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Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations
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Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Green Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2019) | Viewed by 23300

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Teresa Poerio

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute on Membrane Technology (CNR-ITM), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, 87036 Cosenza, Italy
Interests: membrane preparation and functionalization; catalytic membrane; catalytic membrane reactor development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect original research papers or review articles which report the recent efforts and progress obtained in the development of sustainable membrane processes and membrane production. Despite a significant increase of membrane technology in different sectors, membrane-based operations and membrane production processes cannot always be defined as green and sustainable. Indeed, most of the solvents used in membrane production are hazardous to human health and the environment, and the membrane processes present some drawbacks as well, such as high energy consumption, long-term stability, fouling, etc. In this scenario, it is imperative to design operation and preparation processes that consider the following requirements: replacing conventional solvents with greener solvents, exploitation of renewable raw materials, use of degradable material to avoid accumulation in the environment, lower energy consumption, lower waste generation, and reduced plant size, in agreement with the concept of sustainability.

Dr. Teresa Poerio
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at mdpi.longhoe.net by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • green processes
  • sustainable membrane preparation
  • sustainable membrane processes
  • green solvents
  • degradable materials
  • waste valorisation
  • renewable sources
  • energy consumption

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2460 KiB  
Article
Crosslinked Nanocomposite Sodium Alginate-Based Membranes with Titanium Dioxide for the Dehydration of Isopropanol by Pervaporation
by H.G. Premakshi, Mahadevappa Y. Kariduraganavar and Geoffrey R. Mitchell
Molecules 2020, 25(6), 1298; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25061298 - 12 Mar 2020
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4388
Abstract
Sodium alginate (NaAlg) based membranes were prepared using a solution technique, crosslinked with poly(styrene sulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) (PSSA-co-MA). Subsequently, the membranes were modified by the incorporation of 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% w/w of titanium dioxide with respect to sodium [...] Read more.
Sodium alginate (NaAlg) based membranes were prepared using a solution technique, crosslinked with poly(styrene sulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) (PSSA-co-MA). Subsequently, the membranes were modified by the incorporation of 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40% w/w of titanium dioxide with respect to sodium alginate. The membranes thus obtained were designated as M, M-1, M-2, M-3 and M-4, respectively. An equilibrium swelling experiment was performed using different compositions of the water and isopropanol mixtures. Subsequently, we used a pervaporation cell fitted with each membrane in order to evaluate the extent of the pervaporation dehydration of isopropanol. Among the membranes studied, the membranes containing 40 mass% of titanium dioxide exhibited the highest separation factor(α) of 24,092, with a flux(J) of 18.61 × 10−2 kg/m2∙h at 30 °C for 10 mass% w/w of water in the feed. The total flux and the flux of water were found to overlap with each other, indicating that these membranes can be effectively used to break the azeotropic point of water–isopropanol mixtures. The results clearly indicate that these nanocomposite membranes exhibit an excellent performance in the dehydration of isopropanol. The activation energy values obtained for the water permeation were significantly lower than those of the isopropanol permeation, underlining that these membranes have a high separation ability for the water–isopropanol system. The estimated activation energies for total permeation (EP) and total diffusion (ED) values ranged between 10.60 kJ∙mol−1 and 3.96 kJ∙mol−1, and 10.76 kJ∙mol−1 and 4.29 kJ∙mol−1, respectively. The negative change in the enthalpy values for all the membranes indicates that sorption was mainly dominated by Langmuir’s mode of sorption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations)
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20 pages, 5628 KiB  
Article
Exploring Nanosilver-Coated Hollow Fiber Microfiltration to Mitigate Biofouling for High Loading Membrane Bioreactor
by Huy Quang Le, Alieu Sowe, Shiao-Shing Chen, Chinh Cong Duong, Saikat Sinha Ray, Thanh Ngoc-Dan Cao and Nguyen Cong Nguyen
Molecules 2019, 24(12), 2345; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24122345 - 25 Jun 2019
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2795
Abstract
For the first time, a nanosilver-coated hollow fiber microfiltration (MF) was fabricated by a simple chemical reduction method, then tested for membrane biofouling mitigation study under extreme high mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration for long term. This study presents a simple and [...] Read more.
For the first time, a nanosilver-coated hollow fiber microfiltration (MF) was fabricated by a simple chemical reduction method, then tested for membrane biofouling mitigation study under extreme high mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration for long term. This study presents a simple and novel technique to modify a commercially available MF membrane using silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) followed by an investigation of mitigating membrane biofouling potentials using this modified membrane to compare with an unmodified membrane for 60-day operation period. The modified membranes showed that AgNPs was attached to the MF-membrane successfully with a high density of 119.85 ± 5.42 mg/m2. After long-term testing of 60 days in membrane bioreactor with a MLSS concentration of 11,000 mg/L, specific flux of the AgNPs coated MF (AgNPs-MF) decreased 59.7%, while the specific flux of the unmodified membrane dropped 81.8%, resulted from the increase of transmembrane vacuum pressure for the AgNPs-MF was lower than that of the unmodified one. The resistance-in-series model was used to calculate the resistance coefficients of membrane modules, and the result showed that the cake layer resistance coefficient of the unmodified membrane was 2.7 times higher than that of the AgNPs-MF after the 60-day operation, confirming that AgNPs displayed great antimicrobial properties to mitigate membrane biofouling under such high MLSS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations)
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16 pages, 4271 KiB  
Article
A Membrane-Based Process for the Recovery of Glycyrrhizin and Phenolic Compounds from Licorice Wastewaters
by Carmela Conidi, Lidia Fucà, Enrico Drioli and Alfredo Cassano
Molecules 2019, 24(12), 2279; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24122279 - 19 Jun 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3418
Abstract
In this work, the use of polymeric ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes was investigated in order to recover glycyrrhizin and phenolic compounds from licorice wastewaters. Filtration experiments were performed on a laboratory scale using four polyamide thin-film composite membranes (GK, GH, GE, and DK, [...] Read more.
In this work, the use of polymeric ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes was investigated in order to recover glycyrrhizin and phenolic compounds from licorice wastewaters. Filtration experiments were performed on a laboratory scale using four polyamide thin-film composite membranes (GK, GH, GE, and DK, from GE Osmonics) with different molecular weight cut-offs (from 150 to 3500 Da). The permeate flux and retention values of glycyrrhizin, the total polyphenols, the caffeic acid, the total carbohydrate, and the total antioxidant activity as a function of the transmembrane pressure (TMP) and weight reduction factor (WRF) were evaluated. In selected operating conditions, the membrane productivity decreased in the order of GK > DK > GH > GE, with a similar trend to that of water permeability. Glycyrrhizin was totally rejected by selected membranes, independently of TMP and WRF. For the other antioxidant compounds, the retention values increased by increasing both of the parameters. According to the experimental results, a combination of membranes in a sequential design was proposed as a viable approach to produce concentrated fractions enriched in bioactive compounds and purified water from licorice wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations)
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17 pages, 4607 KiB  
Article
Three Output Membrane Hydrocyclone: Classification and Filtration
by Jhao-Yi Lin and Rome-Ming Wu
Molecules 2019, 24(6), 1116; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24061116 - 21 Mar 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3341
Abstract
In this study, through simulation and experimental verification, we proposed a novel hydrocyclone in which a tubular ceramic membrane passed through the overflow outlet to the underflow outlet. The centers of overflow and underflow outlets were tubular membranes equipped with an exit of [...] Read more.
In this study, through simulation and experimental verification, we proposed a novel hydrocyclone in which a tubular ceramic membrane passed through the overflow outlet to the underflow outlet. The centers of overflow and underflow outlets were tubular membranes equipped with an exit of outside-in filtration, and the overflow the underflow outlets were shaped into annular (donut shape) exits. Thus, this novel hydrocyclone has three outlets, namely the overflow dilute liquid, the underflow concentrated liquid, and clear filtrate. This system enabled higher dilution of hydrocyclone overflow concentration than that in the traditional system. Furthermore, underflow was more concentrated, and we obtained a clear filtrate. Therefore, this device can simultaneously perform classification and filtration, which is valuable for special liquid recycling. For instance, in wafer cutting fluid recovery in solar energy processes, the fluid with more silicon can function as the overflow, the fluid with more silicon carbide can function as the underflow, and the polyethylene glycol (PEG) organic solvent can function as the clear filtrate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations)
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20 pages, 5311 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of TiO2-PVDF/PMMA Blend Membranes Using an Alternative Non-Toxic Solvent for UF/MF and Photocatalytic Application
by Ouassila Benhabiles, Francesco Galiano, Tiziana Marino, Hacene Mahmoudi, Hakim Lounici and Alberto Figoli
Molecules 2019, 24(4), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24040724 - 17 Feb 2019
Cited by 71 | Viewed by 5194
Abstract
The approach of the present work is based on the use of poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) polymer, which is compatible with PVDF and TiO2 nanoparticles in casting solutions, for the preparation of nano-composites membranes using a safer and more compatible solvent. TiO2 [...] Read more.
The approach of the present work is based on the use of poly (methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) polymer, which is compatible with PVDF and TiO2 nanoparticles in casting solutions, for the preparation of nano-composites membranes using a safer and more compatible solvent. TiO2 embedded poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/PMMA photocatalytic membranes were prepared by phase inversion method. A non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) coupled with vapor induced phase separation (VIPS) was used to fabricate flat-sheet membranes using a dope solution consisting of PMMA, PVDF, TiO2, and triethyl phosphate (TEP) as an alternative non-toxic solvent. Membrane morphology was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Backscatter electron detector (BSD) map** was used to monitor the inter-dispersion of TiO2 in the membrane surface and matrix. The effects of polymer concentration, evaporation time, additives and catalyst amount on the membrane morphology and properties were investigated. Tests on photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue (MB) were also carried out using the membranes entrapped with different concentrations of TiO2. The results of this study showed that nearly 99% MB removal can be easily achieved by photocatalysis using TiO2 immobilized on the membrane matrix. Moreover, it was observed that the quantity of TiO2 plays a significant role in the dye removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations)
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Review

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19 pages, 2740 KiB  
Review
Biomass Characteristics and Their Effect on Membrane Bioreactor Fouling
by Petros K. Gkotsis and Anastasios I. Zouboulis
Molecules 2019, 24(16), 2867; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24162867 - 7 Aug 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 3648
Abstract
Biomass characteristics are regarded as particularly influential for fouling in Membrane Bio-Reactors (MBRs). They primarily include the Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS), the colloids and the Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS). Among them, the soluble part of EPS, which is also known as Soluble [...] Read more.
Biomass characteristics are regarded as particularly influential for fouling in Membrane Bio-Reactors (MBRs). They primarily include the Mixed Liquor Suspended Solids (MLSS), the colloids and the Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS). Among them, the soluble part of EPS, which is also known as Soluble Microbial Products (SMP), is the most significant foulant, i.e., it is principally responsible for membrane fouling and affects all fundamental fouling indices, such as the Trans-Membrane Pressure (TMP) and the membrane resistance and permeability. Recent research in the field of MBRs, tends to consider the carbohydrate fraction of SMP (SMPc) the most important characteristic for fouling, mainly due to the hydrophilic and gelling properties, which are exhibited by polysaccharides and allow them to be easily attached on the membrane surface. Other wastewater and biomass characteristics, which affect indirectly membrane fouling, include temperature, viscosity, dissolved oxygen (DO), foaming, hydrophobicity and surface charge. The main methods employed for the characterization and assessment of biomass quality, in terms of filterability and fouling potential, can be divided into direct (such as FDT, SFI, TTF100, MFI, DFCM) or indirect (such as CST, TOC, PSA, RH) methods, and they are shortly presented in this review. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Membrane Production and Membrane Operations)
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