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Membranes
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Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021
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Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 31443

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Frank Lipnizki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Lund University, Box 124, 221 00 Lund, Sweden
Interests: membrane separation processes; integration of membrane processes; fouling and cleaning; membrane applications in food, biotech and chemical industry; water and wastewater treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Morten Lykkegaard Christensen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg Universitet, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark
Interests: characterisation, flocculation and separation of organic waste streams (wastewater, manure etc); matematical modeling of filtration and dewatering processes based on feed charateristic and colloidal chemistry; membrane filtration for water purification; water reuse and recovery of nutrients e.g. MBR; MF/UF systems and forward osmosis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are very happy to announce that Lund University (Sweden) and Aalborg University (Denmark) will jointly host Euromembrane 2021 in Copenhagen (Denmark). This is the first time that this important membrane event will be hosted in Scandinavia.   

The dates for Euromembrane in Copenhagen are 28 November–02 December, 2021. The location is the Tivoli Hotel and Congress Centre in the heart of Copenhagen, in walking distance to the Main Station, Tivoli park, the National Museum and the Town Hall. The Tivoli Hotel and Congress Centre is an ideal place to bring together academic and industrial scientists in the field of membrane science and technology. On top of this, the participants will have the opportunity to experience Scandinavian hospitality first hand.

This Special Issue, “Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021”, will contain papers presented during the Euromembrane conference. On behalf of the organizing committee, we cordially invite you to join us. Participants of the conference are cordially invited to contribute original research papers or reviews to this Special Issue of Membranes.

We looking forward to meeting you in Copenhagen.

Note: 25% discount on APC will be offered to all the Euromembrane 2021 conference Participants!

Prof. Dr. Frank Lipnizki
Prof. Dr. Morten Lykkegaard Christensen
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 2200 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

  • Microfiltration/ultrafiltration
  • Nanofiltration/reverse osmosis
  • Forward osmosis/pressure retarded osmosis
  • Organic solvent nanofiltration
  • Membrane reactors
  • Membrane bio-reactors
  • Membrane contactors and membrane distillation
  • Gas separation
  • Pervaporation and vapor permeation
  • Electro-membrane processes
  • Membrane emulsification
  • Membrane fouling and cleaning
  • Transport models
  • Fluid dynamics
  • Module design
  • Fuel cells
  • 3D printing of membranes
  • Novel membrane materials
  • 1D and 2D materials for membranes
  • Inorganic membranes
  • Biomimetic and bioinspired membranes
  • Aging of polymeric membranes
  • Advanced fabrication methods
  • Facilitated transport membranes
  • New characterization methods
  • Environmental applications
  • Industrial applications and scale-up
  • CO2 capture
  • Bio-separations and bio-refinery
  • Bio-medical applications
  • Drinking water
  • Wastewater treatment
  • Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
  • Food processing
  • Paper and pulp industries

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2396 KiB  
Article
Wood-Based Cellulose-Rich Ultrafiltration Membranes: Alkaline Coagulation Bath Introduction and Investigation of Its Effect over Membranes’ Performance
by Anastasiia Lopatina, Alma Liukkonen, Sabina Bec, Ikenna Anugwom, Joona Nieminen, Mika Mänttäri and Mari Kallioinen-Mänttäri
Membranes 2022, 12(6), 581; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12060581 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3040
Abstract
In this study, wood-based cellulose-rich membranes were produced with a novel approach to casting procedure. Flat-sheet membranes were prepared from birch biomass pretreated with deep eutectic solvent and dissolved in ionic liquid-dimethylsulfoxide system via phase inversion method. Alkaline coagulation bath filled with sodium [...] Read more.
In this study, wood-based cellulose-rich membranes were produced with a novel approach to casting procedure. Flat-sheet membranes were prepared from birch biomass pretreated with deep eutectic solvent and dissolved in ionic liquid-dimethylsulfoxide system via phase inversion method. Alkaline coagulation bath filled with sodium hydroxide solution was added to the process before a water coagulation bath and aimed to improve membranes’ performance. The effect of NaOH coagulation bath on the membrane was studied based on two NaOH concentrations and two different treatment times. The characterisation methods included measuring pure water permeabilities, polyethylene glycol 35 kDa model solution retentions, hydrophilicity, zeta potential, and chemical structure. Additionally, suitability of the membranes for removing residual phosphorous from a municipal wastewater treatment plant’s effluent was studied. The study revealed that introduction of the alkaline coagulation bath led to additional removal of lignin from membrane matrix and increase in the filtration capacity up to eight times. The resulting membranes can be characterised as very hydrophilic, with contact angle values 11.9–18.2°, negatively charged over a wide pH range. The membranes with the highest permeability, 380–450 L/m2·h·bar, showed approximately 70% phosphorus removal from purified wastewater, good removal of suspended solids, and low irreversible fouling tendency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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17 pages, 6060 KiB  
Article
Modification of Polyacrylonitrile Ultrafiltration Membranes to Enhance the Adsorption of Cations and Anions
by Anthony Arvind Kishore Chand, Barbara Bajer, Erik S. Schneider, Tomi Mantel, Mathias Ernst, Volkan Filiz and Sarah Glass
Membranes 2022, 12(6), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12060580 - 31 May 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4458
Abstract
Ion adsorbing ultrafiltration membranes provide an interesting possibility to remove toxic ions from water. Furthermore, it is also possible to recover valuable elements. In this work, we demonstrate two easy strategies to modify polyacrylonitrile membranes with anion and cation adsorbing groups. The membranes [...] Read more.
Ion adsorbing ultrafiltration membranes provide an interesting possibility to remove toxic ions from water. Furthermore, it is also possible to recover valuable elements. In this work, we demonstrate two easy strategies to modify polyacrylonitrile membranes with anion and cation adsorbing groups. The membranes were modified to have positively charged amine groups or negatively charged carboxyl groups. The success of the reactions was confirmed using IR spectroscopy and zeta-potential measurements. The membranes carrying negatively charged groups provided a negative zeta-potential and had an isoelectric point at pH 3.6, while the membranes carrying positively charged groups had a positive zeta-potential in the analyzed pH range. Since only the surface of the polymer was modified, the pore size and permeance of the membranes were not drastically affected. The membranes prepared by both modification strategies had a pure water permeance higher than 1000 L/(m2 h bar) and a water contact angle of 44.3 and 57.2°, respectively. Therefore, the membranes can be operated at low pressures with reasonable flux. Additionally, SEM images showed that the membranes were still open-pored. Adsorption tests using a positively and a negatively charged dye as well as a toxic cation and an anion were performed to analyze the adsorption behavior. Both membranes were able to adsorb the oppositely charged dyes as well as the copper and chromate ions. Therefore, these membranes are good candidates to purify water streams containing hazardous ions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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21 pages, 2710 KiB  
Article
Biopolymer-Based Mixed Matrix Membranes (MMMs) for CO2/CH4 Separation: Experimental and Modeling Evaluation
by Andrea Torre-Celeizabal, Clara Casado-Coterillo and Aurora Garea
Membranes 2022, 12(6), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12060561 - 28 May 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2858
Abstract
Alternative materials are needed to tackle the sustainability of membrane fabrication in light of the circular economy, so that membrane technology keeps playing a role as sustainable technology in CO2 separation processes. In this work, chitosan (CS)-based mixed matrix thin layers have [...] Read more.
Alternative materials are needed to tackle the sustainability of membrane fabrication in light of the circular economy, so that membrane technology keeps playing a role as sustainable technology in CO2 separation processes. In this work, chitosan (CS)-based mixed matrix thin layers have been coated onto commercial polyethersulfone (PES) supports. The CS matrix was loaded by non-toxic 1-Ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate ionic liquid (IL) and/or laminar nanoporous AM-4 and UZAR-S3 silicates prepared without costly organic surfactants to improve CO2 permselectivity and mechanical robustness. The CO2/CH4 separation behavior of these membranes was evaluated experimentally at different feed gas composition (CO2/CH4 feed mixture from 20:80 to 70:30%), covering different separation applications associated with this separation. A cross-flow membrane cell model built using Aspen Custom Modeler was used to validate the process performance and relate the membrane properties with the target objectives of CO2 and CH4 recovery and purity in the permeate and retentate streams, respectively. The purely organic IL-CS and mixed matrix AM-4:IL-CS composite membranes showed the most promising results in terms of CO2 and CH4 purity and recovery. This is correlated with their higher hydrophilicity and CO2 adsorption and lower swelling degree, i.e., mechanical robustness, than UZAR-S3 loaded composite membranes. The purity and recovery of the 10 wt.% AM-4:IL-CS/PES composite membrane were close or even surpassed those of the hydrophobic commercial membrane used as reference. This work provides scope for membranes fabricated from renewable or biodegradable polymers and non-toxic fillers that show at least comparable CO2/CH4 separation as existing membranes, as well as the simultaneous feedback on membrane development by the simultaneous correlation of the process requirements with the membrane properties to achieve those process targets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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18 pages, 5445 KiB  
Article
Tailoring the Selective Permeation Properties of Asymmetric Cellulose Acetate/Silica Hybrid Membranes and Characterisation of Water Dynamics in Hydrated Membranes by Deuterium Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
by Miguel P. da Silva, Maria J. Beira, Isabel D. Nogueira, Pedro J. Sebastião, João L. Figueirinhas and Maria Norberta de Pinho
Membranes 2022, 12(6), 559; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12060559 - 28 May 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1865
Abstract
In this work, the water order and dynamics in hydrated films of flat asymmetric cellulose acetate (CA)/silica, CA/SiO2, and hybrid membranes, covering a wide range of nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF) permeation properties, were characterised by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (DNMR) [...] Read more.
In this work, the water order and dynamics in hydrated films of flat asymmetric cellulose acetate (CA)/silica, CA/SiO2, and hybrid membranes, covering a wide range of nanofiltration (NF) and ultrafiltration (UF) permeation properties, were characterised by deuterium nuclear magnetic resonance (DNMR) relaxation. The range of NF/UF characteristics was attained by subjecting three CA/SiO2 membranes, prepared from casting solutions with different acetone/formamide ratios to drying post-treatments of solvent exchange and conditioning with surfactant mixtures. Post-treated and pristine CA/SiO2 membranes were characterised in terms of hydraulic permeability, selective permeation properties and molecular weight cut-off. These results were correlated with the DNMR relaxation findings. It was found that the post-treatment by solvent exchange caused membrane shrinkage that led to very different permeation characteristics and a significant enhancement of the DNMR relaxation observables. In contrast, conditioning with surfactant solutions exhibited a weaker effect over those properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images were obtained for the membranes post-treated with solvent exchange to confirm their asymmetric nature. This work provides an essential indication that DNMR relaxometry is a reliable tool to characterise the asymmetric porous structures of the NF/UF CA/SiO2 hybrid membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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16 pages, 2722 KiB  
Article
Separation of Drugs by Commercial Nanofiltration Membranes and Their Modelling
by Vignesh Nayak, Jiří Cuhorka and Petr Mikulášek
Membranes 2022, 12(5), 528; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12050528 - 17 May 2022
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 3587
Abstract
Pharmaceutical drugs have recently emerged as one the foremost water pollutants in the environment, triggering a severe threat to living species. With their complex chemical nature and the intricacy involved in the removal process in mind, the present work investigates the performance of [...] Read more.
Pharmaceutical drugs have recently emerged as one the foremost water pollutants in the environment, triggering a severe threat to living species. With their complex chemical nature and the intricacy involved in the removal process in mind, the present work investigates the performance of commercially available polyamide thin-film composite tubular nanofiltration (NF) membranes (AFC 40 and AFC 80) in removing polluting pharmaceutical drugs, namely caffeine, paracetamol and naproxen. The structural parameters of the NF membranes were estimated by water permeability measurements and retention measurements with aqueous solutions of organic, uncharged (glycerol) solutes. The effect of various operating conditions on the retention of solutes by the AFC 40 and AFC 80 membranes, such as applied transmembrane pressure, tangential feed flow velocity, feed solution concentration and ionic strength, were evaluated. It was found that the rejection of drugs was directly proportional to transmembrane pressure and feed flow rate. Due to the size difference between caffeine (MW = 194.9 g/mol), naproxen (MW = 230.2 g/mol) and paracetamol (MW = 151.16 g/mol), the AFC 40 membrane proved to be efficient for caffeine and naproxen, with rejection efficiencies of 88% and 99%, respectively. In contrast, the AFC 80 membrane proved to be better for paracetamol, with a rejection efficiency of 96% (and rejection efficiency of 100% for caffeine and naproxen). It was also observed that the rejection efficiency of the AFC 80 membrane did not change with changes in external operating conditions compared to the AFC 40 membrane. The membrane performance was predicted using the Spiegler–Kedem model based on irreversible thermodynamics, which was successfully used to explain the transport mechanism of solutes through the AFC 40 and AFC 80 membranes in the NF process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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13 pages, 1275 KiB  
Article
Low-Molecular-Weight Lignin Recovery with Nanofiltration in the Kraft Pulping Process
by Mariona Battestini Vives, Johan Thuvander, Anders Arkell and Frank Lipnizki
Membranes 2022, 12(3), 310; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12030310 - 9 Mar 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2990
Abstract
Kraft lignin is an underutilized resource from the pulp and paper industry with the potential of being a key raw material for renewable fuels and chemicals. The separation of high-molecular-weight lignin from black liquor by ultrafiltration has been widely investigated, while the permeate [...] Read more.
Kraft lignin is an underutilized resource from the pulp and paper industry with the potential of being a key raw material for renewable fuels and chemicals. The separation of high-molecular-weight lignin from black liquor by ultrafiltration has been widely investigated, while the permeate containing low-molecular-weight lignin has received little attention. Nanofiltration can concentrate the low-molecular-weight lignin. This work, therefore, evaluates nanofiltration for the separation and concentration of low-molecular-weight lignin from the ultrafiltration permeate. For this study, eight flat polymeric sheet membranes and one polymeric hollow fiber membrane, with molecular weight cut-offs ranging from 100 to 2000 Da, were tested. A parametric study was conducted at 50 °C, 2.5–35 bar, and crossflow velocity of 0.3–0.5 m/s. At a transmembrane pressure of 35 bar, the best performing membranes were NF090801, with 90% lignin retention and 37 L/m2·h, and SelRO MPF-36, with 84% lignin retention and 72 L/m2·h. The other membranes showed either very high lignin retention with a very low flux or a high flux with retention lower than 80%. Concentration studies were performed with the two selected membranes at conditions (A) 50 °C and 35 bar and (B) 70 °C and 15 bar. The NF090801 membrane had the highest flux and lignin retention during the concentration studies. Overall, it was shown that the nanofiltration process is able to produce a concentrated lignin fraction, which can be either used to produce valuable chemicals or used to make lignin oil. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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12 pages, 1283 KiB  
Article
Crown-Ether Functionalized Graphene Oxide Membrane for Lithium Recovery from Water
by Luisa Baudino, Alessandro Pedico, Stefano Bianco, Monica Periolatto, Candido Fabrizio Pirri and Andrea Lamberti
Membranes 2022, 12(2), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12020233 - 18 Feb 2022
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4518
Abstract
The massive worldwide transition of the transport sector to electric vehicles has dramatically increased the demand for lithium. Lithium recovery by means of ion sieves or supramolecular chemistry has been extensively studied in recent years as a viable alternative approach to the most [...] Read more.
The massive worldwide transition of the transport sector to electric vehicles has dramatically increased the demand for lithium. Lithium recovery by means of ion sieves or supramolecular chemistry has been extensively studied in recent years as a viable alternative approach to the most common extraction processes. Graphene oxide (GO) has also already been proven to be an excellent candidate for water treatment and other membrane related applications. Herein, a nanocomposite 12-crown-4-ether functionalized GO membrane for lithium recovery by means of pressure filtration is proposed. GO flakes were via carbodiimide esterification, then a polymeric binder was added to improve the mechanical properties. The membrane was then obtained and tested on a polymeric support in a dead-end pressure setup under nitrogen gas to speed up the lithium recovery. Morphological and physico-chemical characterizations were carried out using pristine GO and functionalized GO membranes for comparison with the nanocomposite. The lithium selectivity was proven by both the conductance and ICP mass measurements on different sets of feed and stripping solutions filtrated (LiCl/HCl and other chloride salts/HCl). The membrane proposed showed promising properties in low concentrated solutions (7 mgLi/L) with an average lithium uptake of 5 mgLi/g in under half an hour of filtration time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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12 pages, 1793 KiB  
Article
MF–NF Treatment Train for Pig Manure: Nutrient Recovery and Reuse of Product Water
by Prantik Samanta, Hannah Marie Schönettin, Harald Horn and Florencia Saravia
Membranes 2022, 12(2), 165; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12020165 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2852
Abstract
The livestock industry negatively impacts the environment by producing high organic and mineral loaded manure and wastewater. On the contrary, manure is also considered as the major focal point of resource recovery. The microfiltration (MF) process in manure treatment is well known for [...] Read more.
The livestock industry negatively impacts the environment by producing high organic and mineral loaded manure and wastewater. On the contrary, manure is also considered as the major focal point of resource recovery. The microfiltration (MF) process in manure treatment is well known for being the least complex and highly energy efficient. However, the major fraction of the dissolve nutrients easily bypasses the MF membranes. In this research work, we reported the efficiency of using MF–nanofiltration (NF) treatment train in a dead-end filtration system for the treatment of raw manure. The objectives were to produce nutrient rich separate streams in reduced volumes and a particle and pathogen-free product water. MF removed TSS above 98% and the COD and phosphorus (P) retention were noticed above 60 and 80%, respectively, within a reduced MF concentrate volume, which accounted for 40% of the initial feed volume. The NF of MF permeate by NF270 showed most promising results by concentrating overall 50 and 70% of the total nitrogen (TN) and potassium (K) within a reduced NF concentrate volume, which accounted for 30% of the initial MF feed volume. Finally, the MF–NF treatment train of raw pig manure could produce a particle-free product water that can be reused in farms to wash barns, to irrigate nearby cultures, or can be applied to specific fields based on the demand. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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12 pages, 4112 KiB  
Article
Cellulose Membranes in the Treatment of Spent Deep Eutectic Solvent Used in the Recovery of Lignin from Lignocellulosic Biomass
by Vadim Ippolitov, Ikenna Anugwom, Robin van Deun, Mika Mänttäri and Mari Kallioinen-Mänttäri
Membranes 2022, 12(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12010086 - 13 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3237
Abstract
Ultrafiltration was employed in the purification of spent Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES, a mixture of choline chloride and lactic acid, 1:10, respectively) used in the extraction of lignin from lignocellulosic biomass. The aim of this was to recover different lignin fractions and to [...] Read more.
Ultrafiltration was employed in the purification of spent Deep Eutectic Solvent (DES, a mixture of choline chloride and lactic acid, 1:10, respectively) used in the extraction of lignin from lignocellulosic biomass. The aim of this was to recover different lignin fractions and to purify spent solvent. The results revealed that the commercial regenerated cellulose membranes—RC70PP and Ultracel 5 kDa UF membranes—could be used in the treatment of the spent DES. The addition of cosolvent (ethanol) to the spent DES decreased solvent’s viscosity, which enabled filtration. With two-pass ultrafiltration process with 10 kDa and 5 kDa membranes about 95% of the dissolved polymeric compounds (lignin and hemicelluloses) were removed from the spent DES. The utilized membranes also showed the capability to fractionate polymeric compounds into two fractions—above and under 10,000 Da. Moreover, the 10 kDa cellulose-based membrane showed good stability during a continuous period of three weeks exposure to the solution of DES and ethanol. Its pure water permeability decreased only by 3%. The results presented here demonstrate the possibility to utilize cellulose membranes in the treatment of spent DES to purify the solvent and recover the interesting compounds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Euromembrane 2021)
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