ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8748-2748
Current Organisation
Victoria University
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Membrane and Separation Technologies | Chemical Engineering | Wastewater Treatment Processes | Physical Organic Chemistry | Main Group Metal Chemistry | Colloid and Surface Chemistry | Colloid And Surface Chemistry | Inorganic Chemistry | Biomechanical Engineering | Theory and Design of Materials | Functional Materials | Materials Engineering | Fluidisation and Fluid Mechanics | Membrane And Separation Technologies | Interdisciplinary Engineering | Ceramics | Water Treatment Processes |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Land and water management | Water services and utilities | Management of Water Consumption by Mineral Resource Activities | Primary Mining and Extraction of Mineral Resources not elsewhere classified | Urban and Industrial Water Management | Industrial Energy Conservation and Efficiency | Recycling | Industrial Chemicals and Related Products not elsewhere classified | Scientific Instruments | Processed Food Products and Beverages (excl. Dairy Products) not elsewhere classified | Coated Metal and Metal-Coated Products
Related Links
Publications
Seeded growth of ZIF-8 on the surface of carbon nanotubes towards self-supporting gas separation membranes
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA11483J
A practical approach to synthesize polyamide thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes with improved separation properties for water/wastewater treatment
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1039/C5TA09252C
Abstract: TFN membranes containing 0.05 or 0.10 w/v% surface-functionalized TNTs in a PA selective layer were synthesized for better performances in water/wastewater treatment.
Silica fouling in high salinity waters in reverse osmosis desalination (sodium–silica system)
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1039/C6EW00065G
Abstract: Silica fouling patterns in a sodium–silica system and the effect of pH on residual dissolved silica concentrations are reported.
Effect of oxidation with coagulation and ceramic microfiltration pre-treatment on reverse osmosis for desalination of recycled wastewater
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
Fabrication of thin film composite poly(amide)-carbon-nanotube supported membranes for enhanced performance in osmotically driven desalination systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
Characterization of carbon nanotube webs and yarns with small angle X-ray scattering: Revealing the yarn twist and inter-nanotube interactions and alignment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Antiwettability and Performance Stability of a Composite Hydrophobic/Hydrophilic Dual-Layer Membrane in Wastewater Treatment by Membrane Distillation
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 26-06-2018
Non-isothermal depolymerisation kinetics of poly(ethylene oxide)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2011
Next generation membranes for membrane distillation and future prospects
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2015
Properties of acid whey as a function of pH and temperature
Publisher: American Dairy Science Association
Date: 07-2015
Abstract: Compositional differences of acid whey (AW) in comparison with other whey types limit its processability and application of conventional membrane processing. Hence, the present study aimed to identify chemical and physical properties of AW solutions as a function of pH (3 to 10.5) at 4 different temperatures (15, 25, 40, or 90°C) to propose appropriate membrane-processing conditions for efficient use of AW streams. The concentration of minerals, mainly calcium and phosphate, and proteins in centrifuged supernatants was significantly lowered with increase in either pH or temperature. Lactic acid content decreased with pH decline and rose at higher temperatures. Calcium appeared to form complexes with phosphates and lactates mainly, which in turn may have induced molecular attractions with the proteins. An increase in pH led to more soluble protein aggregates with large particle sizes. Surface hydrophobicity of these particles increased significantly with temperature up to 40°C and decreased with further heating to 90°C. Surface charge was clearly pH dependent. High lactic acid concentrations appeared to hinder protein aggregation by hydrophobic interactions and may also indirectly influence protein denaturation. Processing conditions such as pH and temperature need to be optimized to manipulate composition, state, and surface characteristics of components of AW systems to achieve an efficient separation and concentration of lactic acid and lactose.
Impact of ozonation and biological activated carbon filtration on ceramic membrane fouling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2017.09.012
Abstract: Ozone pre-treatment (ozonation, ozonisation) and biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration pre-treatment for the ceramic microfiltration (CMF) treatment of secondary effluent (SE) were studied. Ozone pre-treatment was found to result in higher overall removal of UV absorbance (UVA
Solar energy assisted direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) process for seawater desalination
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
Direct contact membrane distillation for effective concentration of perfluoroalkyl substances – Impact of surface fouling and material stability
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2020
Activation of gold decorated carbon nanotube hybrids for targeted gas adsorption and enhanced catalytic oxidation
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1039/C2JM16458B
Growth of nano-textured graphene coatings across highly porous stainless steel supports towards corrosion resistant coatings
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2016
Performance of Hybrid Photocatalytic-Ceramic Membrane System for the Treatment of Secondary Effluent
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-03-2017
Study of MOF incorporated dual layer membrane with enhanced removal of ammonia and per-/poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in landfill leachate treatment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2021.151207
Abstract: Landfill leachate is a highly polluted and complex wastewater as it contains large amounts of organic matters, ammonia‑nitrogen, heavy metals, and per- oly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which makes its treatment very challenging. In this paper, hydrophilic/hydrophobic dual layer membranes combining advantages of pervaporation and membrane distillation was employed to treat leachate in a direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) configuration. An aluminum fumarate (AlFu) metal organic framework (MOF) incorporated poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrophilic layer was coated on hydrophobic PTFE membrane to overcome the low separation efficiency of PFAS and ammonia and wetting issues encountered by the conventional hydrophobic PTFE membrane used for DCMD. The rejections of dual layer membranes with different MOF loading to PFAS, ammonia, TOC and TDS were assessed based on the amount of AlFu MOF incorporated into the PVA layer. Based on the conducted adsorption tests, it was found that AlFu MOF increases the rejection of PVA layer to PFAS and ammonia. The coating of the hydrophilic layer could enhance the wetting resistance with/without MOF addition. In comparison with the pristine PTFE membrane using synthetic feed containing 3 wt% NaCl, 1 wt% addition of AlFu MOF into the PVA layer showed slightly increased flux. All the tested membranes showed more than 99% rejection to TOC. The rejection to ammonia was increased as more MOF was incorporated into the PVA layer. The maximum rejection of ammonia was 99.8% when the PVA layer containing 10% MOF. All the membranes showed more than 99% rejection to PFOS and PFHxS. However, PTFE membrane did not show any rejection to PFOA. As more MOF was added into the hydrophilic layer, the rejection to PFOA increased, but plateaued at 65.6% with 5% MOF incorporation into the hydrophilic layer.
Scaling control during membrane distillation of coal seam gas reverse osmosis brine
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
Dimensional Nanofillers in Mixed Matrix Membranes for Pervaporation Separations: A Review
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-08-2020
DOI: 10.3390/MEMBRANES10090193
Abstract: Pervaporation (PV) has been an intriguing membrane technology for separating liquid mixtures since its commercialization in the 1980s. The design of highly permselective materials used in this respect has made significant improvements in separation properties, such as selectivity, permeability, and long-term stability. Mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs), featuring inorganic fillers dispersed in a polymer matrix to form an organic–inorganic hybrid, have opened up a new avenue to facilely obtain high-performance PV membranes. The combination of inorganic fillers in a polymer matrix endows high flexibility in designing the required separation properties of the membranes, in which various fillers provide specific functions correlated to the separation process. This review discusses recent advances in the use of nanofillers in PV MMMs categorized by dimensions including zero-, one-, two- and three-dimensional nanomaterials. Furthermore, the impact of the nanofillers on the polymer matrix is described to provide in-depth understanding of the structure–performance relationship. Finally, the applications of nanofillers in MMMs for PV separation are summarized.
Strategies for maximizing removal of lactic acid from acid whey - Addressing the un-processability issue
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Fine mineral recovery with hydrophobic magnetite
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-1994
The role of poly-M and poly-GM sequences in the metal-mediated assembly of alginate gels
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.CARBPOL.2014.06.001
Abstract: Whilst the involvement of poly-G sequences in the formation of metal-mediated alginate gels has been previously studied in some detail, investigations into the role of poly-M and poly-GM sequences has been relatively neglected. In this regard, the binding of sodium and calcium ions to poly-M and poly-GM decamers, and their influence on chain aggregation, has been modelled by conducting a series of molecular dynamics simulations. This work complements a previous analogous study carried out for the poly-G decamer, whereby up to three strands are systematically introduced into each simulation. As in the previous study, this method allows intrinsic binding modes and interchain structural motifs to be revealed, that are consistent with those observed in available AFM images of consolidated 3-D networks. It is apparent from these studies that different sequences have different structural implications for metal-mediated chain association.
The fouling of microfiltration membranes by NOM after coagulation treatment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2000
Antimicrobial effects of pulsed electromagnetic fields from commercially available water treatment devices – controlled studies under static and flow conditions
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-11-2017
DOI: 10.1002/JCTB.5442
Accelerated seeded precipitation pre-treatment of municipal wastewater to reduce scaling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2008.01.045
Abstract: Membrane based treatment processes are very effective in removing salt from wastewater, but are hindered by calcium scale deposit formation. This study investigates the feasibility of removing calcium from treated sewage wastewater using accelerated seeded precipitation. The rate of calcium removal was measured during bench scale batch mode seeded precipitation experiments at pH 9.5 using various quantities of calcium carbonate as seed material. The results indicate that accelerated seeded precipitation may be a feasible option for the decrease of calcium in reverse osmosis concentrate streams during the desalination of treated sewage wastewater for irrigation purposes, promising decreased incidence of scaling and the option to control the sodium adsorption ratio and nutritional properties of the desalted water. It was found that accelerated seeded precipitation of calcium from treated sewage wastewater was largely ineffective if carried out without pre-treatment of the wastewater. Evidence was presented that suggests that phosphate may be a major interfering substance for the seeded precipitation of calcium from this type of wastewater. A pH adjustment to 9.5 followed by a 1-h equilibration period was found to be an effective pre-treatment for the removal of interferences. Calcium carbonate seed addition at 10 g l(-1) to wastewater that had been pre-treated in this way was found to result in calcium precipitation from supersaturated level at 60 mg l(-1) to saturated level at 5 mg l(-1). Approximately 90% reduction of the calcium level occurred 5 min after seed addition. A further 10% reduction was achieved 30 min after seed addition.
Deposition of inorganic nanoparticles on the RO membrane surface via a simple and environmentally friendly approach based on surface mineralization
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2023
Solubility of wool wax in supercritical carbon dioxide
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-1997
The impact of hydrophobic coating on the performance of carbon nanotube bucky-paper membranes in membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2011
Silica scaling in forward osmosis: From solution to membrane interface
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2016.10.082
Abstract: Membrane silica scaling hinders sustainable water production. Understanding silica scaling mechanisms provides options for better membrane process management. In this study, we elucidated silica scaling mechanisms on an asymmetric cellulose triacetate (CTA) membrane and polyamide thin-film composite (TFC) membrane. Scaling filtration showed that TFC membrane was subjected to more severe water flux decline in comparison with the CTA membrane, together with different scaling layer morphology. To elucidate the silica scaling mechanisms, silica species in the aqueous solution were characterised by mass spectrometry as well as light scattering. Key thermodynamic parameters of silica surface nucleation on the CTA and TFC membranes were estimated to compare the surface nucleation energy barrier. In addition, high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy resolved the chemical origin of the silica-membrane interaction via identifying the specific silicon bonds. These results strongly support that silica scaling in the CTA membrane was driven by the aggregation of mono-silicic acid into large silica aggregates, followed by the deposition from bulk solution onto the membrane surface by contrast, silica polymerised on the TFC membrane surface where mono-silicic acid interacted with TFC membrane surface, which was followed by silica surface polymerisation.
Comparative study of PFAS treatment by UV, UV/ozone, and fractionations with air and ozonated air
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1039/C9EW00701F
Abstract: Conducted using multifunctional equipment, this comparative study showed 95% PFAS removal achieved by ozonated air fractionation.
Synthesis and characterization of hybrid organic–inorganic materials based on sulphonated polyamideimide and silica
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-09-2010
The influence of electromagnetic fields from two commercially available water-treatment devices on calcium carbonate precipitation
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1039/C7EW00060J
Abstract: CaCO 3 precipitation profiles, tracked by absorbance at 350 nm, showing accelerated precipitation upon exposure of the parent solutions to a pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) from a commercially available device.
Effect of heat treatment on pervaporation separation of aqueous salt solution using hybrid PVA/MA/TEOS membrane
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
A Mini Review on Antiwetting Studies in Membrane Distillation for Textile Wastewater Treatment
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 28-01-2021
DOI: 10.3390/PR9020243
Abstract: The textile industry is an important contributor to the growth of the global economy. However, a huge quantity of wastewater is generated as a by-product during textile manufacturing, which hinders the ongoing development of textile industry in terms of environmental sustainability. Membrane distillation (MD), which is driven by thermal-induced vapor pressure difference, is being considered as an emerging economically viable technology to treat the textile wastewater for water reuse. So far, massive efforts have been put into new membrane material developments and modifications of the membrane surface. However, membrane wetting, direct feed solution transport through membrane pores leading to the failure of separation, remains as one of the main challenges for the success and potential commercialization of this separation process as textile wastewater contains membrane wetting inducing surfactants. Herein, this review presents current progress on the MD process for textile wastewater treatment with particular focuses on the fundamentals of membrane wetting, types of membranes applied as well as the fabrication or modification of membranes for anti-wetting properties. This article aims at providing insights in membrane design to enhance the MD separation performance towards commercial application of textile wastewater treatment.
Experimental study of hollow fiber permeate gap membrane distillation and its performance comparison with DCMD and SGMD
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
Enhanced durability and hydrophobicity of carbon nanotube bucky paper membranes in membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2011
Diffusion behaviour of multivalent ions at low pH through a MFI-type zeolite membrane
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
Effect of polyelectrolyte charge density and molecular weight on the flotation of oil in water emulsions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-1997
Membrane-based processes for wastewater nutrient recovery: Technology, challenges, and future direction
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2015.11.045
Abstract: Wastewater nutrient recovery holds promise for more sustainable water and agricultural industries. We critically review three emerging membrane processes - forward osmosis (FO), membrane distillation (MD) and electrodialysis (ED) - that can advance wastewater nutrient recovery. Challenges associated with wastewater nutrient recovery were identified. The advantages and challenges of applying FO, MD, and ED technologies to wastewater nutrient recovery are discussed, and directions for future research and development are identified. Emphasis is given to exploration of the unique mass transfer properties of these membrane processes in the context of wastewater nutrient recovery. We highlight that hybridising these membrane processes with existing nutrient precipitation process will lead to better management of and more erse pathways for near complete nutrient recovery in wastewater treatment facilities.
Small Scale Direct Potable Reuse (DPR) Project for a Remote Area
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-08-2015
DOI: 10.3390/W9020094
Effects of operating parameters on permeation flux for desalination of sodium chloride solution using air gap membrane distillation
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.5004/DWT.2010.994
A high volume and low damage route to hydroxyl functionalization of carbon nanotubes using hard X-ray lithography
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
Comparison of the effects of ozone, biological activated carbon (BAC) filtration and combined ozone-BAC pre-treatments on the microfiltration of secondary effluent
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
Small angle X-ray scattering study of carbon nanotube forests densified into long range patterns by controlled solvent evaporation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.JCIS.2013.06.018
Abstract: Although emergent properties from self-assembly of carbon nanotubes have been described in various forms there is so far no systematic process for the preparation of dense arrays of aligned nanotubes. Here we present a systematic study on the analysis of the alignment of carbon nanotubes within solvent densified carbon nanotube forests. Highly periodic patterns with length scales of the order of the millimetres were generated and characterized by electron and optical micrographs and compared to results from small angle X-ray scattering performed at various incident beam angles. The impact of the different solvents was also discussed in light of the densification process and in relation to solvent properties.
Diffusion behavior of humic acid during desalination with air gap and water gap membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2019.03.055
Abstract: Desalination and water reuse are important means to resolve local water scarcity and security issues worldwide where membrane distillation (MD) may be part of a solution. Natural organic matter and in particular, humic acids (HA), are widely present in water supplies to be treated but exhibit little understood behavior to diffuse through MD membranes into permeate. In this work, air gap (AGMD) and water gap (WGMD) were utilized to study HA behavior in MD using seawater and synthetic water over a range of typical MD temperatures, flow rates and membrane types. HA diffusion was first shown with seawater feed then on synthetic solutions at all process conditions. While electrical conductivity rejection was always above than 99%, HA rejection showed values of 33% and 90% for AGMD and 68% and 93% for WGMD with seawater and synthetic water, respectively. Analytical techniques were used to perform a preliminary organic matter characterization in permeate, obtaining clear differences between the feed and permeate HA property. Compared to hydrophobic membranes, uniquely oleophobic membranes inhibit HA diffusion suggesting hydrophobic surface diffusion of HA through the membrane. HA flux as well as potential undesirable effects of the organic matter in permeate should be considered for MD applications.
Chemistry of silica scale mitigation for RO desalination with particular reference to remote operations
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2014.07.010
Abstract: Silica scaling in reverse osmosis of groundwater is a significant issue in water stressed areas due to the limitations that scaling imposes on water recovery. While calcium and magnesium scaling potential can be significantly reduced by the use of ion exchange or other softening processes, the silica scaling potential typically remains. Improving the recovery of reverse osmosis by limiting the potential for silica scale is important in ensuring maximum water recovery. This is particularly important for mining and natural gas industries that are located in remote regions. The remote nature of these sites imposes three major restrictions on the silica scale mitigation process. Firstly, the generation of poorly dewaterable sludges must be avoided. Also, the quality of any reverse osmosis (RO) permeate must be able to meet the end use requirements, particularly for boilers. Finally, silica removal should not impact upon other potentially useful or valuable components within the brine, and should not make the disposal of the unusable waste brine components more difficult. Reduction of scaling potential can be achieved in three main ways: operating RO at high pH after hardness has been removed, operating at low pH, and reducing the silica concentration either in pretreatment or by using an interstage technique. Operating at high pH has the initial requirement of hardness removal to prevent scaling and this could be an issue on some sites. Hardness removal operations that use ion exchange resins may be challenged by water chemistry and the operational costs associated with high chemical regeneration costs. Operating at low pH may be more desirable than high pH operation as this can help to reduce the risk of scale formation from calcium or magnesium salts. The drawback comes from the cost of acid, particularly for high-alkalinity waters. There are numerous silica removal techniques including chemical dosing of lime, or aluminium or iron salts, electrocoagulation, adsorption, ion exchange and seeded precipitation. Of these, adsorption onto aluminium compounds appears to give the best results and have received the most attention where restrictions on sludge production and brine disposal common to operations in remote locations are in place. Adsorption onto iron compounds appears to occur more quickly, but leads to the formation of a hard, glass-like scale that may be more difficult to remove, making this process unattractive from the point of view of sorbent regeneration.
Effect of addition of two-dimensional ZIF-L nanoflakes on the properties of polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
The role of membrane surface energy on direct contact membrane distillation performance
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2013
Root cause analysis for membrane system validation failure at a full-scale recycled water treatment plant
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
Editorial: Journal relaunching as Water Reuse
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 12-2020
DOI: 10.2166/WRD.2020.002
Effects of operational parameters on the removal efficiency of non-ionic surfactant by electroflotation
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.5004/DWT.2010.992
Water quality risk management strategies for remote operations
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 26-06-2018
DOI: 10.2166/WS.2017.130
Abstract: The delivery of treatment and supply solutions for the management of water infrastructure for small and remote communities presents unique challenges. The identification of water quality hazards, the management of risks and conducting plant performance validation and verification activities can all be problematic. The ‘Demonstration of Robust Water Recycling’ (Robust Recycling) Project was funded by the Australian Water Recycling Centre of Excellence (AWRCoE) and the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) as a means of developing strategies for the provision of small scale water treatment schemes from non-traditional water sources. Using the ex le of the AAD's Davis Station, this project featured an alternative approach to the establishment of a risk management framework for water recycling. This approach may be applicable to both drinking and recycled water schemes in other small and remote communities.
The use of soluble organic polymers in waste treatment
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 1996
Membrane fouling mechanism transition in relation to feed water composition
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2014
Dual function filtration and catalytic breakdown of organic pollutants in wastewater using ozonation with titania and alumina membranes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2011
Cost and efficiency perspectives of ceramic membranes for water treatment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2022.118629
Abstract: More robust ceramic membranes with tailorable structures and functions are increasingly employed for water treatment, particularly in some harsh applications for their ultra-long service lifespan due to their high mechanical, structural, chemical and thermal stability and anti-fouling properties. Decreasing cost and enhancing efficiency are two key but quite challenging application-oriented issues for broader and larger-scale engineering application of current ceramic membranes, and are required to make ceramic membranes a highly efficient and economic water treatment technique. In this review, we critically discuss these two significant concerns of both cost and efficiency for water treatment ceramic membranes, focusing on an overview of various advanced strategies and mechanism insights. A brief up-to-date discussion is first introduced about recent developments of ceramic membranes covering the major advances of novel membranes and applications. Then some promising strategies for decreasing the cost of ceramic membranes are discussed, including membrane material cost and processing cost. To fully address the issue of moderate efficiency with single separation function, valuable and considerable insights are provided into recent major progress and mechanism understandings in application with other unit processes, such as advanced oxidation and electrochemistry techniques, to significantly enhance treatment efficiency. Subsequently, a review of recent ceramic membrane applications emphasizing harsh operating environments is presented, such as oil-water separation, saline water, refractory organic and emerging contaminant wastewater treatment. Finally, engineering application, conclusions, and future perspectives of ceramic membrane for water treatment applications are critically discussed offering new insight based on understanding the issues of cost and efficiency.
Understanding the transport enhancement of poly (vinyl alcohol) based hybrid membranes with dispersed nanochannels for pervaporation application
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2020
Ultrathin poly (vinyl alcohol)/MXene nanofilm composite membrane with facile intrusion-free construction for pervaporative separations
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Algae-Based Approach for Desalination: An Emerging Energy-Passive and Environmentally Friendly Desalination Technology
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 21-06-2021
Functionalized Carbon Nanotube-Mediated Transport in Membranes Containing Fixed-Site Carriers for Fast Pervaporation Desalination
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 27-10-2020
Short Review on Porous Metal Membranes—Fabrication, Commercial Products, and Applications
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 18-09-2018
Abstract: Porous metal membranes have recently received increasing attention, and significant progress has been made in their preparation and characterisation. This progress has stimulated research in their applications in a number of key industries including wastewater treatment, dairy processing, wineries, and biofuel purification. This review examines recent significant progress in porous metal membranes including novel fabrication concepts and applications that have been reported in open literature or obtained in our laboratories. The advantages and disadvantages of the different membrane fabrication methods were presented in light of improving the properties of current membrane materials for targeted applications. Sintering of particles is one of the main approaches that has been used for the fabrication of commercial porous metal membranes, and it has great advantages for the fabrication of hollow fibre metal membranes. However, sintering processes usually result in large pores (e.g., µm). So far, porous metal membranes have been mainly used for the filtration of liquids to remove the solid particles. For porous metal membranes to be more widely used across a number of separation applications, particularly for water applications, further work needs to focus on the development of smaller pore (e.g., sub-micron) metal membranes and the significant reduction of capital and maintenance costs.
UV/TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation of recalcitrant organic matter: effect of salinity and pH
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 27-05-2014
DOI: 10.2166/WST.2014.221
Abstract: Photocatalytic oxidation processes have interest for water treatment since these processes can remove recalcitrant organic compounds and operate at mild conditions of temperature and pressure. However, performance under saline conditions present in many water resources is not well known. This study aims to explore the basic effects of photocatalysis on the removal of organic matter in the presence of salt. A laboratory-scale photocatalytic reactor system, employing ultraviolet (UV)/titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis was evaluated for its ability to remove the humic acid (HA) from saline water. The particle size and zeta potential of TiO2 under different conditions including solution pH and sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations were characterized. The overall degradation of organics over the NaCl concentration range of 500–2,000 mg/L was found to be 80% of the non-saline equivalent after 180 min of the treatment. The results demonstrated that the adsorption of HA onto the TiO2 particles was dependent on both the pH and salinity due to electrostatic interaction and highly unstable agglomerated dispersion. This result supports UV/TiO2 as a viable means to remove organic compounds, but the presence of salt in waters to be treated will influence the performance of the photocatalytic oxidation process.
Membrane evaporation of amine solution for energy saving in post-combustion carbon capture: Wetting and condensation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD): Experimental study on the commercial PTFE membrane and modeling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2011
Recent Developments in Carbon Nanotube Membranes for Water Purification and Gas Separation
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-01-2010
DOI: 10.3390/MA3010127
Effectiveness and Energy Requirements of Pasteurisation for the Treatment of Unfiltered Secondary Effluent from a Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-07-2020
DOI: 10.3390/W12082100
Abstract: Pasteurisation was investigated as a process to achieve high microbial quality standards in the recycling of water from unfiltered secondary effluents from a wastewater treatment plants in Melbourne, Australia. The relative heat sensitivity of key bacterial, viral, protozoan and helminth wastewater organisms (Escherichia coli, Enterococcus, FRNA bacteriophage, adenovirus, coxsackievirus, Cryptosporidium, and Ascaris) were determined by laboratory scale tests. The FRNA phage were found to be the most heat resistant, followed by enterococci and E. coli. Pilot scale challenge testing of a 2 ML/day pasteurisation pilot plant using unfiltered municipal wastewater and male specific coliphage (MS2) phage showed that temperatures between 69 °C and 75 °C achieved log reductions values between 0.9 ± 0.1 and 5.0 ± 0.5 respectively in the contact chamber. Fouling of the heat exchangers during operation using unfiltered secondary treated effluent was found to increase the energy consumption of the plant from 2.2 kWh/kL to 5.1 kWh/kL. The economic feasibility of pasteurisation for the current municipal application with high heat exchanger fouling potential can be expected to depend largely on the available waste heat from co-generation and on the efforts required to control fouling of the heat exchangers.
Molecular simulations of polyamide membrane materials used in desalination and water reuse applications: Recent developments and future prospects
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2017
Silica scale formation and effect of sodium and aluminium ions -29Si NMR study
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1039/C5EW00220F
Abstract: Silica scale formation on reverse osmosis (RO) membrane surface is a significant problem for operation of high recovery RO desalination plant.
Impact of casting conditions on PVDF/nanoclay nanocomposite membrane properties
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
High floc strength with aged polyelectrolytes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2007
Prototype membrane electrolysis using a MFI-zeolite-coated ceramic tubular membrane provides in-line generation of two active electron mediators by eliminating active species crossover
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
Characterisation of organic matter in IX and PACl treated wastewater in relation to the fouling of a hydrophobic polypropylene membrane
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2012.06.054
Abstract: Extensive organic characterisation of a wastewater using liquid chromatography with a photodiode array and fluorescence spectroscopy (Method A), and UV(254) and organic carbon detector (Method B) was undertaken, as well as with fluorescence excitation emission spectroscopy (EEM). Characterisation was performed on the wastewater before and after ion exchange (IX) treatment and polyaluminium chlorohydrate (PACl) coagulation, and following microfiltration of the wastewater and pre-treated wastewaters. Characterisation by EEM was unable to detect biopolymers within the humic rich wastewaters and was not subsequently used to characterise the MF permeates. IX treatment preferentially removed low molecular weight (MW) organic acids and neutrals, and moderate amounts of biopolymers in contrast to a previous report of no biopolymer removal with IX. PACl preferentially removed moderate MW humic and fulvic acids, and large amounts of biopolymers. PACl showed a great preference for removal of proteins from the biopolymer component in comparison to IX. An increase in the fluorescence response of tryptophan-like compounds in the biopolymer fraction following IX treatment suggests that low MW neutrals may influence the structure and/or inhibit aggregation of organic compounds. Fouling rates for IX and PACl treated wastewaters had high initial fouling rates that reduced to lower fouling rates with time, while the untreated Eastern Treatment Plant (ETP) wastewater displayed a consistent, high rate of fouling. The results for the IX and PACl treated wastewaters were consistent with the long-term fouling rate being determined by cake filtration while both pore constriction and cake filtration contributed to the higher initial fouling rates. Higher rejection of biopolymers was observed for PACl and IX waters compared to the untreated ETP water, suggesting increased adhesion of biopolymers to the membrane or cake layer may lead to the higher rejection.
Spacer-induced forward osmosis membrane integrity loss during gypsum scaling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
The significance of interactions between organic compounds on low pressure membrane fouling
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 08-2011
DOI: 10.2166/WST.2011.488
Abstract: Fouling of hollow fibre microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes by solutions of pure organic compounds and mixtures of these compounds was studied with a backwashable membrane filtration apparatus. Small molecular weight compounds resulted in little fouling, while their polymeric analogues resulted in more severe fouling. Neutrally charged dextran resulted in minor, irreversible fouling, that was considered to be associated with blocking of small pores. Cationically charged chitosan produced gross fouling for which the extent of reversibility increased with salt addition. Anionically charged alginic acid resulted in gross irreversible fouling, except when being filtered by a hydrophilic membrane in the absence of calcium where a high degree of flux recovery was observed. Calcium addition to the alginic acid solutions resulted in gross fouling of all membranes and calcium bridging was considered to be responsible for this behaviour. Greater fouling occurred on the hydrophilic membrane compared to the hydrophobic membranes for bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions, and this was considered to be due to physical blocking of pores, because addition of calcium resulted in lower flux declines. Addition of BSA and calcium to alginic acid solutions resulted in lower flux recoveries for the alginic acid system, consistent with the proposition that interactions between polysaccharide and other compounds are required for irreversible fouling on hydrophilic membranes.
Preparation and characterization of poly(vinylidene fluoride)/nanoclay nanocomposite flat sheet membranes for abrasion resistance
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2014.03.005
Abstract: Membranes with more resilience to abrasive wear are highly desired in water treatment, especially for seawater desalination. Nanocomposite poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/nanoclay membranes were prepared by phase inversion and then tested for abrasion resistance. Their material properties were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Nanoclay Cloisite(®) 15A was utilised as the inorganic nanoparticle incorporated into PVDF. FTIR results showed a shifting of the PVDF crystalline phase from α to β thus indicating that the nanoclay altered the PVDF host material's structure and mechanical properties in terms of stiffness and toughness. Water permeation test showed that nanoclay at low concentration tended to reduce water flux. All nanocomposite membranes, with between 1 wt% and 5 wt% initial nanoclay loading, were more abrasion resistant than the control PVDF membrane. However, the 1 wt% exhibited superior resistance, lasting two times longer than the reference PVDF membrane under the same abrasive condition. The 1 wt% nanoclay membrane appeared less abraded by SEM observation, while also having the greatest tensile strength improvement (from 4.5 MPa to 4.9 MPa). This membrane also had the smallest agglomerated nanoclay particle size and highest toughness compared to the higher nanoclay content membranes. Nanoclays are therefore useful for improving abrasion resistance of PVDF membranes, but optimal loadings are essential to avoid losing essential mechanical properties.
Development of microporous substrates of polyamide thin film composite membranes for pressure-driven and osmotically-driven membrane processes: A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2019
Removal of herbicide 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) from saline industrial wastewater by reverse osmosis and nanofiltration
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Understanding the chlorination mechanism and the chlorine-induced separation performance evolution of polypiperazine-amide nanofiltration membrane
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2019
Current and Emerging Techniques for High-Pressure Membrane Integrity Testing
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-08-2018
Abstract: Ideally, pressure driven membrane processes used in wastewater treatment such as reverse osmosis and nanofiltration should provide a complete physical barrier to the passage of pathogens such as enteric viruses. In reality, manufacturing imperfections combined with membrane ageing and damage can result in breaches as small as 20 to 30 nm in diameter, sufficient to allow enteric viruses to contaminate the treated water and compromise public health. In addition to continuous monitoring, frequent demonstration of the integrity of membranes is required to provide assurance that the barrier to the passage of such contaminants is intact. Existing membrane integrity monitoring systems, however, are limited and health regulators typically credit high-pressure membrane systems with only 2 log10 virus rejection, well below their capability. A reliable real-time method that can recognize the true rejection potential of membrane systems greater than 4 log10 has not yet been established. This review provides a critical evaluation of the current methods of integrity monitoring and identifies novel approaches that have the potential to provide accurate, representative virus removal efficiency estimates.
Gypsum scaling in forward osmosis: Role of membrane surface chemistry
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
A hybrid photocatalysis and ceramic membrane filtration process for humic acid degradation: Effect of pore size and transmembrane pressure
Publisher: Desalination Publications
Date: 2017
The application of electromagnetic fields to the control of the scaling and biofouling of reverse osmosis membranes - A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2017
Wastewater recycling in Antarctica: Performance assessment of an advanced water treatment plant in removing trace organic chemicals
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2018.07.020
Abstract: The Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) operates Australia's Davis Station in the Antarctic. In 2005, Davis Station's wastewater treatment plant failed and since then untreated, macerated effluent has been discharged to the ocean. The objectives of this study were to determine whether an advanced water treatment plant (AWTP) commissioned by the AAD and featuring a multi-barrier process involving ozonation, ceramic microfiltration, biologically activated carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet disinfection and chlorination was capable of producing potable water and a non-toxic brine concentrate that can be discharged with minimal environmental impact. The AWTP was tested using water from a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Tasmania, Australia. We used spot water and passive s ling combined with two multi-residue chromatographic-mass spectrometric methods and a range of recombinant receptor-reporter gene bioassays to screen trace organic chemicals (TrOCs), toxicity and receptor activity in the Feed water, in the environmental discharge (reject water), and product water from the AWTP for six months during 2014-15, and then again for three months in 2016. Across the two surveys we unambiguously detected 109 different TrOCs in the feed water, 39 chemicals in the reject water, and 34 chemicals in the product water. S le toxicity and receptor activity in the feed water s les was almost totally removed in both testing periods, confirming that the vast majority of the receptor active TrOCs were removed by the treatment process. All the NDMA entering the AWTP in the feed and/or produced in the plant (typically < 50 ng/L), was retained into the reject water with no NDMA observed in the product water. In conclusion, the AWTP was working to design, and releases of TrOCs at the concentrations observed in this study would be unlikely cause adverse effects on populations of aquatic organisms in the receiving environment or users of the potable product water.
Hybrid Processes Combining Photocatalysis and Ceramic Membrane Filtration for Degradation of Humic Acids in Saline Water
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-2016
Functionalizing graphene oxide framework membranes with sulfonic acid groups for superior aqueous mixture separation
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1039/C9TA04031E
Abstract: Hydrophilic pervaporation (PV) membranes with ultrahigh throughput and outstanding separation ability are highly beneficial for efficient separation of aqueous mixtures.
Effect of NOM characteristics and membrane type on microfiltration performance
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2007.06.020
Abstract: Efforts to understand and predict the role of different organic fractions in the fouling of low-pressure membranes are presented. Preliminary experiments with an experimental apparatus that incorporates automatic backwashing and filtration over several days has shown that microfiltration (MF) of the hydrophilic fractions leads to rapid flux decline and the formation of a cake or gel layer, while the hydrophobic fractions show a steady flux decline and no obvious formation of a gel or cake layer. The addition of calcium to the weakly hydrophobic acid (WHA) fraction led to the formation of a gel layer from associations between components of the WHA. The dominant foulants were found to be neutral and charged hydrophilic compounds, with hydrophobic and small pore size membranes being the most readily fouled. The findings suggest that surface analyses such as FTIR will preferentially identify hydrophilic compounds as the main foulants, as these components form a gel layer on the surface while the hydrophobic compounds adsorb within the membrane pores. Furthermore, coagulation pre-treatment is also likely to reduce fouling by reducing pore constriction rather than the formation of a gel layer, as coagulants remove the hydrophobic compounds to a large extent and very little of the hydrophilic neutral components.
Nanocomposites for Improved Physical Durability of Porous PVDF Membranes
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 24-02-2014
Trace organic contaminant rejection by aquaporin forward osmosis membrane: Transport mechanisms and membrane stability
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2017.12.072
Abstract: We investigated transport mechanisms of trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) through aquaporin thin-film composite forward osmosis (FO) membrane, and membrane stability under extreme conditions with respect to TrOC rejections. Morphology and surface chemistry of the aquaporin membrane were characterised to identify the incorporation of aquaporin vesicles into membrane active layer. Pore hindrance model was used to estimate aquaporin membrane pore size as well as to describe TrOC transport. TrOC transport mechanisms were revealed by varying concentration and type of draw solutions. Experimental results showed that mechanism of TrOC transport through aquaporin-embedded FO membrane was dominated by solution-diffusion mechanism. Non-ionic TrOC rejections were molecular-weight dependent, suggesting steric hindrance mechanisms. On the other hand, ionic TrOC rejections were less sensitive to molecular size, indicating electrostatic interaction. TrOC transport through aquaporin membrane was also subjected to retarded forward diffusion where reverse draw solute flux could hinder the forward diffusion of feed TrOC solutes, reducing their permeation through the FO membrane. Aquaporin membrane stability was demonstrated by either heat treatment or ethanol solvent challenges. Thermal stability of the aquaporin membrane was manifested as a relatively unchanged TrOC rejection before and after the heat treatment challenge test. By contrast, ethanol solvent challenge resulted in a decrease in TrOC rejection, which was evident by the disappearance of the lipid tail of the aquaporin vesicles from infrared spectrum and a notable decrease in the membrane pore size.
Effect of IX dosing on polypropylene and PVDF membrane fouling control
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2013.03.056
Abstract: The performance of ion exchange (IX) resin for organics removal from wastewater was assessed using advanced characterisation techniques for varying doses of IX. Organic characterisation using liquid chromatography with a photodiode array (PDA) and fluorescence spectroscopy (Method A), and UV254, organic carbon and organic nitrogen detectors (Method B), was undertaken on wastewater before and after magnetic IX treatment. Results showed partial removal of the biopolymer fraction at high IX doses. With increasing concentration of IX, evidence for nitrogen-containing compounds such as proteins and amino acids disappeared from the LC-OND chromatogram, complementary to the fluorescence response. A greater fluorescence response of tryptophan-like proteins (278 nm/343 nm) for low IX concentrations was consistent with aggregation of tryptophan-like compounds into larger aggregates, either by self-aggregation or with polysaccharides. Recycling of IX resin through multiple adsorption steps without regeneration maintained the high level of humics removal but there was no continued removal of biopolymer. Subsequent membrane filtration of the IX treated waters resulted in complex fouling trends. Filtration tests with either polypropylene (PP) or polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes showed higher rates of initial fouling following treatment with high IX doses (10 mL/L) compared to filtration of untreated water, while treatment with lower IX doses resulted in decreased fouling rates relative to the untreated water. However, at longer filtration times the rate of fouling of IX treated waters was lower than untreated water and the relative fouling rates corresponded to the amount of biopolymer material in the feed. It was proposed that the mode of fouling changed from pore constriction during the initial filtration period to filter cake build up at longer filtration times. The organic composition strongly influenced the rate of fouling during the initial filtration period due to competitive adsorption processes, while at longer filtration times the rate of fouling appeared to depend upon the amount of biopolymer material in the feed water.
Membrane Distillation Trial on Textile Wastewater Containing Surfactants Using Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic-Coated Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) Membranes
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-06-2018
Abstract: Treating wastewater from textile plants using membrane distillation (MD) has great potential due to the high-salinity wastes and availability of waste heat. However, textile wastewaters also contain surfactants, which compromise the essential hydrophobic feature of the membrane, causing membrane wetting. To address this wetting issue, a custom-made membrane consisting of a hydrophilic layer coated on hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) was tested on textile wastewater in a pilot MD setup, and compared with a conventional hydrophobic PTFE membrane. The test was carried out with a feed temperature of 60 °C, and a permeate temperature of 45 °C. The overall salt rejection of both membranes was very high, at 99%. However, the hydrophobic membrane showed rising permeate electrical conductivity, which was attributed to wetting of the membrane. Meanwhile, the hydrophilic-coated membrane showed continually declining electrical conductivity demonstrating an intact membrane that resisted wetting from the surfactants. Despite this positive result, the coated membrane did not survive a simple sodium hydroxide clean, which would be typically applied to a membrane process. This brief study showed the viability of membrane distillation membranes on real textile wastewaters containing surfactants using hydrophilic-coated hydrophobic PTFE, but the cleaning process required for membranes needs optimization.
Seawater Use and Desalination Technology
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2011
Silica fouling during direct contact membrane distillation of coal seam gas brine with high sodium bicarbonate and low hardness
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
Special issue: Membranes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2007
Effectiveness of desalination powered by a tracking solar array to treat saline bore water
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
Separation of aqueous salt solution by pervaporation through hybrid organic–inorganic membrane: Effect of operating conditions
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
Treatment of RO brine from CSG produced water by spiral-wound air gap membrane distillation — A pilot study
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2015
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction of Wool Wax from Wool Scour Sludges
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-1996
Carbon nanotube based composite membranes for water desalination by membrane distillation
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-2010
Silica scale mitigation for high recovery reverse osmosis of groundwater for a mining process
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2014
Investigation and modelling of high rate algal ponds utilising secondary effluent at Western Water, Bacchus Marsh Recycled Water Plant
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 02-05-2018
DOI: 10.2166/WST.2018.202
Abstract: There is growing interest in the ability of high rate algal ponds (HRAP) to treat wastewater. This method reduces the costs of algal production while treating the wastewater quicker and more efficiently than standard lagoon practices. Two parallel HRAPs were used in this study to treat secondary effluent. Nitrogen levels were significantly reduced with a mean reduction of 71% for ammonia and 64% for total nitrogen. The use of the HRAPs significantly increased the algal biomass levels compared to the algal growth in the storage lagoons, with a mean increase of 274%. Beneficial use of algae can be used to reduce treatment costs so being able to predict and optimise the amount of algal biomass produced in HRAPs is vital. However, most models are complicated and require specific, detailed information. In this study, a predictive microalgal growth model was developed for HRAP by adapting two previously established models: the Steele and Monod models. The model could predict algal growth based on temperatures and solar radiation and account for limiting ammonia concentrations in an elevated pH environment with natural variations in the algal community. This model used experimental data that would be readily available to any established HRAP study.
A review of process and wastewater reuse in the recycled paper industry
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Assessment of pressure decay test for RO protozoa removal validation in remote operations
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2016
Co3+ homogeneous mediator generation efficiency in a divided tubular electrochemical reactor with MFI-type zeolite membrane
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2017
High recovery water processes
Publisher: Cassyni
Date: 31-03-2023
Properties of beta-lactoglobulin/alginate mixtures as a function of component ratio, pH and applied shear
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2015
Sub-10-nm Mixed Titanium/Tantalum Oxide Nanoporous Films with Visible-Light Photocatalytic Activity for Water Treatment
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 06-03-2019
Polysilicato-iron for improved NOM removal and membrane performance
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2006
An autopsy study of a fouled reverse osmosis membrane element used in a brackish water treatment plant
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2007
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2007.06.008
Abstract: The fouling of a spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) membrane after nearly 1 year of service in a brackish water treatment plant was investigated using optical and electron microscopic methods, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Both the top surface and the cross-section of the fouled membrane were analysed to monitor the development of the fouling layer. It has been found that the extent of fouling was uneven across the membrane surface with regions underneath or in the vicinity of the strands of the feed spacer being more severely affected. Fouling appeared to have developed through different stages. In particular, it consisted of an initial thin fouling layer of an amorphous matrix with embedded particulate matter. The amorphous matrix comprised organic-Al-P complexes and the particulate matter was mostly aluminium silicates. Subsequently, as the fouling layer reached a thickness of about 5-7microm, further amorphous material, which is suggested to include extracellular polymeric substances such as polysaccharides, started to deposit on top of the existing fouling layer. This secondary amorphous material did not seem to contain any particulate matter nor any inorganic elements within it, but acted as a substrate upon which aluminium silicate crystals grew exclusively in the absence of other foulants, including natural organic matter (NOM).
Scale reduction and cleaning techniques during direct contact membrane distillation of seawater reverse osmosis brine
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
A review on polyamide thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes: History, applications, challenges and approaches
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2015.04.037
Abstract: This review focuses on the development of polyamide (PA) thin film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes for various aqueous media-based separation processes such as nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and forward osmosis since the concept of TFN was introduced in year 2007. Although the total number of published TFN articles falls far short of the articles of the well-known thin film composite (TFC) membranes, its growth rate is significant, particularly since 2012. Generally, by incorporating an appropriate amount of nanofiller into a thin selective PA layer of a composite membrane, one could produce TFN membranes with enhanced separation characteristics as compared to the conventional TFC membrane. For certain cases, the resulting TFN membranes demonstrate not only excellent antifouling resistance and/or greater antibacterial effect, but also possibly overcome the trade-off effect between water permeability and solute selectivity. Furthermore, this review attempts to give the readers insights into the difficulties of incorporating inorganic nanomaterials into the organic PA layer whose thickness usually falls in a range of several-hundred nanometers. It is also intended to show new possible approaches to overcome these challenges in TFN membrane fabrication.
Ultrasound enhancement of microfiltration performance for natural organic matter removal
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2007
A new integrated potable reuse process for a small remote community in Antarctica
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
Superhydrophobicity – An Introductory Review
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2015
Transport phenomena in membrane distillation processes
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2022
Effect of organic polyelectrolyte characteristics on floc strength
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2006
Anti-fouling graphene-based membranes for effective water desalination
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-02-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-018-02871-3
Abstract: The inability of membranes to handle a wide spectrum of pollutants is an important unsolved problem for water treatment. Here we demonstrate water desalination via a membrane distillation process using a graphene membrane where water permeation is enabled by nanochannels of multilayer, mismatched, partially overlapping graphene grains. Graphene films derived from renewable oil exhibit significantly superior retention of water vapour flux and salt rejection rates, and a superior antifouling capability under a mixture of saline water containing contaminants such as oils and surfactants, compared to commercial distillation membranes. Moreover, real-world applicability of our membrane is demonstrated by processing sea water from Sydney Harbour over 72 h with macroscale membrane size of 4 cm 2 , processing ~0.5 L per day. Numerical simulations show that the channels between the mismatched grains serve as an effective water permeation route. Our research will pave the way for large-scale graphene-based antifouling membranes for erse water treatment applications.
Exploring the molecular basis for the metal-mediated assembly of alginate gels
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.CARBPOL.2013.11.034
Abstract: The binding of sodium and calcium ions to single and multiple poly-G decamer strands has been modelled by conducting a series of molecular dynamics simulations. Implications for metal mediated inter-strand interactions and gel assembly have been explored by systematically introducing up to three strands into each of these simulations. A particular emphasis has been placed on revealing intrinsic binding modes by an unbiased initial positioning of the metal ions. The results have revealed binding modes that provide a rationale for the observed gelling of alginate by calcium rather than sodium ions. A number of junction zones involving calcium ions have been identified that result in chain aggregation. This includes a distinctive perpendicular motif that appears to be ubiquitous in previously reported AFM images of open 3-D alginate networks. The coordination geometries of the metal ions have been characterised and the metal-mediated junctions between associated strands are described in detail.
Combined TiO2membrane filtration and ozonation for efficient water treatment to enhance the reuse of wastewater
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2011
Influence of pre-treatment combinations on RO membrane fouling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2016
Body Mass and Hypertension in Women
Publisher: American College of Physicians
Date: 07-1998
Integration of Decentralised and Centralised Water Systems to Address Current Water Servicing Challenges
Publisher: Springer Singapore
Date: 2021
PFAS removal from wastewater by in-situ formed ferric nanoparticles: Solid phase loading and removal efficiency
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Synergistic effect of combined colloidal and organic fouling in membrane distillation: Measurements and mechanisms
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1039/C6EW00156D
Abstract: We examined the synergistic effect of combined fouling in MD process with three organic foulants – alginate, bovine serum albumin, and humic acid – in the presence of colloidal silica particles.
Degradation of polyamide reverse osmosis membranes in the presence of chloramine
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2011
Dual-layer membranes with a thin film hydrophilic MOF/PVA nanocomposite for enhanced antiwetting property in membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
The sanctity of goddesses: an insight into the worship of Bà Tổ Cô in Northern Vietnam
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-01-2022
DOI: 10.1057/S41599-021-01018-Y
Abstract: In Vietnam, a country where religious expression is widespread, many gods and goddesses are commonly worshipped. Among those, Bà Tổ Cô (Family Goddess) is widely worshipped in the North of Vietnam due to her exceptional background as unmarried, young, and having spiritual roots, unlike other national and heroic figures. This article examines the sanctity of the Family Goddess by decoding the terms, worshippers, beliefs and practices, sacred encounters and supports. The research is a final result of decade-long field trips, archival study, and in-depth interviews with various stakeholders. The research findings show that the veneration of the Family Goddess in Northern Vietnam is a continuity of a long-standing tradition of worshipping female deities in Asia and thus emphasising the need to maintain this unique intangible heritage as a crucial part of Vietnamese cultural ersity.
Qualitative spectroscopic characterization of the matrix-silane coupling agent interface across metal fibre reinforced ion exchange resin composite membranes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
Treatment of secondary effluent by sequential combination of photocatalytic oxidation with ceramic membrane filtration
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2017
DOI: 10.1007/S11356-017-9070-X
Abstract: The aim of the present work was to experimentally evaluate an alternative advanced wastewater treatment system, which combines the action of photocatalytic oxidation with ceramic membrane filtration. Experiments were carried out using laboratory scale TiO
Effect of solution composition on seeded precipitation of calcium for high recovery RO of magnesium-bearing wastewater, surface water or groundwater
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Fabrication of Meso-Porous Sintered Metal Thin Films by Selective Etching of Silica Based Sacrificial Template
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-08-2014
DOI: 10.3390/NANO4030686
Contaminant flows in urban residential water systems
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2002
Chlorination of oxybenzone and prediction of transformation products using non-equilibrium “forced” molecular dynamics
Publisher: Desalination Publications
Date: 2018
The fabrication and surface functionalization of porous metal frameworks-a review
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1039/C3TA13240D
Treatment of oily wastewaters by highly porous whisker-constructed ceramic membranes: Separation performance and fouling models
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2022.118042
Abstract: Efficient treatment of challenging oily emulsion wastewater can alleviate water pollution to provide more chances for water reuse and resource recovery. Despite their promising application potential, conventional porous ceramic membranes have challenging bottleneck issues such as high cost and insufficient permeance. This study presents a new strategy for highly efficient treatment of not only synthetic but real oily emulsions via unexpensive whisker-constructed ceramic membranes, exhibiting exceptional permeance and less energy input. Compared with common ceramic membranes, such lower-cost mullite membranes with a novel whisker-constructed structure show higher porosity and water permeance, and better surface oleophobicity in water. Treatment performance such as permeate flux and oil rejection was explored for the oily emulsions with different properties under key operating parameters. Furthermore, classical Hermia models were used to reveal membrane fouling mechanism to well understand the microscopic interactions between emulsion droplets and membrane interface. Even for real acidic oily wastewater, such membranes also exhibit high permeance and less energy consumption, outperforming most state-of-the-art ceramic membranes. This work provides a new structure concept of highly permeably whisker-constructed porous ceramic membranes that can efficiently enable more water separation applications.
Review of influence of critical operation conditions on by-product/intermediate formation during thermal destruction of PFAS in solid/biosolids
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.158796
Abstract: Poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic organofluorine compounds. Over 4700 PFAS compounds have been produced and used in our daily life since the 1940s. PFAS have received considerable interest because of their toxicity, environmental persistence, bioaccumulation and wide existence in the environment. Various treatment methods have been developed to overcome these issues. Thermal treatment such as combustion and pyrolysis/gasification have been employed to treat PFAS contaminated solids and soils. However, short-chain PFAS and/or volatile organic fluorine is produced and emitted via exhaust gas during the thermal treatment. Combustion can achieve complete mineralisation of PFAS at large scale operation using temperatures >1000 °C. Pyrolysis has been used in treatment of biosolids and has demonstrated that it could remove PFAS completely from the generated biochar by evaporation and degradation. Although pyrolysis partially degrades PFAS to short-chain fluorine containing organics in the syngas, it could not efficiently mineralise PFAS. Combustion of PFAS containing syngas at 1000 °C can achieve complete mineralisation of PFAS. Furthermore, the by-product of mineralisation, HF, should also be monitored due to its low regulated atmospheric discharge values. Alkali scrubbing is normally required to lower the HF concentration in the exhaust gas to acceptable discharge concentrations.
Enhanced desalination performance of poly (vinyl alcohol)/carbon nanotube composite pervaporation membranes via interfacial engineering
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2019
Synchrotron Fourier transform infrared mapping: A novel approach for membrane fouling characterization
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2017.01.020
Abstract: We described a synchrotron-based infrared (IR) microscopic method to characterize fouling layer induced by organic foulants and colloidal silica in membrane distillation (MD). This technique, utilizing the ultrahigh brightness of synchrotron infrared source, enables spectra with high signal-to-noise ratio that was obtained from micrometer-sized s les. Our results showed that synchrotron IR mapping was able to resolve the foulant spatial distribution in combined fouling in MD. Synchrotron IR mapping showed the spatial distribution of binary foulant (i.e., colloidal silica with alginate, bovine serum albumin (BSA) or humic acid, respectively) of the cross-section of MD membrane fouling layer. The well-resolved synchrotron IR mapping is also able to quantify the foulant distribution along the cross-section of the fouled MD membrane, providing detailed information regarding the transport and accumulation of specific foulant, which is of paramount importance to elucidate fouling mechanisms. Our results demonstrated that the synchrotron IR mapping method was a powerful method and had significant potential for both qualitative and quantitative characterization of membrane fouling layer.
Recovery of biomethane from a submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactor treating domestic wastewater blended with semi-solid organic wastes discharged from residential establishments
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2022
Study of Hybrid PVA/MA/TEOS Pervaporation Membrane and Evaluation of Energy Requirement for Desalination by Pervaporation
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-09-2018
Abstract: Desalination by pervaporation is a membrane process that is yet to be realized for commercial application. To investigate the feasibility and viability of scaling up, a process engineering model was developed to evaluate the energy requirement based on the experimental study of a hybrid polyvinyl alcohol/maleic acid/tetraethyl orthosilicate (PVA/MA/TEOS) Pervaporation Membrane. The energy consumption includes the external heating and cooling required for the feed and permeate streams, as well as the electrical power associated with pumps for re-circulating feed and maintaining vacuum. The thermal energy requirement is significant (e.g., up to 2609 MJ/m3 of thermal energy) and is required to maintain the feed stream at 65 °C in recirculation mode. The electrical energy requirement is very small ( .2 kWh/m3 of required at 65 °C feed temperature at steady state) with the vacuum pump contributing to the majority of the electrical energy. The energy required for the pervaporation process was also compared to other desalination processes such as Reverse Osmosis (RO), Multi-stage Flash (MSF), and Multiple Effect Distillation (MED). The electrical energy requirement for pervaporation is the lowest among these desalination technologies. However, the thermal energy needed for pervaporation is significant. Pervaporation may be attractive when the process is integrated with waste heat and heat recovery option and used in niche applications such as RO brine concentration or salt recovery.
Preface
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-04-2009
Transport and accumulation of organic matter in forward osmosis-reverse osmosis hybrid system: Mechanism and implications
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2016
Depletion of VOC in wastewater by vacuum membrane distillation using a dual-layer membrane: mechanism of mass transfer and selectivity
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1039/C8EW00624E
Abstract: Mechanism of the organic selectivity and mass transfer resistance of the dual-layer membrane in vacuum membrane distillation.
Investigation of the dispersion of nanoclays into PVDF for enhancement of physical membrane properties
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2011
Editorial: Journal of Water Reuse and Desalination moves to Open Access
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 22-09-2016
DOI: 10.2166/WRD.2016.002
Influence of the Sonication Temperature on the Debundling Kinetics of Carbon Nanotubes in Propan-2-ol
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 31-01-2013
DOI: 10.3390/NANO3010070
Mass balance for a novel RO/FO hybrid system in seawater desalination
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2016
Rejection of harsh pH saline solutions using graphene membranes
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
Fouling mechanisms of dairy streams during membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2013
Nanofiltration and nanodiafiltration of acid whey as a function of pH and temperature
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2016
Fabrication of high performance TFN membrane containing NH2-SWCNTs via interfacial regulation
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1039/D0RA02947E
Abstract: The surface properties and structures of the polyamide (PA) active layer were suitably tailored by introducing different amounts of NH 2 -SWCNTs into the PA layer.
Enhanced abrasion resistant PVDF/nanoclay hollow fibre composite membranes for water treatment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
Assessing integrated water management options for urban developments – Canberra case study
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-2008
A critical control point approach to the removal of chemicals of concern from water for reuse
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2019.05.035
Abstract: The reuse of water in a range of potable and non-potable applications is an important factor in the augmentation of water supply and in improving water security and productivity worldwide. A key hindrance to the reuse of water is the cost of compliance testing and process validation associated with ensuring that pathogen and chemicals in the feedwater are removed to a level that ensures no acute or chronic health and/or environmental effects. The critical control point (CCP) approach is well established and widely adopted by water utilities to provide an operational and risk management framework for the removal of pathogens in the treatment system. The application of a CCP approach to barriers in a treatment system for the removal of chemicals is presented. The application exemplar is to a small community wastewater treatment system that aims to produce potable quality water from a secondary treated wastewater effluent, however, the concepts presented are generic. The ex le used seven treatment barriers, five of which were designed and operated as CCP barriers for pathogens. The work demonstrates a method and risk management framework by which three of the seven barriers could also include a CCP approach for the removal of chemicals. Analogous to a CCP approach for pathogens, the potential is to reduce the use of chemical analysis as a routine determinant of performance criteria. The operational deployment of a CCP approach for chemicals was augmented with the development of a decision tree encompassing the classification of chemicals and the total removal credits across the treatment train in terms of the mechanistic removal of chemicals for each barrier. Validation of the approach is shown for an activated sludge, ozone and reverse osmosis barrier.
Wastewater services for small communities
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 04-2003
Abstract: Connection to centralised regional sewage systems has been too expensive for small-dispersed communities, and these townships have traditionally been serviced by on-site septic tank systems. The conventional on-site system in Australia has consisted of an anaerobic holding tank followed by adsorption trenches. This technique relies heavily on the uptake of nutrients by plants for effective removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from the effluent, and is very seasonal in its efficiency. Hence, as these small communities have grown in size, the environmental effects of the septic tank discharges have become a problem. In locations throughout Australia, such as rural Victoria and along the Hawkesbury-Nepean River, septic tanks are being replaced with the transport of sewage to regional treatment plants. For some isolated communities, this can mean spending $20,000-$40,000/household, as opposed to more common connection prices of $7,000/household. This paper explores some alternative options that might be suitable for these small communities, and attempts to identify solutions that provide acceptable environmental outcomes at lower cost. The types of alternative systems that are assessed in the paper include local treatment systems, separate blackwater and greywater collection and treatment systems both with and without non-potable water recycling, a small township scale treatment plant compared to either existing septic tank systems or pumping to a remote regional treatment facility.The work demonstrated the benefits of a scenario analysis approach for the assessment of a range of alternative systems. It demonstrated that some of the alternatives systems can achieve better than 90% reductions in the discharge of nutrients to the environment at significantly lower cost than removing the wastewater to a remote regional treatment plant. These concepts allow wastewater to be retained within a community allowing for local reuse of treated effluent.
Silica fouling in coal seam gas water reverse osmosis desalination
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1039/C7EW00128B
Abstract: Silica fouling was studied in RO desalination of high salinity (30–60 g L −1 as NaCl) coal seam gas (CSG) water for a range of silica concentrations, pH conditions and dissolved aluminium concentrations.
General Application for the Treatment of Effluent and Reuse of Wastewater
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-12-2012
A chemical credit framework to predict the removal performance of organic chemicals of concern from water through an ozonation process
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2023
New generation vapour permeation membranes
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2015
Molecular Scale Modeling of Membrane Water Treatment Processes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-02-2013
In-situ construction of superhydrophobic PVDF membrane via NaCl-H2O induced polymer incipient gelation for membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2021
Sol–gel derived poly(vinyl alcohol)/maleic acid/silica hybrid membrane for desalination by pervaporation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2011
Fouling of dairy components on hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes for membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2013
In situ small angle X-ray scattering investigation of the thermal expansion and related structural information of carbon nanotube composites
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2012
Surface pattern by nanoimprint for membrane fouling mitigation: Design, performance and mechanisms
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2017.07.057
Abstract: Imparting water treatment membrane with surface pattern by nanoimprint offered a novel approach to fouling resistance. We employed nanoimprint to fabricate line-shape nanostructure on membrane distillation (MD) membrane surface. Patterned MD membrane exhibited strong antifouling property to Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) protein during MD separation. Water flux decline and protein deposition were substantially minimized on the patterned MD membrane in comparison with the pristine one. Such lower fouling propensity on the patterned MD membrane was mainly driven by the weak hydrophobic interaction between BSA protein and patterned MD membrane surface. Weaker adhesion force mapping of the patterned MD membrane was quantified. Representative force-distance curve of pristine MD membrane showed a strong attractive depletion force comparing with that of patterned one. The simple, chemical-free, and scalable nanofabrication approach enables varying designs on membrane surface for special membrane properties.
Seeing is believing: Insights from synchrotron infrared mapping for membrane fouling in osmotic membrane bioreactors
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2018.03.011
Abstract: We employed synchrotron infrared (IR) mapping to resolve forward osmosis (FO) membrane fouling in osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR). Synchrotron IR mapping offers a unique perspective to elucidate the fouling mechanisms and associated consequences in OMBR operation. We demonstrated the spatial distribution and relative intensity of carbohydrate and protein longitudinally along of the fouled FO membrane at the conclusion of OMBR operation. Both transmission and attenuated total reflection (ATR) modes were used to map the cross-section and surface of the fouled FO membrane. Micro X-ray computed tomography revealed patchy, "sand-dune" features on the membrane surface at the conclusion of OMBR operation. Synchrotron IR-ATR mapping demonstrated that the development of membrane fouling layer in OMBR operation was initiated by polysaccharide-like carbohydrate, followed by layering with protein-like substance, resulting in a characteristic "sand-dune" three dimensional feature. Synchrotron FTIR mapping shed light on foulant occurrence and accumulation in the draw solution. Strong penetration of protein-like substance into membrane matrix was visualised, resulting the detection of protein adsorption in the region of membrane supporting layer.
Corrigendum to “Synchrotron Fourier transformed infrared mapping: A novel approach for membrane fouling characterization” [Water Res. 111 (2017) 375–381]
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
Enhancement of reverse osmosis water recovery using interstage calcium precipitation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2012
Substrate-Independent, Regenerable Anti-Biofouling Coating for Polymeric Membranes
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 13-03-2021
DOI: 10.3390/MEMBRANES11030205
Abstract: Biofouling is a common but significant issue in the membrane process as it reduces permeate flux, increases energy costs, and shortens the life span of membranes. As an effective antibacterial agent, a small amount of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) immobilized on membrane surfaces will alleviate the membrane from biofouling. However, loading AgNPs on the membrane surface remains a challenge due to the low loading efficiency or the lack of bonding stability between AgNPs and the membrane surface. In this study, a substrate-independent method is reported to immobilize silver nanoparticles on polymeric membrane surfaces by firstly modifying the membrane surface with functional groups and then forming silver nanoparticles in situ. The obtained membranes had good anti-biofouling properties as demonstrated from disk diffusion and anti-biofouling tests. The silver nanoparticles were stably immobilized on the membrane surfaces and easily regenerated. This method is applicable to various polymeric micro-, ultra-, nano-filtration and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes.
Control of porosity and pore size of metal reinforced carbon nanotube membranes
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 21-12-2010
Fouling mechanisms and reduced chemical potential of ceramic membranes combined with ozone
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 12-2015
DOI: 10.2166/WPT.2015.100
Abstract: Combining ceramic membranes with ozonation and allowing ozone residual to contact the membrane surface is well known to control fouling, allowing for higher membrane fluxes. This means that the more robust, longer lasting and higher integrity ceramic material can potentially be used in water recycling in a cost competitive way. This paper presents additional results from a previously reported ozonation/ceramic membrane trial in Melbourne, Australia. The results assisted in understanding the cause of the high fluxes by quenching the residual ozone upstream of the membrane, to isolate its effects on organic species from those on the membrane. Ozone quenching was directly attributed to lost membrane performance which confirmed that ozone has a direct effect on the membrane which contributes to the higher fluxes. Tests to reduce cleaning chemical use (sodium hypochlorite) at high fluxes were also conducted. Sodium hypochlorite consumption generally was not significant, but trading better stability and higher fluxes for reduced chemical use needs to be justified. Ceramic membranes coupled with pre-ozonation exhibit unique properties in water treatment, offering potential advantages such as increased backwash disinfection, as well as higher flux rates or reduced chemical consumption.
Comparison of colloidal silica involved fouling behavior in three membrane distillation configurations using PTFE membrane
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2017.12.002
Abstract: Colloidal silica involved fouling behaviors in direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD), vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) and sweeping gas membrane distillation (SGMD) were studied. Three foulants were used in the experiments, including colloidal silica as representative of particulate foulants, calcium bicarbonate as dissolved inorganic foulant, and NOM (humic acid + alginate + BSA) as the dissolved organic foulant. The three types of fouants were combined to produce four different feed waters: silica alone silica + calcium bicarbonate silica + NOM and silica + calcium bicarbonate + NOM. With 25% feed recovery, it was found that VMD showed the worst performance for most of the foulant combinations due to turbulence dead zones caused by the membrane deformation that increased foulant deposition. For the silica + calcium bicarbonate + NOM feed DCMD had the greatest fouling rate, although DCMD also had the highest flux of all configurations. SGMD showed the best fouling resistance of all configurations, although it was inclined to calcium carbonate fouling because carbon dioxide was removed in the permeate leading to calcium carbonate precipitation and could be alleviated by using air as sweeping gas. For feeds containing high-concentration calcium bicarbonate or carbonate foulants, VMD should be avoided to lower the formation of carbonate precipitants on the membrane surface if scale inhibitors are not used.
Temperature and Pressure Effects of Desalination Using a MFI-Type Zeolite Membrane
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 17-07-2013
Pathogen reduction requirements for direct potable reuse in Antarctica: Evaluating human health risks in small communities
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2013.05.059
Abstract: Small, remote communities often have limited access to energy and water. Direct potable reuse of treated wastewater has recently gained attention as a potential solution for water-stressed regions, but requires further evaluation specific to small communities. The required pathogen reduction needed for safe implementation of direct potable reuse of treated sewage is an important consideration but these are typically quantified for larger communities and cities. A quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) was conducted, using norovirus, giardia and C ylobacter as reference pathogens, to determine the level of treatment required to meet the tolerable annual disease burden of 10(-6) DALYs per person per year, using Davis Station in Antarctica as an ex le of a small remote community. Two scenarios were compared: published municipal sewage pathogen loads and estimated pathogen loads during a gastroenteritis outbreak. For the municipal sewage scenario, estimated required log10 reductions were 6.9, 8.0 and 7.4 for norovirus, giardia and C ylobacter respectively, while for the outbreak scenario the values were 12.1, 10.4 and 12.3 (95th percentiles). Pathogen concentrations are higher under outbreak conditions as a function of the relatively greater degree of contact between community members in a small population, compared with interactions in a large city, resulting in a higher proportion of the population being at risk of infection and illness. While the estimates of outbreak conditions may overestimate sewage concentration to some degree, the results suggest that additional treatment barriers would be required to achieve regulatory compliance for safe drinking water in small communities.
Intersections of translated algebraic subtori
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2013
Membrane distillation and membrane electrolysis of coal seam gas reverse osmosis brine for clean water extraction and NaOH production
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
Membrane scaling and prevention techniques during seawater desalination by air gap membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2016
The effect of electromagnetic fields, from two commercially available water treatment devices, on bacterial culturability
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 08-12-2015
DOI: 10.2166/WST.2015.616
Abstract: Commercially available pulsed-electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices are currently being marketed and employed to ostensibly manage biofouling. The reliable application and industry acceptance of such technologies require thorough scientific validation – and this is currently lacking. We have initiated proof-of-principle research in an effort to investigate whether such commercially available PEMF devices can influence the viability (culturability) of planktonic bacteria in an aqueous environment. Thus two different commercial PEMF devices were investigated via a static (i.e. non-flowing) treatment system. ‘Healthy’ Escherichia coli cells, as well as cultures that were physiologically compromised by silver nano-particles, were exposed to the PEMFs from both devices under controlled conditions. Although relatively minor, the observed effects were nevertheless statistically significant and consistent with the hypothesis that PEMF exposure under controlled conditions may result in a decrease in cellular viability and culturability. It has also been observed that under certain conditions bacterial growth is actually stimulated.
A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Macro Cavities Formation on Properties of Carbon Nanotube Bucky-Paper Composites
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 10-03-2011
DOI: 10.3390/MA4030553
Emerging investigator series: Engineering membrane distillation with nanofabrication: Design, performance and mechanisms
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1039/D0EW00100G
Abstract: Anti-fouling and durability are two important parameters that are closely associated with the development and deployment of membrane distillation (MD).
The combined effects of diet, environment and genetics on pigmentation in the Giant Tiger Prawn, Penaeus monodon
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2015
Diagnostic analysis of RO desalting treated wastewater
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2008
Application of robust MFI-type zeolite membrane for desalination of saline wastewater
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
Towards integrated anti-microbial capabilities: Novel bio-fouling resistant membranes by high velocity embedment of silver particles
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2015
A structural basis for the amphiphilic character of alginates – Implications for membrane fouling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CARBPOL.2017.01.072
Abstract: Ostensibly hydrophilic alginates are known to foul hydrophobic membranes, under various conditions. Here, controlled experiments have been conducted at high and low pH on the fouling of a polypropylene membrane by alginate and the results suggest that the observed fouling is due to an intrinsic property of the alginate. Thus quantum chemical calculations on the M and G monomers of alginate reveal that M adopts an equilibrium geometry that is hydrophilic on one face and hydrophobic on the other, i.e. is potentially hiphilic. Molecular dynamics simulations on short alginate chains of different sequences interacting with a modelled polypropylene surface, show that this characteristic is carried over to the polymer and results in hydrophobic patches along the chain that facilitate attractive interactions with the polypropylene surface. This concept is buttressed by an analysis of the binding characteristics of a previously reported X-ray structure of the mannuronan C-5 epimerase AlgE4 enzyme.
Characterization and evaluation of carbon nanotube Bucky-Paper membranes for direct contact membrane distillation
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2010
Role of membrane fouling substances on the rejection of N-nitrosamines by reverse osmosis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2017.03.057
Abstract: The impact of fouling substances on the rejection of four N-nitrosamines by a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was evaluated by characterizing in idual organic fractions in a secondary wastewater effluent and deploying a novel high-performance liquid chromatography-photochemical reaction-chemiluminescence (HPLC-PR-CL) analytical technique. The HPLC-PR-CL analytical technique allowed for a systematic examination of the correlation between the fouling level and the permeation of N-nitrosamines in the secondary wastewater effluent and synthetic wastewaters through an RO membrane. Membrane fouling caused by the secondary wastewater effluent led to a notable decrease in the permeation of N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) while a smaller but nevertheless discernible decrease in the permeation of N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) was also observed. Fluorescence spectrometry analysis revealed that major foulants in the secondary wastewater effluent were humic and fulvic acid-like substances. Analysis using the size exclusion chromatography technique also identified polysaccharides and proteins as additional fouling substances. Thus, further examination was conducted using solutions containing model foulants (i.e., sodium alginate, bovine serum albumin, humic acid and two fulvic acids). Similar to the secondary wastewater effluent, membrane fouling with fulvic acid solutions resulted in a decrease in N-nitrosamine permeation. In contrast, membrane fouling with the other model foulants resulted in a negligible impact on N-nitrosamine permeation. Overall, these results suggest that the impact of fouling on the permeation of N-nitrosamines by RO is governed by specific small organic fractions (e.g. fulvic acid-like organics) in the secondary wastewater effluent.
Corrigendum to “In-situ construction of superhydrophobic PVDF membrane via NaCl-H2O induced polymer incipient gelation for membrane distillation” [Sep. Purif. Technol. 274 (2021) 117762]
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
A method for defect repair of MFI-type zeolite membranes by multivalent ion infiltration
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2017
Performance modelling of direct contact membrane distillation using a hydrophobic/hydrophilic dual-layer membrane
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 17-06-2021
DOI: 10.2166/WRD.2021.072
Abstract: HFP-co-PVDF/N6 hydrophobic/hydrophilic dual-layer membrane was used to study desalination with direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). A one-dimensional (1-D) model was proposed to predict the flux and thermal efficiency. Heat and mass transfer equations were solved numerically for the combined hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers. The membrane characteristics of the hydrophobic layer were considered for the calculation of the mass transfer coefficients, while the hydrophilic layer was ignored since it was assumed to be filled with water. However, the hydrophilic layer was taken into account during the calculations of conductive heat transfer. Therefore, the equations are different, compared to single-layer hydrophobic membranes. It was found that with the same hydrophobic membrane characteristics, the single-layer membranes performed with better flux and thermal efficiency than the dual-layer membranes. Furthermore, the improvement of flux and thermal efficiency by an addition of the hydrophilic layer has not been observed experimentally, and it is suggested that the improved performance for dual-layer membranes reported previously is due to improved permeability by using thinner and more porous hydrophobic layers that can be mechanically reinforced by the hydrophilic layer. The validation of the model was conducted by comparing the experimental results for single- and dual-layer membranes with the modelling results. The predicted flux and thermal efficiency by the modelling were within 10% error to the experimental results.
Achievements in membrane distillation processes for wastewater and water treatment
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2020
Experimental and computational investigations of the interactions between model organic compounds and subsequent membrane fouling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2013.09.020
Abstract: The formation of aggregates of sodium alginate and bovine serum albumin (BSA) (as representative biopolymers) with humic acid were detected by Liquid Chromatography (LC) UV254 response in the biopolymer region for mixture solutions. BSA interaction with humic acid showed that aggregation occurred both in the presence and absence of calcium, suggesting that multivalent ions did not play a part in the aggregation process. Similar analyses of the alginate interaction with humic acid also showed a positive interaction, but only in the presence of calcium ions. The fouling characteristics for the BSA-humic acid mixture appeared to be significantly greater than the fouling characteristics of the in idual solutions, while for the sodium alginate-humic acid mixture, the fouling rate was similar to that of the sodium alginate alone. The effectiveness of hydraulic backwashing, 10-15% reversibility, was observed for the BSA-humic acid mixture, while the % reversibility was 20-40% for the sodium alginate-humic acid mixture. Increased humic acid and DOC rejection were observed for both BSA-humic acid and sodium alginate-humic acid solutions compared to the in idual solutions, indicating that the biopolymer filter cakes were able to retain humic acids. When compared with BSA-humic acid mixture solution, greater removal of humic acid was observed for alginate-humic mixture, suggesting that sodium alginate may have a greater capacity for associations with humic acid when in the presence of calcium than BSA. Complementary molecular dynamics simulations were designed to provide insights into the specific mechanisms of interaction between BSA and humic acid, as well as between alginate and humic acid. For the BSA-humic acid system electrostatic, hydrophobic and hydrogen bonding were the dominant types of interactions predicted, whilst alent ion-mediated bonding was not identified in the simulations, which supported the LC-results. Similarly for the alginate-humic acid system, the interactions predicted were alent ion-mediated interactions only and this was also supported the LC results. This work suggests that LC-UV254 might be used to identify aggregated biopolymers, and that combined with current characterisation techniques, be used to better explain performance variations between water sources.
Selection of surrogate pathogens and process indicator organisms for pasteurisation of municipal wastewater—A survey of literature data on heat inactivation of pathogens
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2020
Effect of membrane character and solution chemistry on microfiltration performance
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2008
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2007.08.005
Abstract: To help understand and predict the role of natural organic matter (NOM) in the fouling of low-pressure membranes, experiments were carried out with an apparatus that incorporates automatic backwashing and long filtration runs. Three hollow fibre membranes of varying character were included in the study, and the filtration of two different surface waters was compared. The hydrophilic membrane had greater flux recovery after backwashing than the hydrophobic membranes, but the efficiency of backwashing decreased at extended filtration times. NOM concentration of these waters (7.9 and 9.1mg/L) had little effect on the flux of the membranes at extended filtration times, as backwashing of the membrane restored the flux to similar values regardless of the NOM concentration. The solution pH also had little effect at extended filtration times. The backwashing efficiency of the hydrophilic membrane was dramatically different for the two waters, and the presence of colloid NOM alone could not explain these differences. It is proposed that colloidal NOM forms a filter cake on the surface of the membranes and that small molecular weight organics that have an adsorption peak at 220nm but not 254nm were responsible for "gluing" the colloids to the membrane surface. Alum coagulation improved membrane performance in all instances, and this was suggested to be because coagulation reduced the concentration of "glue" that holds the organic colloids to the membrane surface.
Remediation of poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated soil using gas fractionation enhanced technology
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.154310
Abstract: This study investigated a gas fractionation enhanced soil washing method for poly-and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) removal from contaminated soil. With the assistance of gas fractionation, PFAS removal was increased by a factor of 9, compared to the conventional soil washing method. Pre-extraction (pre-treatment) of the soil with water before gas fractionation enhanced PFAS removal from soil. The optimum extraction time varied based on the soil particle size, since it will change the swelling time of the soil. The influence of various operational conditions such as water to soil mass ratio (W:S ratio), gas type in fractionation, gas flowrate, fractionation time and soil pre-treatment condition have been studied to identify the critical influencing factors. Among various W:S ratios (2, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10) studied, higher W:S ratio resulted in better PFAS removals, but PFAS removal began to plateau as the W:S ratio increased. PFAS removal could be improved by repeated treatment with low water consumption. Air, oxygen, and ozone generated by air and oxygen were used, in which ozone generated by oxygen achieved the highest PFAS removals of 55.9%. Among different fractionation times (10 min, 20 min and 30 min), a fractionation time of 20 min achieved better total PFAS removal for studied soil, because PFOS was the dominant species in the total PFAS. However, the removal of some PFAS species, such as PFHxS, would be increased with extended fractionation time. With constant fractionation time (10 min), PFAS removal performance improved with the increasing gas flowrate.
Evaluating integrated urban water systems alternatives for Brisbane, Australia
Publisher: IWA Publishing
Date: 04-2003
Abstract: The Brazil Development Study investigates the feasibility of alternative approaches to providing sustainable water services to a 226 ha mixed residential and industrial greenfield development within the city of Brisbane, Australia. The alternatives include techniques such as the use of rainwater tanks, water use efficiency, a local wastewater treatment plant for recycling of reclaimed water and composting toilets amongst others. This paper evaluates a series of urban development scenarios against the objectives of the study. The insights gained into the drivers for cost and environmental impact for this particular site are discussed as well as a number of issues of concern and challenges to Council and the community.
Scale formation and control in high pressure membrane water treatment systems: A review
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2011
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Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityIndustrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH170100009
Start Date: 12-2017
End Date: 12-2023
Amount: $4,000,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity