Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.4
4.2
Journals
Membranes
Special Issues
Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation
share announcement

Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 February 2021) | Viewed by 28404

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Seungju Kim

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemical and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
Interests: membrane separation; polymers; 2D materials; water desalination by RO and FO; gas separation; membrane distillation; CO2 separation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the high energy efficiency of membrane-based separation processes, they have become an alternative to energy-intensive, traditional separation processes. Membrane applications, such as gas separation, water and liquid purification by microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis desalination, have been successfully applied and contributed to industrial-scale operations, such as natural gas production, pharmaceuticals, greenhouse gas separation, potable water production, seawater desalination, domestic and industrial wastewater treatment, and electrodialysis during the last few decades. Although membranes have continuously shown potential in separation to minimise energy consumption, there is still room for further development in materials and processes for better performance and adaptability.

This Special Issue on “Membranes for Water, Gas, and Ion Separation” of the journal Membranes seeks contributions to assess the state-of-the-art and future developments in the field of membrane materials, modules, and processes in both industries and academia. Authors are invited to submit their latest results and outcomes, including original papers and reviews.

Dr. Seungju Kim
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

  • Polymer membrane
  • Inorganic membrane
  • Composite membrane
  • Membrane module
  • Desalination
  • Nanofiltration
  • Gas separation

Published Papers (6 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 179 KiB  
Editorial
Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation
by Seungju Kim
Membranes 2021, 11(5), 325; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11050325 - 29 Apr 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1663
Abstract
In recent years, many industry sectors have recognised the importance of sustainable energy, reducing energy consumption and efficient production [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

11 pages, 4268 KiB  
Article
Influence of Sodium Hypochlorite Treatment on Pore Size Distribution of Polysulfone/Polyvinylpyrrolidone Membranes
by George Dibrov, George Kagramanov, Vladislav Sudin, Evgenia Grushevenko, Alexey Yushkin and Alexey Volkov
Membranes 2020, 10(11), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10110356 - 19 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2581
Abstract
This work was focused on the study of hypochlorite treatment on the pore size distribution of membranes. To this end, ultrafiltration membranes from a polysulfone/polyvinylpyrrolidone blend with a sponge-like structure were fabricated and exposed to hypochlorite solutions with different active chlorine concentrations for [...] Read more.
This work was focused on the study of hypochlorite treatment on the pore size distribution of membranes. To this end, ultrafiltration membranes from a polysulfone/polyvinylpyrrolidone blend with a sponge-like structure were fabricated and exposed to hypochlorite solutions with different active chlorine concentrations for 4 h at ambient temperature. Liquid–liquid displacement and scanning electron microscopy were employed to study the limiting and surface pores, respectively. After treatment with 50 ppm hypochlorite solution at pH = 7.2, a five-fold increase in water permeance up to 1400 L/(m2·h·bar) was observed, accompanied by a 40% increase in the limiting pore sizes and almost a three-fold increase in the porosity. After 5000 ppm treatment at pH = 11.5, a 40% rise in the maximum limiting pore size and almost a two-fold increase in the porosity and permeance was observed, whereas the mean pore size was constant. Apparently, changes in the membrane structure at pH = 11.5 were connected with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) degradation and wash-out, whereas at lower pH and despite lower active chlorine concentration, this process was coupled with polysulfone (PSf) destruction and removal. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 4997 KiB  
Article
Hyperbranch-Crosslinked S-SEBS Block Copolymer Membranes for Desalination by Pervaporation
by Mengyu Yan, Yunyun Lu, Na Li, Feixiang Zeng, Qinzhuo Wang, Hongcun Bai and Zongli Xie
Membranes 2020, 10(10), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10100277 - 10 Oct 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3045
Abstract
Sulfonated aromatic polymer (SAP) featuring hydrophilic nanochannels for water transport is a promising membrane material for desalination. SAPs with a high sulfonation degree favor water transport but suffer from reduced mechanical strength and membrane swelling. In this work, a hyperbranched polyester, H302, was [...] Read more.
Sulfonated aromatic polymer (SAP) featuring hydrophilic nanochannels for water transport is a promising membrane material for desalination. SAPs with a high sulfonation degree favor water transport but suffer from reduced mechanical strength and membrane swelling. In this work, a hyperbranched polyester, H302, was introduced to crosslink a sulfonated styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (S-SEBS) copolymer membrane. The effects of crosslinking temperature and amount of H302 on the microstructure, and the pervaporation desalination performance of the membrane, were investigated. H302/S-SEBS copolymer membranes with different crosslinking conditions were characterized by various techniques including FTIR, DSC, EA, SEM, TEM and SAXS, and tensile strength, water sorption and contact angle measurements. The results indicate that the introduction of hyperbranched polyester enlarged the hydrophilic microdomain of the S-SEBS membrane. Crosslinking with hyperbranched polyester with heat treatment effectively enhanced the mechanical strength of the S-SEBS membrane, with the tensile strength being increased by 140–200% and the swelling ratio reduced by 45–70%, while reasonable water flux was maintained. When treating 5 wt% hypersaline water at 65 °C, the optimized crosslinked membrane containing 15 wt% H302 and heated at 100 °C reached a water flux of 9.3 kg·m−2·h−1 and a salt rejection of 99.9%. The results indicate that the hyperbranched-S-SEBS membrane is promising for use in PV desalination. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Editorial, Research

21 pages, 3627 KiB  
Review
Sustainable Fabrication of Organic Solvent Nanofiltration Membranes
by Hai Yen Nguyen Thi, Bao Tran Duy Nguyen and Jeong F. Kim
Membranes 2021, 11(1), 19; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11010019 - 28 Dec 2020
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 7481
Abstract
Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) has been considered as one of the key technologies to improve the sustainability of separation processes. Recently, apart from enhancing the membrane performance, greener fabricate on of OSN membranes has been set as a strategic objective. Considerable efforts have [...] Read more.
Organic solvent nanofiltration (OSN) has been considered as one of the key technologies to improve the sustainability of separation processes. Recently, apart from enhancing the membrane performance, greener fabricate on of OSN membranes has been set as a strategic objective. Considerable efforts have been made aiming to improve the sustainability in membrane fabrication, such as replacing membrane materials with biodegradable alternatives, substituting toxic solvents with greener solvents, and minimizing waste generation with material recycling. In addition, new promising fabrication and post-modification methods of solvent-stable membranes have been developed exploiting the concept of interpenetrating polymer networks, spray coating, and facile interfacial polymerization. This review compiles the recent progress and advances for sustainable fabrication in the field of polymeric OSN membranes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

30 pages, 3705 KiB  
Review
Graphene-based Membranes for H2 Separation: Recent Progress and Future Perspective
by Chong Yang Chuah, Jaewon Lee and Tae-Hyun Bae
Membranes 2020, 10(11), 336; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10110336 - 12 Nov 2020
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 5441
Abstract
Hydrogen (H2) is an industrial gas that has showcased its importance in several well-known processes such as ammonia, methanol and steel productions, as well as in petrochemical industries. Besides, there is a growing interest in H2 production and purification owing [...] Read more.
Hydrogen (H2) is an industrial gas that has showcased its importance in several well-known processes such as ammonia, methanol and steel productions, as well as in petrochemical industries. Besides, there is a growing interest in H2 production and purification owing to the global efforts to minimize the emission of greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, H2 which is produced synthetically is expected to contain other impurities and unreacted substituents (e.g., carbon dioxide, CO2; nitrogen, N2 and methane, CH4), such that subsequent purification steps are typically required for practical applications. In this context, membrane-based separation has attracted a vast amount of interest due to its desirable advantages over conventional separation processes, such as the ease of operation, low energy consumption and small plant footprint. Efforts have also been made for the development of high-performance membranes that can overcome the limitations of conventional polymer membranes. In particular, the studies on graphene-based membranes have been actively conducted most recently, showcasing outstanding H2-separation performances. This review focuses on the recent progress and potential challenges in graphene-based membranes for H2 purification. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

18 pages, 25159 KiB  
Review
Urine Treatment on the International Space Station: Current Practice and Novel Approaches
by Federico Volpin, Umakant Badeti, Chen Wang, Jiaxi Jiang, Jörg Vogel, Stefano Freguia, Dena Fam, Jaeweon Cho, Sherub Phuntsho and Ho Kyong Shon
Membranes 2020, 10(11), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10110327 - 02 Nov 2020
Cited by 32 | Viewed by 7462
Abstract
A reliable, robust, and resilient water recovery system is of paramount importance on board the International Space Station (ISS). Such a system must be able to treat all sources of water, thereby reducing resupply costs and allowing for longer-term space missions. As such, [...] Read more.
A reliable, robust, and resilient water recovery system is of paramount importance on board the International Space Station (ISS). Such a system must be able to treat all sources of water, thereby reducing resupply costs and allowing for longer-term space missions. As such, technologies able to dewater urine in microgravity have been investigated by different space agencies. However, despite over 50 years of research and advancements on water extraction from human urine, the Urine Processing Assembly (UPA) and the Water Processor Assembly (WPA) now operating on the ISS still achieve suboptimal water recovery rates and require periodic consumables resupply. Additionally, urine brine from the treatment is collected for disposal and not yet reused. These factors, combined with the need for a life support system capable of tolerating even dormant periods of up to one year, make the research in this field ever more critical. As such, in the last decade, extensive research was conducted on the adaptation of existing or emerging technologies for the ISS context. In virtue of having a strong chemical resistance, small footprint, tuneable selectivity and versatility, novel membrane-based processes have been in focus for treating human urine. Their hybridisation with thermal and biological processes as well as the combination with new nanomaterials have been particularly investigated. This article critically reviews the UPA and WPA processes currently in operation on the ISS, summarising the research directions and needs, highlighted by major space agencies, necessary for allowing life support for missions outside the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Additionally, it reviews the technologies recently proposed to improve the performance of the system as well as new concepts to allow for the valorisation of the nutrients in urine or the brine after urine dewatering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Membranes for Water, Gas and Ion Separation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-6
Back to TopTop