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Membranes
Special Issues
Circular Economy in Membrane Technology
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Circular Economy in Membrane Technology

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 October 2022) | Viewed by 10479

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Junkal Landaburu-Aguirre

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IMDEA Water Institute, Avenida Punto Com, 2, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Interests: wastewater treatment; water reuse; desalination; polymeric membranes; pressure-driven membranes; membrane bioreactors; membrane recycling; micro-nanoplastics; circular economy; statistical design of experiments
Dr. Serena Molina Martínez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IMDEA Water Institute, 28805 Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
Interests: polymeric membranes; membrane modification; membrane characterization; fouling; pressure-driven membranes; wastewater treatment; membrane bioreactors (MBRs); water reuse; desalination; membrane recycling; circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The European Union produces more than 2.5 billion metric tons of waste every year. It is currently updating its legislation on waste management to promote a shift to a more sustainable model known as the circular economy. The main objective of the Circular Economy is to keep the value of the materials and energy used in products for as long as possible, minimizing waste and the use of resources. For this purpose, action must be taken at all stages of the life cycle of the product, from the extraction of the raw materials, through material and product design, to waste management and recycling.

Under this framework, this Special Issue of Membranes, entitled “Circular Economy in Membrane Technology”, aims to address membrane technology from a circular economy approach. In this way, it seeks to include but is not limited to recent progress in membrane process development, both at the industrial and scientific levels, to keep membranes as long as possible within the value chain of their processes. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews on fouling mitigation, preparation of antifouling membranes, membrane reuse and recycling, and the implementation of membrane processes for the recovery of valuable compounds from wastewater are welcome. Life cycle assessment studies during the implementation of the abovementioned membrane processes are also welcome.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Junkal Landaburu-Aguirre
Dr. Serena Molina Martínez
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

  • circular economy
  • hybrid systems
  • wastewater treatment
  • resource recovery
  • zero liquid discharge
  • membrane recycling and reuse
  • antifouling membranes
  • membrane modification

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 199 KiB  
Editorial
Circular Economy in Membrane Technology
by Junkal Landaburu-Aguirre and Serena Molina
Membranes 2023, 13(9), 784; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13090784 - 08 Sep 2023
Viewed by 864
Abstract
The European Union (EU) produces more than 2 [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy in Membrane Technology)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

13 pages, 1865 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Nanofiltration Membranes for the Purification of Monosaccharides: Influence of pH, Temperature, and Sulfates on the Solute Retention and Fouling
by Buddhika Rathnayake, Hanna Valkama, Markku Ohenoja, Jasmiina Haverinen and Riitta L. Keiski
Membranes 2022, 12(12), 1210; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12121210 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1790
Abstract
Furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates are found in the hemicellulose (HMC) fraction of lignocellulosic biomass. Separation of furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates from monosaccharides by four nanofiltration (NF) membranes was evaluated with a model solution of glucose, xylose, furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates. [...] Read more.
Furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates are found in the hemicellulose (HMC) fraction of lignocellulosic biomass. Separation of furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates from monosaccharides by four nanofiltration (NF) membranes was evaluated with a model solution of glucose, xylose, furfural, acetic acid, and sulfates. Results showed that Alfa Laval NF99HF is the most promising membrane to purify monosaccharides, with the retentions of xylose (85%), glucose (95%), and with the minimum sulfate retention. pH has the highest impact on the retention of all solutes and there is no significant effect of temperature on the retentions of sulphates and acetic acid. Lower pH and temperature are favored to maximize the monosaccharide retention and to remove acetic acid while retaining more furfural with the monosaccharides. Moreover, fouling tendency is maximized at lower pH and higher temperatures. According to the statistical analysis, the retentions of glucose, xylose, furfural, sulfates, and acetic acid are 95%, 90%, 20%, 88%, and 0%, respectively at pH 3 and 25 °C. The presence of sulfates favors the separation of acetic acid and furfural from monosaccharides. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy in Membrane Technology)
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17 pages, 2695 KiB  
Article
Nannochloropsis sp. Biorefinery: Recovery of Soluble Protein by Membrane Ultrafiltration/Diafiltration
by Cláudia Ribeiro, Edgar T. Santos, Luís Costa, Carla Brazinha, Pedro Saraiva and João G. Crespo
Membranes 2022, 12(4), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12040401 - 02 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2252
Abstract
This work proposes a way to maximize the potential of a Nannochloropsis sp. biorefinery process, through membrane technology, producing an extract enriched in soluble proteins, free from the insoluble protein fraction, with a low lipid content and eliminating the colored chlorophyll-a. This procedure, [...] Read more.
This work proposes a way to maximize the potential of a Nannochloropsis sp. biorefinery process, through membrane technology, producing an extract enriched in soluble proteins, free from the insoluble protein fraction, with a low lipid content and eliminating the colored chlorophyll-a. This procedure, following the principles of a circular economy approach, allows for the valorization of a stream from the biorefining of Nannochloropsis sp. that, otherwise, would be considered a residue without commercial value. The process proposed minimizes fouling phenomena at the membrane surface, making it possible to achieve high permeate fluxes, thus reducing the need for membrane cleaning and, therefore, contributing to an extended membrane lifetime. Supernatant obtained after centrifugation of a suspension of ruptured Nannochloropsis sp. cells was processed by ultrafiltration using a membrane with a cut-off of 100 kDa MWCO. Two different operating approaches were evaluated—controlled transmembrane pressure and controlled permeate flux—under concentration and diafiltration modes. Ultrafiltration operated in a diafiltration mode, under controlled permeate flux conditions, led to the highest soluble protein recovery (78%) with the highest constant permeate flux (12 L·m−2·h−1) and low membrane fouling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy in Membrane Technology)
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Review

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30 pages, 4807 KiB  
Review
Thin Film Composite Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membrane Technology towards a Circular Economy
by Amaia Lejarazu-Larrañaga, Junkal Landaburu-Aguirre, Jorge Senán-Salinas, Juan Manuel Ortiz and Serena Molina
Membranes 2022, 12(9), 864; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes12090864 - 07 Sep 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4567
Abstract
It is estimated that Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination will produce, by 2025, more than 2,000,000 end-of-life membranes annually worldwide. This review examines the implementation of circular economy principles in RO technology through a comprehensive analysis of the RO membrane life cycle (manufacturing, usage, [...] Read more.
It is estimated that Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination will produce, by 2025, more than 2,000,000 end-of-life membranes annually worldwide. This review examines the implementation of circular economy principles in RO technology through a comprehensive analysis of the RO membrane life cycle (manufacturing, usage, and end-of-life management). Future RO design should incorporate a biobased composition (biopolymers, recycled materials, and green solvents), improve the durability of the membranes (fouling and chlorine resistance), and facilitate the recyclability of the modules. Moreover, proper membrane maintenance at the usage phase, attained through the implementation of feed pre-treatment, early fouling detection, and membrane cleaning methods can help extend the service time of RO elements. Currently, end-of-life membranes are dumped in landfills, which is contrary to the waste hierarchy. This review analyses up to now developed alternative valorisation routes of end-of-life RO membranes, including reuse, direct and indirect recycling, and energy recovery, placing a special focus on emerging indirect recycling strategies. Lastly, Life Cycle Assessment is presented as a holistic methodology to evaluate the environmental and economic burdens of membrane recycling strategies. According to the European Commission’s objectives set through the Green Deal, future perspectives indicate that end-of-life membrane valorisation strategies will keep gaining increasing interest in the upcoming years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy in Membrane Technology)
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