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Membranes
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Green Membrane Technology
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Green Membrane Technology

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 10385

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Qingyun Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 519082, China
Interests: advanced membranes; membrane processes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the context of the global populational explosion, resource, and energy scarcity have become a daunting challenge for human beings. Generally, energy-extensive consumption processes expend more resources and lead to high emissions of carbon oxides, which run counter the achievement of the goal of carbon neutrality. 

To save energy and resources, green membrane materials and processes as a sustainable approach have been greatly pursued and must play a key role in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. This Special Issue aims to address these concerns and how they have been investigated in research, including green membrane materials, such as biodegradable membranes or biomembranes; green membrane processes, such as osmotic membrane technology or solar-driven membrane process; or membrane processes for wastewater recycling and zero discharge, which must receive significant attention as they also make great contributions to achieve carbon neutrality.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Green preparation of membranes;
  • Green membrane materials;
  • Green membrane processes driven by renewable energy;
  • Sustainable membrane and membrane processes;
  • Membranes and membrane processes for carbon capture, utilization, and storage;
  • Forward osmosis;
  • Pressure retarded osmosis;
  • Solar-driven membrane processes;
  • Solar membrane distillation;
  • Process modeling and techno-economic analysis of membrane approaches for green processes;
  • Biomembrane or biodegradable membrane;
  • Membrane and membrane processes for zero discharge.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Qingyun Wu
Guest Editor

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

  • sustainability
  • green
  • energy-saving processes
  • low carbon
  • environmentally friendly

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1321 KiB  
Article
Efficient Recovery of Organic Matter from Municipal Wastewater by a High-Rate Membrane Bioreactor Equipped with Flat-Sheet Ceramic Membranes
by Michael Joseph Rocco, Akira Hafuka, Toru Tsuchiya and Katsuki Kimura
Membranes 2023, 13(3), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13030300 - 03 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1399
Abstract
High-rate processes have been investigated for the recovery of organic matter from municipal wastewater. High-rate membrane bioreactors (HR-MBRs) may simultaneously achieve the increased recovery of carbon and high effluent quality, although control of membrane fouling is extremely difficult. To address the severe fouling [...] Read more.
High-rate processes have been investigated for the recovery of organic matter from municipal wastewater. High-rate membrane bioreactors (HR-MBRs) may simultaneously achieve the increased recovery of carbon and high effluent quality, although control of membrane fouling is extremely difficult. To address the severe fouling in HR-MBRs, the combination of granular scouring and frequent chemically enhanced backwashing was examined. The use of robust flat-sheet ceramic membranes enabled the application of those cleaning strategies. Experiments were carried out at an existing wastewater treatment plant. To operate as a high-rate system, the bioreactor solid residence time and hydraulic residence time were set at 0.5 days and 1.6 h, respectively. Although a relatively high flux of 20 L m−2 h−1 was applied, the proposed HR-MBR exhibited a very low fouling rate of 1.3 kPa/day. The system could recover >70% of the carbon from raw wastewater, whereas the concentration of chemical oxygen demand in the effluent was lowered to <20 mg/L. The performance of the proposed HR-MBR observed in this study was clearly superior to those reported in previous related studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technology)
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7 pages, 10818 KiB  
Communication
Zero-Material Cost Production of Soil-Coated Fabrics with Underwater Superoleophobicity for Antifouling Oil/Water Separation
by Maohui Li, Fangfang Li, Cheng Zhen, Panpan Fu, Shaolin Yang and Youjun Lu
Membranes 2023, 13(3), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13030276 - 26 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1112
Abstract
Soil-coated fabrics were fabricated by scrape-coating of soil slurry onto cotton fabrics. The raw materials, soil, and cotton fabrics were, respectively, obtained from farmland and waste bed sheets, making the method a zero-material cost way to produce superwetting membrane. The superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic soil-coated [...] Read more.
Soil-coated fabrics were fabricated by scrape-coating of soil slurry onto cotton fabrics. The raw materials, soil, and cotton fabrics were, respectively, obtained from farmland and waste bed sheets, making the method a zero-material cost way to produce superwetting membrane. The superhydrophilic/underwater superoleophobic soil-coated fabrics exhibit high efficiency (>99%), ultra-high flux (~45,000 L m−2 h−1), and excellent antifouling behavior for separating water from various oils driven by gravity. The simple fabrication and superior performance suggest that the soil-coated fabric could be a promising candidate as a filtration membrane for practical applications in industrial oily wastewater and oil spill treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technology)
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20 pages, 6755 KiB  
Article
Modification of Thin Film Composite Membrane by Chitosan–Silver Particles to Improve Desalination and Anti-Biofouling Performance
by María Magdalena Armendáriz-Ontiveros, Yedidia Villegas-Peralta, Julia Elizabeth Madueño-Moreno, Jesús Álvarez-Sánchez, German Eduardo Dévora-Isiordia, Reyna G. Sánchez-Duarte and Tomás Jesús Madera-Santana
Membranes 2022, 12(9), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12090851 - 31 Aug 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1939
Abstract
Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination is a technology that is commonly used to mitigate water scarcity problems; one of its disadvantages is the bio-fouling of the membranes used, which reduces its performance. In order to minimize this problem, this study prepared modified thin film [...] Read more.
Reverse osmosis (RO) desalination is a technology that is commonly used to mitigate water scarcity problems; one of its disadvantages is the bio-fouling of the membranes used, which reduces its performance. In order to minimize this problem, this study prepared modified thin film composite (TFC) membranes by the incorporation of chitosan–silver particles (CS–Ag) of different molecular weights, and evaluated them in terms of their anti-biofouling and desalination performances. The CS–Ag were obtained using ionotropic gelation, and were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The modified membranes were synthetized by the incorporation of the CS–Ag using the interfacial polymerization method. The membranes (MCS–Ag) were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle. Bactericidal tests by total cell count were performed using Bacillus halotolerans MCC1, and anti-adhesion properties were confirmed through biofilm cake layer thickness and total organic carbon (%). The desalination performance was defined by permeate flux, hydraulic resistance, salt rejection and salt permeance by using 2000 and 5000 mg L−1 of NaCl. The MCS–Ag-L presented superior permeate flux and salt rejection (63.3% and 1% higher, respectively), as well as higher bactericidal properties (76% less in total cell count) and anti-adhesion capacity (biofilm thickness layer 60% and total organic carbon 75% less, compared with the unmodified membrane). The highest hydraulic resistance value was for MCS–Ag-M. In conclusion, the molecular weight of CS–Ag significantly influences the desalination and the antimicrobial performances of the membranes; as the molecular weight decreases, the membranes’ performances increase. This study shows a possible alternative for increasing membrane useful life in the desalination process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technology)
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12 pages, 3833 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Properties of Thin-Film Composite Forward Osmosis Membranes Supported by Cellulose Triacetate Porous Substrate via a Nonsolvent-Thermally Induced Phase Separation Process
by Jian-Chen Han, Xiao-Yan Xing, Jiang Wang and Qing-Yun Wu
Membranes 2022, 12(4), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12040412 - 10 Apr 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2081
Abstract
A porous substrate plays an important role in constructing a thin-film composite forward osmosis (TFC-FO) membrane. To date, the morphology and performance of TFC-FO membranes are greatly limited by porous substrates, which are commonly fabricated by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) or thermally [...] Read more.
A porous substrate plays an important role in constructing a thin-film composite forward osmosis (TFC-FO) membrane. To date, the morphology and performance of TFC-FO membranes are greatly limited by porous substrates, which are commonly fabricated by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) or thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) processes. Herein, a novel TFC-FO membrane has been successfully fabricated by using cellulose triacetate (CTA) porous substrates, which are prepared using a nonsolvent-thermally induced phase separation (N-TIPS) process. The pore structure, permeability, and mechanical properties of CTA porous substrate are carefully investigated via N-TIPS process (CTAN-TIPS). As compared with those via NIPS and TIPS processes, the CTAN-TIPS substrate shows a smooth surface and a cross section combining interconnected pores and finger-like macropores, resulting in the largest water flux and best mechanical property. After interfacial polymerization, the obtained TFC-FO membranes are characterized in terms of their morphology and intrinsic transport properties. It is found that the TFC-FO membrane supported by CTAN-TIPS substrate presents a thin polyamide film full of nodular and worm-like structure, which endows the FO membrane with high water permeability and selectivity. Moreover, the TFC-FO membrane supported by CTAN-TIPS substrate displays a low internal concentration polarization effect. This work proposes a new insight into preparing TFC-FO membrane with good overall performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technology)
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Review

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27 pages, 4902 KiB  
Review
GO-Based Membranes for Desalination
by Rui Ge, Teng Huo, Zhongyong Gao, Jiding Li and Xia Zhan
Membranes 2023, 13(2), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13020220 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3188
Abstract
Graphene oxide (GO), owing to its atomic thickness and tunable physicochemical properties, exhibits fascinating properties in membrane separation fields, especially in water treatment applications (due to unimpeded permeation of water through graphene-based membranes). Particularly, GO-based membranes used for desalination via pervaporation or nanofiltration [...] Read more.
Graphene oxide (GO), owing to its atomic thickness and tunable physicochemical properties, exhibits fascinating properties in membrane separation fields, especially in water treatment applications (due to unimpeded permeation of water through graphene-based membranes). Particularly, GO-based membranes used for desalination via pervaporation or nanofiltration have been widely investigated with respect to membrane design and preparation. However, the precise construction of transport pathways, facile fabrication of large-area GO-based membranes (GOMs), and robust stability in desalination applications are the main challenges restricting the industrial application of GOMs. This review summarizes the challenges and recent research and development of GOMs with respect to preparation methods, the regulation of GOM mass transfer pathways, desalination performance, and mass transport mechanisms. The review aims to provide an overview of the precise regulation methods of the horizontal and longitudinal mass transfer channels of GOMs, including GO reduction, interlayer cross-linking, intercalation with cations, polymers, or inorganic particles, etc., to clarify the relationship between the microstructure and desalination performance, which may provide some new insight regarding the structural design of high-performance GOMs. Based on the above analysis, the future and development of GOMs are proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Membrane Technology)
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