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Membranes
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Membrane Advancements for Pollutant Removal and Environmental Applications/Remediations
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Membrane Advancements for Pollutant Removal and Environmental Applications/Remediations

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 November 2023) | Viewed by 6264

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rizwan Nasir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Jeddah, Jeddah 21959, Saudi Arabia
Interests: membrane technology; gas separation membranes; water treatment through membrane; material development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Humbul Suleman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BX, UK
Interests: pre- and post combustion carbon capture, direct air carbon capture, modelling of carbon capture systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hafiz Abdul Mannan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Polymer and Textile Engineering, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
Interests: gas separation; polymer blends; membrane technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pollutants in air and water pose adverse health effects to humans and ecology. Membrane-based technologies can treat both conventional and emerging pollutants as they provide many technological and economic advantages. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight the advancements of different membranes for pollutant removal. Moreover, we welcome papers related to membrane utilisation in gas cleaning. This Special Issue will focus on polymeric membranes, mixed matrix membranes, blended membranes, etc. We are pleased to invite you to submit your original research articles as well as comprehensive reviews. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following: 

  • Nanomaterial-based membranes;
  • Thin-film composite membranes;
  • Adsorptive membranes;
  • Mixed matrix membranes;
  • Membrane application for air pollutant removal;
  • Utilisation of membranes for gas cleaning;
  • Membrane applications for environmental remediations.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Rizwan Nasir
Dr. Humbul Suleman
Dr. Hafiz Abdul Mannan
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com 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. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • synthesis
  • characterisation
  • greenhouse gas capture
  • gas separation
  • pollutant removal
  • air and water treatment
  • environment

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2453 KiB  
Article
Effect of TiO2 on Thermal, Mechanical, and Gas Separation Performances of Polyetherimide–Polyvinyl Acetate Blend Membranes
by Khuram Maqsood, Asif Jamil, Anas Ahmed, Burhannudin Sutisna, Suzana Nunes and Mathias Ulbricht
Membranes 2023, 13(8), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13080734 - 15 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1238
Abstract
Blend membranes consisting of two polymer pairs improve gas separation, but compromise mechanical and thermal properties. To address this, incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles has been suggested, to enhance interactions between polymer phases. Therefore, the objective of this study was to [...] Read more.
Blend membranes consisting of two polymer pairs improve gas separation, but compromise mechanical and thermal properties. To address this, incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles has been suggested, to enhance interactions between polymer phases. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the impact of TiO2 as a filler on the thermal, surface mechanical, as well as gas separation properties of blend membranes. Blend polymeric membranes consisting of polyetherimide (PEI) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) with blend ratios of (99:1) and (98:2) were developed via a wet-phase inversion technique. In the latter, TiO2 was incorporated in ratios of 1 and 2 wt.% while maintaining a blend ratio of (98:2). TGA and DSC analyses were used to examine thermal properties, and nano-indentation tests were carried out to ascertain surface mechanical characteristics. On the other hand, a gas permeation set-up was used to determine gas separation performance. TGA tests showed that blend membranes containing TiO2 had better thermal characteristics. Indentation tests showed that TiO2-containing membranes exhibited greater surface hardness compared to other membranes. The results of gas permeation experiments showed that TiO2-containing membranes had better separation characteristics. PEI–PVAc blend membranes with 2 wt.% TiO2 as filler displayed superior separation performance for both gas pairs (CO2/CH4 and CO2/N2). The compatibility between the rubbery and glassy phases of blend membranes was improved as a result of the inclusion of TiO2, which further benefited their thermal, surface mechanical, and gas separation performances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Advancements for Pollutant Removal and Environmental Applications/Remediations)
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12 pages, 3518 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of PCL/CMARX/GO Composite Nanofibrous Mats for Dye Adsorption: Wastewater Treatment
by Mona Saad Binkadem
Membranes 2023, 13(7), 622; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13070622 - 26 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1183
Abstract
The effluents of industrial wastewater contain several toxic organic and inorganic pollutants that may contaminate clean and freshwater sources if untreated or poorly treated. These toxic pollutants include colors; hazardous compounds; surfactants; cosmetics; agrochemicals; pharmaceutical by-products; and agricultural, pharmaceutical, and medical contaminants. Treating [...] Read more.
The effluents of industrial wastewater contain several toxic organic and inorganic pollutants that may contaminate clean and freshwater sources if untreated or poorly treated. These toxic pollutants include colors; hazardous compounds; surfactants; cosmetics; agrochemicals; pharmaceutical by-products; and agricultural, pharmaceutical, and medical contaminants. Treating wastewater has become a global problem. Many projects have been started in the last two decades to treat wastewater, resultant water pollution, and associated waste management problems. Adsorbants based on graphene oxide (GO) are viable wastewater treatment materials due to their adaptability, photocatalytic action, and capacity for self-assembly. Here, we report the fabrication of nanofibrous mats from polycaprolactone (PCL), carboxymethyl arabinoxylan (CMARX), and carboxyl-functionalized-graphene oxide using an electrospinning technique. The silver nanoparticles were loaded onto the mat to enhance their photocatalytic activity. These mats were characterized using different techniques, including Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The water contact angles were used to study their hydrophilic and hydrophobic behavior. The Langmuir isotherm model and adsorption kinetics were studied to evaluate their adsorption capabilities against methylene blue (MB). Sample 2 followed the Langmuir isotherm model (R2 = 0.9939). Adsorption kinetics exhibited pseudo-second order behavior (R2 = 0.9978) due to their maximum correlation coefficient values. MB has excellent adsorption at room temperature and the formation of the monolayer at the surface of the adsorption mat. An enhanced PO43− and MB adsorption was observed, providing recyclability up to 4–5 times. Hence, the fabricated nanofibrous mat would be a potential candidate for more effective wastewater treatment applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Advancements for Pollutant Removal and Environmental Applications/Remediations)
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15 pages, 5635 KiB  
Article
A New Approach to the Development of Hollow Fiber Membrane Modules for Water Treatment: Mixed Polymer Matrices
by Dionísio da Silva Biron, Jonathan Cawettiere Espíndola, Eduardo Lucas Subtil and José Carlos Mierzwa
Membranes 2023, 13(7), 613; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13070613 - 21 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1587
Abstract
In this study, mixed matrix hollow fiber polymeric membranes were prepared using polyethersulfone (PES) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as polymers in their composition. N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was used as a solvent and demineralized water with an electrical conductivity below 3 μS·cm−1 was used [...] Read more.
In this study, mixed matrix hollow fiber polymeric membranes were prepared using polyethersulfone (PES) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as polymers in their composition. N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was used as a solvent and demineralized water with an electrical conductivity below 3 μS·cm−1 was used as a non-solvent. A new approach to producing enhanced polymeric hollow fiber membranes based on the preparation of a simple blend PVDF/PES solution, and on the conformation of the composite membranes through the extrusion technique followed by the phase inversion process in a non-solvent bath, was applied. The investigation focused on the preparation of polymeric membranes with different polymer ratios and further assessment of the effects of these proportions on the membrane performance and in specific physical properties. The amount of PVDF ranged from 10 to 90% with 10% steps. The presence of PVDF, although it increased the membranes’ plasticity, had a negative effect on the overall mechanical properties of the composite membranes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed good dispersion of both polymers in the polymeric matrix. Furthermore, the membrane permeability showed a slight negative correlation with contact angle, suggesting that membrane hydrophilicity played an important role in membrane permeability. Finally, it was found that membranes with low ratios of PVDF/PES may have potential for water treatment applications, due to the combined advantageous properties of PES and PVDF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Advancements for Pollutant Removal and Environmental Applications/Remediations)
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13 pages, 3363 KiB  
Article
Lignin Recovery from Black Liquor Using Integrated UF/NF Processes and Economic Analysis
by Manorma Sharma, Patrícia Alves and Licínio M. Gando-Ferreira
Membranes 2023, 13(2), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13020237 - 16 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1743
Abstract
Lignin is a polyphenolic biopolymer present in large amounts in black liquor (BL). This work investigated the recovery of lignin from BL (pre-filtered by ultrafiltration (UF)) by nanofiltration (NF). For the NF tests, laboratory-made mixed matrix membrane (MMM) prepared with 0.1% activated carbon [...] Read more.
Lignin is a polyphenolic biopolymer present in large amounts in black liquor (BL). This work investigated the recovery of lignin from BL (pre-filtered by ultrafiltration (UF)) by nanofiltration (NF). For the NF tests, laboratory-made mixed matrix membrane (MMM) prepared with 0.1% activated carbon (AC) nanoparticles were used in crossflow filtration mode. The effect of pressure (6–15 bar) and volume reduction (VR) (~65%) were analyzed, and the filtration performance was evaluated in terms of permeate flux, lignin rejection rate, and flux reduction. The lignin rejection rate varied in the range of 67–80% with the pressure, however, the highest increases in flux and rejection were observed at 12 bar, which was found to be the optimum pressure. At a VR of ~65%, the permeate flux decreased by ~55% and the lignin rejection rate increased from 78% to 86%. In addition, an economic evaluation was performed for the preparation of UF and NF MMM. The minimum-to-maximum price range was estimated considering the costs of the laboratory and commercial grade regents. It showed a difference of ~10-fold and ~14-fold for UF and NF membranes, respectively. The results of the laboratory-scale study were used to evaluate the economic feasibility of the process for recovering lignin- and hemicellulose-rich retentate streams. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membrane Advancements for Pollutant Removal and Environmental Applications/Remediations)
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