FO membrane flux decay rates for Constant DS1.5, Variable DS1.5-1.0, and Variable DS1.5-0.75 were 57.7 %, 49.4 %, and 13.8 %, respectively. In addition to experiencing a lower flux decline, the Variable DS1.5–0.75 mode achieved a significantly higher flux recovery rate of 98.5 % compared to the other two modes. Moreover, the biovolume of proteins and microorganisms in the membrane fouling layer decreased by 85.2 % and 72.7 %, respectively, in the Variable DS1.5–0.75 mode compared to the Constant DS1.5 mode. These findings indicate that operating with a DS below the critical concentration can significantly improve the reversibility of membrane fouling and reduce the presence of organic and biological foulants in the fouling layer, thereby mitigating membrane fouling in the FO-MSTD reactor.

Sulfite-activated permanganate pre-oxidation coupled ultrafiltration for treating algae-laden water: Role of calcium ions and in-situ formed MnO2

Membrane fouling caused by algal-derived foulants severely impedes the widespread application of ultrafiltration (UF). Herein, two sulfites (Na2SO3 and CaSO3, S(IV)) were used to activate potassium permanganate (Mn(VII)) as pretreatment to enhance the performance of UF in treating algae-laden water. The results showed that the Mn(VII)/S(IV) system produced MnO2 with abundant hydroxyl groups, which was advantageous for adsorbing algal pollutants. Compared with Mn(VII)/Na2SO3, Mn(VII)/CaSO3 process further increased the aggregation tendency of algal cells, which was due to the Ca2+ bridging effect that promoted the aggregation of MnO2 and algal foulants. S(IV) can activate Mn(VII) to produce free radical (OH and SO4−), and enhance removal of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and fluorescent organics in coordination with the adsorption of in-situ MnO2. Moreover, the presence of Ca2+ ensured compliance with residual manganese in the treated water. Extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory suggested that the Mn(VII)/S(IV) strategy weakened the attractive forces between pollutants and the membrane. FTIR analysis further confirmed that the combined process reduced the accumulation of protein organics on the membrane surface. As a result, the reversible fouling was reduced by 65.3 % and 92.2 %. The in-situ formed manganese oxide altered the structure of the cake layer and delayed the formation of the cake filtration mechanism. Mn(VII)/CaSO3 pretreatment produced a looser cake layer, resulting in a shift of the fouling mechanism towards a single standard blocking. In summary, the novel integrated process can ensure the efficient operation of UF in the purification of algae-laden water.

Unveiling the role of cake layer in coagulation-ultrafiltration on membrane fouling and emerging application as dynamic membrane before ultrafiltration

Cake layer is considered to play a crucial role in membrane fouling during the coagulation-ultrafiltration process. However, the contribution of the cake layer on membrane fouling and probable natural organic matter (NOM) removal in this process is unclear, leading to a limited understanding of cake layer and potential secondary utilization. Here, ultrafiltration (UF) membrane fouling contribution, NOM removal, and dynamic membrane application of the cake layer were investigated. Results showed reversible fouling was dominated by cake layer, whereas irreversible fouling was determined by both cake layer and residual NOM in coagulation effluent. Compared with direct UF, the cake layer improved approximately by 15 % of HA removal with molecular weight (MW) of 2000–4000 Da. By optimizing membrane material, HA removal and membrane fouling alleviation were synchronously achieved by cake layer deposition-UF. According to mechanisms analysis, HA removal was attributed to the adsorption or interception of HA with larger MW by the cake layer. Zeta potential and fractal dimension of flocs, and contact angle of the cake layer were closely related to HA removal by cake layer, whereas reversible and irreversible fouling were positively correlated with cake layer thickness and floc fractal dimension respectively. Compared with other dynamic membranes, the cake layer had the best economic performance, which provided application potential on NOM removal in micro-polluted surface water.

Highly effective ultrafiltration membranes based on plastic waste for dye removal from water.

Applicable and low-cost ultrafiltration membranes based on waste polystyrene (WPS) blend and poly vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) were effectively cast on nonwoven support using phase inversion method. Analysis was done into how the WPS ratio affected the morphology and antifouling performance of the fabricated membranes. Cross flow filtration of pure water and various types of polluted aqueous solutions as the feed was used to assess the performance of the membranes. The morphology analysis shows that the WPS/PVDF membrane layer has completely changed from a spongy structure to a finger-like structure. In addition, the modified membrane with 50% WPS demonstrated that the trade-off between selectivity and permeability is met by a significant improvement in the rejection of the membrane with a reduction in permeate flux due to the addition of PVDF. With a water permeability of 50 LMH and 44 LMH, respectively, the optimized WPS-PVDF membrane with 50% WPS could reject 81% and 74% of Congo red dye (CR) and methylene blue dye (MB), respectively. The flux recovery ratio (FRR) reached to 88.2% by increasing PVDF concentration with 50% wt. Also, this membrane has the lowest irreversible fouling (Rir) value of 11.7% and lowest reversible fouling (Rr) value of 27.9%. The percent of cleaning efficiency reach to 71%, 90%, and 85% after eight cycles of humic acid (HA), CR, and MB filtration, respectively, for the modified PS-PVDF (50%-50%). However, higher PVDF values cause the membrane's pores to become clogged, increase the irreversible fouling, and decrease the cleaning efficiency. In addition to providing promising filtration results, the modified membrane is inexpensive because it was made from waste polystyrene, and as a result, it could be scaled up to treat colored wastewater produced by textile industries. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Recycling of plastic waste as an UF membrane for water/wastewater treatment was successfully prepared and investigated. Mechanical properties showed reasonable response with adding PVDF. The modified membrane with 50% PS demonstrated that the trade-off between selectivity and permeability is met by a significant improvement in the rejection.

Dynamic evolution of ultrafiltration membrane fouling affected by S(IV)–Fe(II)-activated permanganate pretreatment during a long-term operation

ABSTRACT The S(IV)–Fe(II)/PM pretreatment has demonstrated preliminary potential as an effective ultrafiltration (UF) pretreatment technology. However, a comprehensive understanding of its impact on UF membrane fouling control and the dynamic evolution of membrane fouling during prolonged operation is still lacking. In this study, a relatively prolonged fouling experiment was conducted. Results revealed that the S(IV)–Fe(II)/PM pretreatment exhibited superior performance over Al(III) coagulation pretreatment in mitigating the transmembrane pressure difference and addressing both reversible and irreversible membrane fouling. The application of a cluster analysis method to classify membrane fouling evolution stages further confirmed that S(IV)–Fe(II)/PM pretreatment effectively decelerated the rate of membrane fouling evolution. The surface cake layer of UF membranes pretreated with S(IV)–Fe(II)/PM exhibited greater looseness and smoothness. It also showed better results than Al(III) coagulation pretreatment in reducing the accumulation of organic foulants, controlling the Si content and reducing the total microorganisms and live microorganisms in the UF feed water. Variance Partitioning Analysis indicated that the combined contribution of organic, inorganic, and biological foulants was the most significant for UF membranes after S(IV)–Fe(II)/PM pretreatment (50.4%) and UF membranes after Al(III) coagulation pretreatment (70.2%). These findings underscore the efficacy of S(IV)–Fe(II)/PM pretreatment in controlling UF membrane fouling under prolonged operation.

Antifouling performance enhancement of PES membranes using hydrophilic nanoparticles of poly(dopamine-acrylate) for oil/water separation

Polydopamine-acrylate (P(A-D)x) nanoparticles were blended with polyethersulfone (PES) to fabricate a high-performance hybrid ultrafiltration (UF) membrane for the separation of water from oily wastewater. In tris-alkaline buffer solution at room temperature, P(A-D)x nanoparticles were synthesized by intramolecular Michael addition of dopamine with acrylic acid (AA) monomers. Hybrid PES membranes were prepared using P(A-D)x at 0.05–0.4 wt% and characterized using various assays including Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and water contact angle (WCA). The membranes showed a significant increase in hydrophilicity, water permeability, and oil rejection (R). The primary and secondary pure water fluxes of the membrane with 0.2 wt% P(A-D)0.25 were 45% and 110.78% higher than those of neat PES membrane, respectively. For 3300 ppm oil feed solution, water flux during water/oil separation increased by 107%, while the oil rejection (R) remained at 99.08%. The surface of membrane was markedly hydrophilic, with a WCA about 40°, much lower than that of the neat PES membrane (80.67°). UF hybrid membranes also showed a remarkable reduction in oil adhesion on the membrane surface as well as superior antifouling performance for membranes containing 0.2 wt% P(A-D)0.25, flux recovery ratio (FRR) = 84.88 ± 3.27%, reversible fouling (Rr) = 51.12 ± 1.09%, and irreversible fouling (Rir) = 15.12 ± 3.27%. In addition, the pure water flux was 446% higher than that of the unmodified membrane after five cycles (900 minutes).

Effects of coagulant bath temperature toward separation performance and antifouling properties of PVDF/CA membranes for filtration of dyes

Phase inversion is used to prepare poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) microfiltration membranes by combining it with the hydrophilic polymer additive cellulose acetate (CA). For the filtration of methylene blue (MB) and acid yellow 17 (AY17), the effects of coagulant bath temperature (CBT) on the separation performance and antifouling properties are thoroughly investigated. SEM analysis shows that the membrane at higher CBT has a larger pore diameter than at lower CBT, resulting in differences in membrane surface hydrophilicity. It is found that the increase in surface hydrophilicity causes the permeability of PVDF/CA membranes to be higher at higher CBT than at lower CBT. Rejection values above 90% indicate that the membranes are more effective for MB separation at both lower and higher CBT. Otherwise, lower CBT provides better AC rejection than higher CBT. The Flux Recovery Ratio, which is higher at higher CBT, remains in the 75–95% range at lower CBT. As a result, lower CBT is better for membrane fouling resistance than higher CBT. In addition, the fouling observed at lower CBT is similar to the fouling observed at higher CBT, but lower CBT has a higher percentage of reversible fouling than higher CBT. The membranes with more reversible fouling are therefore easier to clean using the backwashing process. As a result, PVDF/CA membranes manufactured at lower CBT have better separation performance and antifouling characteristics than those manufactured at higher CBT.

Insights of membrane fouling under scale inhibitor synergistic condition monitored by ultrasonic phased array: Fouling spatial and density characteristics

Achieving accurate dosing of scale inhibitors in full reverse osmosis (RO) membrane systems for industrial applications is a critical challenge due to a lack of understanding of membrane fouling characteristics. To address this, this study investigated membrane performance at different inhibitor concentrations and proposed a method using ultrasonic phased arrays (UPA) to evaluate the fouling layer's spatial and density characteristics. The study also examined the relationship between fouling reversibility and compaction, and the results showed a clear conversion process from inhibition to exacerbation of membrane fouling by scale inhibitors. Additionally, the fouling layer distribution characteristics were opposite at different concentrations. At insufficient concentrations, the scaling layer forms near the outlet and spreads to the far-end with a continuously decreasing thickness. Conversely, at surplus concentrations, the opposite effect was observed. At sufficient concentrations, the fouling layer thickness and range exhibited a discontinuous distribution. The high-density layer was dominant on the membrane surface and showed low fouling reversibility. However, scale inhibitors were found to minimize fouling density by interfering with ion deposition, reducing the ion content and significantly increasing its reversibility. These findings have significant implications for scale inhibitor efficiency evaluation and scientific application, which can improve industrial membrane system performance.

Design of anti-fouling membranes via prebiotic chemistry-inspired aminomalononitrile (AMN) coating strategy: Aldehyde-mediated chemical immobilization of pseudo-zwitterionic compounds

Although zwitterionic polymers were extensively explored for anti-fouling surface modification, the resulting significant loss in membrane permeability is undesirable. Assisted by co-deposition of aminomalononitrile (AMN) and terephthalaldehyde (TA), in this study a high-performance membrane with low fouling propensity was designed via chemical immobilization of a novel pseudo-zwitterionic compound, namely 3-(dimethyl(3-((3-sulfonatopropyl)ammonio)propyl)ammonio)propane-1-sulfonate (DMPDA-QS), onto the polyethersulfone (PES) substrate. The optimal membrane showed high water permeance (∼366 L m−2 h−1 bar−1) and high rejection (>98.0 %) to model proteins. The immobilization of this pseudo-zwitterionic compound led to a nearly neutral surface and enhanced hydrophilicity, and the dynamic fouling experiments proved its excellent antifouling performance against both negatively (i.e., bovine serum albumin, BSA) and positively (i.e., lysozyme, LYZ) charged foulants with flux recovery of >93% and >88% after 3-cycle filtration, respectively. A mathematical model was used to quantify the contribution of mass transfer resistance caused by reversible and irreversible fouling, showing nearly unchanged resistance of the modified membranes in contrast with 260% increase of the pristine PES after 3 filtration cycles. The developed fabrication strategy provided a viable and versatile route for designing high-performance antifouling membranes.

Manifestation of UiO-66-Zr MOF-enabled photocatalytic membranes for successive separation and degradation of dye mixtures in water remediation

The use of metal-organic framework (MOF) nanoparticles both as a separation-enhancer and as a photocatalyst has been demonstrated by suitably embedding them into polysulfone (PSU) membranes. These MOF-nanoparticles with Zr-metal and 2-aminoterephthalic-ligand, namely UiO-66-NH2, are synthesized via solvothermal and embedded into the PSU-membranes via solvent-casting process, confirmed via XRD and IR analysis. The skin-deep presence of MOFs and enhancements in the depth of pore-channels within membrane are confirmed through FESEM images. A favorable surface-charge and hydrophilic nature of the MOF-membrane are confirmed via zeta-surface potential and water contact angle analysis, respectively. Consequently, the water-flux efficacy of the optimized MOF-embedded membrane is estimated to be ∼59 L/m2h, while it is ∼20 L/m2h for pristine-membrane. The flux of MOF-membrane against the dye solutions containing rhodamine B (RhB), Congo red (CR), and their mixtures (RhB+CR) is estimated to be ∼39.9, 42.7 and 28.8 L/m2h, which is ∼3.6 times more than the pristine-membrane. Correspondingly, a rejection of ∼81.6, 77.6, and (87.2+79.2%) is estimated for RhB, CR and RhB+CR, respectively, which is ∼2.3 times higher the pristine-membrane. Furthermore, under sunlight irradiation, the MOF-membrane degrades ∼10.1, 7.1 and (7.3+4.2%) of RhB, CR and (RhB+CR) dyes, respectively. The parameters indicating regenerative efficiency, such as flux recovery ratio, reversible, irreversible, and total fouling are found to be enhanced for MOF-membranes compared to pristine-membrane. Overall, the incorporation of MOFs as additives enhances both separation and regeneration efficiency of membranes through photocatalytic process. This process holds promise as a reliable strategy for developing smart-membranes for energy-efficient real-time water treatment applications.

Enhancing manganese removal through pre-deposition of powdered activated carbon-manganese oxide (PAC-MnOx) film on gravity-driven ceramic membrane: The impact of biofilm integrity and fluid dynamics

Manganese is widely distributed in the natural environment, and its presence in drinking water poses a risk to human health. In this study, an integrated pre-deposited powdered activated carbon (PAC) and manganese oxide (MnOx) bio-functional layer of inorganic origin was coupled with gravity-driven ceramic membrane (GDCM) reactor. The study aims to investigate the effects of the membrane pore size and functional layer integrity on the Mn2+ removal and flux. The results reveal that the average Mn2+ removal efficiency of the large pore size membranes (300 kDa and 0.45 μm) was lower (75 % – 78 %) compared to those with smaller pores (15 kDa and 50 kDa) (87 % – 88 %) during long-term operation. Such differences are attributed to a period of manganese leakage before the PAC-MnOx matured in large-pore membrane units and a longer residence time in small-pore membranes. The functional layer leaded to reversible fouling, which was more prominent in membranes with larger pores (contributing to 93 % of total resistance) than those with smaller ones (ranging from 51.7 % to 61.9 %). Although the damaged functional layer resulted in occasional high Mn2+ concentrations in the effluent, it did not significantly impact long-term flux development. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), in conjunction with COMSOL analysis, non-destructively evaluate biofilm formation process and indicate a homogeneous flow field and mass transfer in the “dual layers” (active film layer and ceramic membrane layer) of the GDCM. The presence of manganese-oxidizing bacteria (Hyphomicrobium, Reyranella, and Pseudomonas) in the GDCM reactor was verified using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and high-throughput sequencing. Additional material characterization revealed that a portion of the PAC-MnOx exhibited characteristics of birnessite, with autocatalytic oxidation of Mn2+, and that Mn (III) and Mn (IV) were the primary species in MnOx, which exhibited excellent catalytic oxidation and adsorption capabilities for Mn (II), respectively. Overall, the developed PAC-MnOx GDCM system shows great promise in efficiently removing manganese and producing water of desired quality, thereby holding potential in applications across several sectors of advanced water treatment processes.

Effect of β-alanine modified graphene oxide on separation properties of thin film nanocomposite membrane in water desalination

This study explores the potential enhancement of graphene oxide (GO) as a nanomaterial for thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes through functionalization with β-Alanine (βA) amino acid. The GO nanosheets were crosslinked by the heterobifunctional molecules of βA using a facile one-step method. Several GO- and βA-GO-based TFN membranes were fabricated by varying the GO and βA-GO content of the polyamide (PA) selective layer, and their physicochemical, desalination performance, and antifouling properties were compared with those of the pristine PA-based TF composite membrane (TFC). TFN membranes showed a smoother surface morphology and a lower thickness than TFC while βA-GO-containing membranes exhibited a thinner thickness and smoother surface morphology. The best βA-GO-based TFN membrane, comprising 0.05 wt% βA-GO, exhibited an outstanding pure water flux of 22.65 L/m2h.at 7.5 bar and high Na2SO4 and NaCl rejection of 93.06% and 91%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of the GO-based TFN membrane. GO- and βA-GO-containing TFN membranes showed more desirable antifouling properties, and the best βA-GO-based TFN membrane showed remarkably higher reversible fouling of 65% and flux recovery ratio of 87.6% due to its smoother surface morphology. Results revealed that the use of βA as a cross-linker allows the control of the d-spacing of GO nanosheets in aqueous media and enhances the rejection of the PA/βA-GO TFN membranes.

Performance Assessment of a New Flat Sepiolite Clay-Based Ultrafiltration Membrane for the Removal of Paracetamol and Indigo Blue Dyes from Two Synthetic Aqueous Solutions

In the last decade, the development of a new generation of membranes based on low-cost materials has been widely studied. These membranes demonstrate significantly higher performance than the conventional ceramic membranes currently used in membrane separation technology. This work is focused on the development of a low-cost flat UF ceramic membrane composed completely of sepiolite using a uniaxial pressing method with dimensions of 5.5 cm of diameter and 3 mm of thickness. The sintering temperatures used were from 650 to 800 °C. Several properties, such as morphology, porosity, permeability, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance, are investigated. The results show that the mean pore diameter is increased from 40 to 150 nm when the sintering temperature increases from 650 °C to 800 °C. At these temperatures, excellent mechanical strength of 18 MPa to 22 MPa and high chemical resistance were achieved. SEM results revealed a crack-free structure with a uniformly smooth surface. Permeability tests were conducted using dead-end filtration. The sepiolite membrane demonstrated an improvement in its water permeability from 18 to 41 L·m−2·h−1·bar−1 when the sintering temperature increased from 650 °C to 750 °C. The efficiency of the sepiolite membranes sintered at 650 °C and 700 °C were evaluated with the application of the removal of paracetamol (PCT) and indigo blue (IB) dye separately from two synthetic aqueous solutions representing the pharmaceutical and textile sectors. Excellent removal efficiency of almost 100% for both contaminants was observed at ambient temperature and a pressure of 3 bars. Membrane regeneration was achieved through simple rinsing with deionized water. According to this finding, the UF sepiolite membrane demonstrated reversible fouling, which is consistent with the fouling coefficient “FRR” value higher than 90%.