Prospects for Nanocomposite Membrane Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2024) | Viewed by 1515

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia
Interests: fabrication and modification of advanced nanocomposite membranes; nanofiltration and organic solvent nanofiltration; membrane-based technology for lithium recovery; desalination and water purification; machine learning for prediction and optimization of membrane performance; nutrient recovery from human urine; machine learning in a circular economy
Research Center for Membrane and Film Technology, Kobe University, 1-1 Rokkodaicho, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
Interests: membrane separation; membrane distillation; wastewater treatment; gas separation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the landscape of modern materials science, nanocomposite membranes emerge as a beacon of innovation, harnessing the synergistic potential of nanotechnology and membrane technology. These membranes, composed of a blend of nanomaterials and polymers, hold immense promise in revolutionizing various applications due to their unique structural characteristics and tailored functionalities. By integrating nanoparticles with conventional membrane matrices, nanocomposite membranes exhibit superior properties such as enhanced mechanical strength, tunable surface properties, and precise control over pore size and distribution. The pursuit of nanocomposite membrane research is driven by the urgent need for sustainable solutions to pressing global challenges, including clean water scarcity, environmental pollution, and energy sustainability.

The purpose of this Special Issue, “Prospects for Nanocomposite Membrane Applications”, is to collect recent advancements and applications of nanocomposite membranes. The types of articles in this collection include reviews and original research papers, covering a variety of nanocomposite membrane applications including water purification and desalination, organic solvent purification, gas separation, energy conversion and storage, and environmental remediation.

Dr. Chen Wang
Dr. Zhan Li
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • nanocomposite membrane
  • nanomaterial
  • water purification
  • desalination
  • organic solvent purification
  • gas separation
  • energy storage
  • environmental remediation

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 8621 KiB  
Article
The Application of TiO2/ZrO2-Modified Nanocomposite PES Membrane for Improved Permeability of Textile Dye in Water
by Sibukiso Thobani Nhlengethwa, Charmaine Sesethu Tshangana, Bhekie Brilliance Mamba and Adolph Anga Muleja
Membranes 2024, 14(10), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14100222 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1015
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Prospects for Nanocomposite Membrane Applications)
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