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Membranes
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Advanced Membrane Technology for Biorefining Processes
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Advanced Membrane Technology for Biorefining Processes

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 8758

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Miguel Angel Soria

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: membrane reactors; membrane technology; sorption-enhanced proccesses; hydrogen production from renewable sources; CO2 capture; biogas upgrading
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cláudio Rocha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias s/n, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: separation processes; catalysis; membrane reactors; steam reforming

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

A biorefining process consists of an approach involving a natural bio-based raw material conversion process to produce several bio-based products, including biofuel (e.g., biogas, bioethanol and biodiesel) and value-added chemicals. For the sustainable production of these products/energy, it is necessary to recuperate each value-added product with maximum purity/production. In this way, integrated membrane-based advanced processes efficiently overcome almost all drawbacks related to traditional methods. Thus, the utilization of membranes in biorefinery processes has been the target of several research studies.

This Special Issue aims to gather original research articles and reviews on recent advances in membrane technology and their application in the biorefining processes. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Membrane preparation and characterization for biorefining processes;
  • Recovery of by-products by membrane operations;
  • Integrated membrane operations for biofuel production;
  • Membrane reactor technologies applied to H2 production and purification from renewable sources;
  • Membrane reactor technologies applied to CO2 valorization;
  • Biogas upgrading based on membrane technology.

Dr. Miguel Angel Soria
Dr. Cláudio da Silva Rocha
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

  • biorefining processes
  • separation processes
  • membrane reactor
  • biofuel productions
  • hydrogen production
  • process intensification
  • biogas upgrading

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4456 KiB  
Article
Recovery of Isoamyl Alcohol by Graphene Oxide Immobilized Membrane and Air-Sparged Membrane Distillation
by Mitun Chandra Bhoumick, Sumona Paul, Sagar Roy, Benjamin G. Harvey and Somenath Mitra
Membranes 2024, 14(2), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes14020049 - 10 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1291
Abstract
Isoamyl alcohol is an important biomass fermentation product that can be used as a gasoline surrogate, jet fuel precursor, and platform molecule for the synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. This study reports on the use of graphene oxide immobilized membra (GOIMs) for [...] Read more.
Isoamyl alcohol is an important biomass fermentation product that can be used as a gasoline surrogate, jet fuel precursor, and platform molecule for the synthesis of fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. This study reports on the use of graphene oxide immobilized membra (GOIMs) for the recovery of isoamyl alcohol from an aqueous matrix. The separation was performed using air-sparged membrane distillation (ASMD). In contrast to a conventional PTFE membrane, which exhibited minimal separation, preferential adsorption on graphene oxide within GOIMs resulted in highly selective isoamyl alcohol separation. The separation factor reached 6.7, along with a flux as high as 1.12 kg/m2 h. Notably, the overall mass transfer coefficients indicated improvements with a GOIM. Optimization via response surfaces showed curvature effects for the separation factor due to the interaction effects. An empirical model was generated based on regression equations to predict the flux and separation factor. This study demonstrates the potential of GOIMs and ASMD for the efficient recovery of higher alcohols from aqueous solutions, highlighting the practical applications of these techniques for the production of biofuels and bioproducts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Technology for Biorefining Processes)
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16 pages, 4447 KiB  
Article
Membrane Cascade Fractionation of Tomato Leaf Extracts—Towards Bio-Based Crop Protection
by Emmanouil H. Papaioannou, Fabio Bazzarelli, Rosalinda Mazzei, Vasileios Giannakopoulos, Michael R. Roberts and Lidietta Giorno
Membranes 2023, 13(11), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13110855 - 25 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1521
Abstract
Promising initial results from the use of membrane-fractionated extracts of tomato leaf as crop protection agents have recently been reported. This paper provides additional evidence from larger scale experiments that identify an efficient pipeline for the separation of tomato leaf extracts to generate [...] Read more.
Promising initial results from the use of membrane-fractionated extracts of tomato leaf as crop protection agents have recently been reported. This paper provides additional evidence from larger scale experiments that identify an efficient pipeline for the separation of tomato leaf extracts to generate a fraction with significant defence elicitor activity. A UF tubular membrane 150 kDa, with an internal diameter of 5 mm, proved appropriate for initial extract clarification, whereas afterwards a UF 10 kDa and three NF membranes (200–800 Da) in sequence were evaluated for the subsequent fractionation of this tomato extract. The compositions of sugars, proteins and total biophenols were changed in these fractions with respect to the initial extract. The initial extract ratio of sugars: proteins: biophenols was 1:0.047:0.052, whereas for the retentate of the 800 Da NF membrane, which has the higher crop protection activity, this ratio was 1:0.06:0.1. In this regard, it appears that the main crop protection effect in this fraction was due to the sugars isolated. It was found that with the appropriate membrane cascade selection (UF 150 kDa, UF 10 kDa and NF 800 Da) it was possible to produce (easily and without the need of additional chemicals) a fraction that has significant activity as an elicitor of disease resistance in tomato, whereas the remaining fractions could be used for other purposes in a biorefinery. This is very promising for the wider application of the proposed approach for the relatively easy formulation of bio-based aqueous streams with bio-pesticide activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Technology for Biorefining Processes)
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20 pages, 3202 KiB  
Article
Use of Pd-Ag Membrane Reactors for Low-Temperature Dry Reforming of Biogas—A Simulation Study
by Matilde Albano, Luís M. Madeira and Carlos V. Miguel
Membranes 2023, 13(7), 630; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13070630 - 29 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 918
Abstract
Biogas is a valuable renewable energy source that can help mitigate greenhouse emissions. The dry reforming of methane (DRM) offers an alternative hydrogen production route with the advantage of using two main greenhouse gases, CO2 and CH4. However, its real [...] Read more.
Biogas is a valuable renewable energy source that can help mitigate greenhouse emissions. The dry reforming of methane (DRM) offers an alternative hydrogen production route with the advantage of using two main greenhouse gases, CO2 and CH4. However, its real application is limited mainly due to catalyst deactivation by coke formation and the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction that can occur in parallel. Additionally, the typical dry reforming temperature range is 700–950 °C, often leading to catalyst sintering. A low-temperature DRM process could be in principle achieved using a membrane reactor (MR) to shift the dry reforming equilibrium forward and inhibit the RWGS reaction. In this work, biogas reforming was investigated through the simulation of MRs with thin (3.4 µm) and thick (50 µm) Pd-Ag membranes. The effects of the feed temperature (from 450 to 550 °C), pressure (in the range of 2–20 bar), and biogas composition (CH4/CO2 molar ratios from 1/1 to 7/3) were studied for the thin membrane through the calculation and comparison of several process indicators, namely CH4 and CO2 conversions, H2 yield, H2/CO ratio and H2 recovery. Estimation of the CO-inhibiting effect on the H2 molar flux through the membrane was assessed for a thick membrane. Simulations for a thin Pd-Ag MR show that (i) CO2 and CH4 conversions and H2 yield increase with the feed temperature; (ii) H2 yield and average rate of coke formation increase for higher pressures; and (iii) increasing CH4/CO2 feed molar ratio leads to higher H2/CO ratios, but lower H2 yields. Moreover, simulations for a thick Pd-Ag MR showed that the average H2 molar flux decreases due to the CO inhibiting effect (ca. 15%) in the temperature range considered. In conclusion, this work showed that for the considered simulation conditions, the use of an MR leads to the inhibition of the RWGS reaction and improves H2 yield, but coke formation and CO inhibition on H2 permeation may pose limitations on its practical feasibility, for which proper strategies must be explored. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Technology for Biorefining Processes)
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16 pages, 1768 KiB  
Article
Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA) Production and Recovery from Chicken Manure Using a High-Solid Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor (AnMBR)
by Dong Min Yin, Clarisse Uwineza, Tugba Sapmaz, Amir Mahboubi, Heleen De Wever, Wei Qiao and Mohammad J. Taherzadeh
Membranes 2022, 12(11), 1133; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12111133 - 11 Nov 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2454
Abstract
Acidogenic fermentation of chicken manure (CM) for production and recovery of volatile fatty acids (VFA) is an interesting biological waste-to-value approach compared to benchmark organic waste management strategies. Considering the wide range of high value applications of VFA, a semi-continuous immersed anaerobic membrane [...] Read more.
Acidogenic fermentation of chicken manure (CM) for production and recovery of volatile fatty acids (VFA) is an interesting biological waste-to-value approach compared to benchmark organic waste management strategies. Considering the wide range of high value applications of VFA, a semi-continuous immersed anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) was applied to boost VFA productivity and yield, while reducing downstream processing stages assisting the recovery of VFA. In this regard, the effect of parameters such as pH and organic loading rates (OLR) on the overall bioconversion and filtration performance was investigated. Thermal-shocked CM was applied both as inoculum and substrate. A very high VFA yield (0.90 g-VFA/g-VS) was obtained in the treatment with no pH control (~8.2) at an OLR of 2 g-VS/(L·d), presenting 24% higher yield compared to that of the controlled pH. Batch assays further demonstrated the enhanced hydrolysis and acidogenesis activities at weak alkaline conditions. A long-term (78 days) fermentation and filtration was successfully performed, where stable membrane filtration performance was experienced for about 50 days under high-solid (suspended solid of 37–45 g/L) and high flux (20 L/(m2·h)) conditions. Results suggest that AnMBR of CM is a feasible and promising process for VFA production and recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Technology for Biorefining Processes)
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21 pages, 7401 KiB  
Article
Ultra-Selective CMSMs Derived from Resorcinol-Formaldehyde Resin for CO2 Separation
by Arash Rahimalimamaghani, David Alfredo Pacheco Tanaka, Margot A. Llosa Tanco, Maria Fernanda Neira D’Angelo and Fausto Gallucci
Membranes 2022, 12(9), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12090847 - 30 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1739
Abstract
A resorcinol-formaldehyde precursor was synthesized to fabricate the CO2 selective Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes (CMSMs) developed in this study. The degree of polymerization (DP) was analyzed via Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and its effect on the CO2/N2 perm-selectivity and [...] Read more.
A resorcinol-formaldehyde precursor was synthesized to fabricate the CO2 selective Carbon Molecular Sieve Membranes (CMSMs) developed in this study. The degree of polymerization (DP) was analyzed via Gel Permeation Chromatography (GPC) and its effect on the CO2/N2 perm-selectivity and CO2 permeance was investigated. The membrane that was polymerized at 80 °C (named R80) was selected as the best performing CMSM after a preliminary test. The post treatment with oxidative atmosphere was performed to increase the CO2 permeance and CO2/N2 perm-selectivity on membrane R80. The gas permeation results and Pore Size Distribution (PSD) measurements via perm-porometry resulted in selecting the membrane with an 80 °C polymerization temperature, 100 min of post treatment in 6 bar pressure and 120 °C with an oxygen concentration of 10% (named R80T100) as the optimum for enhancing the performance of CMSMs. The 3D laser confocal microscopy results confirmed the reduction in the surface roughness in post treatment on CMSMs and the optimum timing of 100 min in the treatment. CMSM R80T100 exhibiting CO2/N2 ideal selectivity of 194 at 100 °C with a CO2 permeability of 4718 barrier was performed higher than Robeson’s upper bound limit for polymeric membranes and also the other CMSMs fabricated in this work. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Membrane Technology for Biorefining Processes)
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