EVALUATION OF BACTERIAL CELLULOSE-SODIUM ALGINATE FORWARD OSMOSIS MEMBRANE FOR WATER RECOVERY

Water resources are very important to sustain life. However, these resources have been subjected to stress due to population growth, economic and industrial growth, pollution and climate change. With these, the recovery of water from sources such as wastewater, dirty water, floodwater and seawater is a sustainable alternative. The potential of recovering water from these sources could be done by utilizing forward osmosis, a membrane process that exploits the natural osmotic pressure gradient between solutions which requires low energy operation. This study evaluated the potential of forward osmosis (FO) composite membranes fabricated from bacterial cellulose (BC) and modified with sodium alginate. The membranes were evaluated for water flux and salt rejection. The effect of alginate concentrations and impregnation temperatures were evaluated using 0.6 M sodium chloride solution as feed and 2 M glucose solution as the draw solution. The membranes were characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and Contact Angle Meter (CAM). The use of sodium alginate in BC membrane showed a thicker membrane (38.3 μm to 67.6 μm), denser structure (shown in the SEM images), and more hydrophilic (contact angle ranges from 28.39° to 32.97°) compared to the pristine BC membrane (thickness = 12.8 μm and contact angle = 66.13°). Furthermore, the alginate modification lowered the water flux of the BC membrane from 9.283 L/m2-h (LMH) to value ranging from 2.314 to 4.797 LMH but the improvement in salt rejection was prominent (up to 98.57%).

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Synthesis and Characterization of CTA/CA-Based Forward Osmosis Membranes with Hydrophilic Nano-Titanium Dioxide

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.867.127 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 867 ◽

pp. 127-131 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Xiu Ju Wang ◽

Xin Lian Shi ◽

Shu Fang Hou ◽

Jian Hua Yang ◽

Kai Li Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pure Water ◽

Water Flux ◽

Forward Osmosis ◽

Bath Temperature ◽

High Water ◽

Cellulose Triacetate ◽

Sem Images ◽

Salt Rejection ◽

Pure Water Flux ◽

Nano Titanium Dioxide

In this paper, a novel nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane (nTiO2-CTA/CA) was fabricated by introducing nanotitaniumdi oxide (nTiO2) into the cellulose triacetate/cellulose acetate (CTA/CA)-based casting solution using phase inversion methods. Casting composite and preparation--nTiO2 content, blend temperature and coagulating bath temperature--were tested for their effects on pure water flux and salt rejection of membranes. Results revealed that the FO membrane prepared under optimized composition showed excellent desalination performance (high water flux = 5.38 L/m2·h and salt rejection > 97 %). Moreover, SEM images showed that addition of nTiO2 resulted in nanocomposite forward osmosis membrane with a smoother surface. The contact angle of the membranes decreased from 76o to 51° with increase nTiO2 concentration from 0% to 0.10%.

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Investigating the performance of hydroponic nutrient solutions as potential draw solutions for fertilizer drawn forward osmosis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-278796/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Mohamed Bassiouny ◽

Peter Nasr ◽

Hani Sewilam

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Low Cost ◽

Water Flux ◽

Forward Osmosis ◽

Feed Solution ◽

Solute Flux ◽

Water Recovery ◽

Salt Rejection ◽

Draw Solution ◽

Nutrient Solutions

Abstract This research project aims at investigating the performance of hydroponic nutrient solutions as draw solutions for desalination using the fertilizer drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) process. Six different lettuce and leafy greens hydroponic nutrient stock solutions were prepared according to the literature and used in this study and tested on a bench-scale forward osmosis unit as draw solutions for the process. The feed solution for the process was De-Ionized water mixed with NaCl in different concentrations, to represent different salinities of brackish groundwater. The draw efficiency of each solution was measured based on water flux, specific reverse solute flux, water recovery, and salt rejection. It was concluded that of the six tested nutrient solutions, the “Resh Florida, California” solution is the recommended solution to be used as draw solution for fertilizer drawn forward osmosis, due to its high performance in terms of water recovery (15.75%), flux (11 l/m2/h), salt rejection (92%) and SRSF (highest recorded SRSF for a specific ion (SO4 2−) was 7.3 g/l), as well as its low cost, relative to the other highly performing draw solution “Chekli” ($1.07/l vs. $3.73/l).

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Preparation of thin-film composite membranes supported with electrospun nanofibers for desalination by forward osmosis

Drinking Water Engineering and Science ◽

10.5194/dwes-13-51-2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 51-57

Author(s):

Mustafa Al-Furaiji ◽

Mohammed Kadhom ◽

Khairi Kalash ◽

Basma Waisi ◽

Noor Albayati

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Water Flux ◽

Applied Pressure ◽

Forward Osmosis ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

Polymerization Reaction ◽

Film Composite ◽

Salt Rejection ◽

Thin Film Composite ◽

Tfc Membrane

Abstract. The forward osmosis (FO) process has been considered to be a viable option for water desalination in comparison to the traditional processes like reverse osmosis, regarding energy consumption and economical operation. In this work, a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber support layer was prepared using the electrospinning process as a modern method. Then, an interfacial polymerization reaction between m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) was carried out to generate a polyamide selective thin-film composite (TFC) membrane on the support layer. The TFC membrane was tested in FO mode (feed solution facing the active layer) using the standard methodology and compared to a commercially available cellulose triacetate membrane (CTA). The synthesized membrane showed a high performance in terms of water flux (16 Lm −2 h−1) but traded the salt rejection (4 gm−2 h−1) compared with the commercial CTA membrane (water flux = 13 Lm−2 h−1 and salt rejection = 3 gm−2 h−1) at no applied pressure and room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, mechanical properties, porosity, and performance characterizations were conducted to examine the membrane.

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Evaluating Fertilizer-Drawn Forward Osmosis Performance in Treating Anaerobic Palm Oil Mill Effluent

Membranes ◽

10.3390/membranes11080566 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 566

Author(s):

Ruwaida Abdul Wahid ◽

Wei Lun Ang ◽

Abdul Wahab Mohammad ◽

Daniel James Johnson ◽

Nidal Hilal

Keyword(s):

Palm Oil ◽

Pure Water ◽

Water Flux ◽

Forward Osmosis ◽

Salt Flux ◽

Palm Oil Mill Effluent ◽

Performance Ratio ◽

Water Recovery ◽

Flux Decline ◽

Palm Oil Mill

Fertilizer-drawn forward osmosis (FDFO) is a potential alternative to recover and reuse water and nutrients from agricultural wastewater, such as palm oil mill effluent that consists of 95% water and is rich in nutrients. This study investigated the potential of commercial fertilizers as draw solution (DS) in FDFO to treat anaerobic palm oil mill effluent (An-POME). The process parameters affecting FO were studied and optimized, which were then applied to fertilizer selection based on FO performance and fouling propensity. Six commonly used fertilizers were screened and assessed in terms of pure water flux (Jw) and reverse salt flux (JS). Ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), mono-ammonium phosphate (MAP), and potassium chloride (KCl) were further evaluated with An-POME. MAP showed the best performance against An-POME, with a high average water flux, low flux decline, the highest performance ratio (PR), and highest water recovery of 5.9% for a 4-h operation. In a 24-h fouling run, the average flux decline and water recovered were 84% and 15%, respectively. Both hydraulic flushing and osmotic backwashing cleaning were able to effectively restore the water flux. The results demonstrated that FDFO using commercial fertilizers has the potential for the treatment of An-POME for water recovery. Nevertheless, further investigation is needed to address challenges such as JS and the dilution factor of DS for direct use of fertigation.

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Linking defects, hierarchical porosity generation and desalination performance in metal–organic frameworks

Chemical Science ◽

10.1039/c7sc05175a ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (14) ◽

pp. 3508-3516 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Weibin Liang ◽

Lin Li ◽

Jingwei Hou ◽

Nicholas D. Shepherd ◽

Thomas D. Bennett ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metal Organic Frameworks ◽

Water Flux ◽

Composite Membranes ◽

High Salt ◽

Salt Rejection ◽

Hierarchical Porosity ◽

Metal Organic

The composite membranes with defective metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) show a significant increase in water flux, without compromising the high salt rejection.

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Fabrication of a novel cyanoethyl cellulose substrate for thin-film composite forward osmosis membrane

Blue-Green Systems ◽

10.2166/bgs.2019.198 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

pp. 18-32 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Ke Zheng ◽

Shaoqi Zhou

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Water Flux ◽

Forward Osmosis ◽

Feed Solution ◽

Salt Flux ◽

Sem Images ◽

Film Composite ◽

Thin Film Composite ◽

Reverse Salt Flux ◽

Cyanoethyl Cellulose

Abstract In this study, cyanoethyl cellulose (CEC) was used as a membrane material, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as pore-forming agent to prepare the substrates for the thin-film composite (TFC) forward osmosis (FO) membrane for the first time. The experimental results demonstrate that the properties of the substrates were significantly improved after PVP was added. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images show that a two-sublayer structure, a fringe-like top sublayer and macrovoids with sponge-like wall bottom sublayer, were formed after the addition of PVP. These improvements contributed to improved membrane performance during FO tests. Meanwhile, after adding PVP, the TFC membranes exhibited good water flux, and excellent specific reverse salt flux. For instance, the TFC-M2 exhibited 9.10/20.67 LMH water flux, 1.35/2.24 gMH reverse salt flux, and 0.15/0.11 g/L specific reverse salt flux in FO/pressure-retarded osmosis mode while using 1 M NaCl as the draw solution and deionized (DI) water as the feed solution.

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Interplay of the Factors Affecting Water Flux and Salt Rejection in Membrane Distillation: A State-of-the-Art Critical Review

Water ◽

10.3390/w12102841 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 2841

Author(s):

Lin Chen ◽

Pei Xu ◽

Huiyao Wang

Keyword(s):

Water Flux ◽

Feed Solution ◽

Membrane Distillation ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Membrane Properties ◽

Membrane Thickness ◽

Membrane Pore ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Term Operation ◽

Salt Rejection

High water flux and elevated rejection of salts and contaminants are two primary goals for membrane distillation (MD). It is imperative to study the factors affecting water flux and solute transport in MD, the fundamental mechanisms, and practical applications to improve system performance. In this review, we analyzed in-depth the effects of membrane characteristics (e.g., membrane pore size and distribution, porosity, tortuosity, membrane thickness, hydrophobicity, and liquid entry pressure), feed solution composition (e.g., salts, non-volatile and volatile organics, surfactants such as non-ionic and ionic types, trace organic compounds, natural organic matter, and viscosity), and operating conditions (e.g., temperature, flow velocity, and membrane degradation during long-term operation). Intrinsic interactions between the feed solution and the membrane due to hydrophobic interaction and/or electro-interaction (electro-repulsion and adsorption on membrane surface) were also discussed. The interplay among the factors was developed to qualitatively predict water flux and salt rejection considering feed solution, membrane properties, and operating conditions. This review provides a structured understanding of the intrinsic mechanisms of the factors affecting mass transport, heat transfer, and salt rejection in MD and the intra-relationship between these factors from a systematic perspective.

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Effects of DMSO and glycerol additives on the property of polyamide reverse osmosis membrane

Water Science & Technology ◽

10.2166/wst.2016.367 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 74 (7) ◽

pp. 1619-1625 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fengjing Wu ◽

Xiaojuan Liu ◽

Chaktong Au

Keyword(s):

Contact Angle ◽

Reverse Osmosis ◽

Water Contact Angle ◽

Interfacial Polymerization ◽

Water Flux ◽

Cross Flow ◽

Interfacial Free Energy ◽

Polymerization Process ◽

Water Contact ◽

Salt Rejection

The polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes were prepared through interfacial polymerization of m-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC). The use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and glycerol as additives for the formation of thin-film composite (TFC) was investigated. We studied the effect of DMSO and glycerol addition on membrane property and RO performance. Microscopic morphology was examined by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The surface hydrophilicity was characterized on the basis of water contact angle and surface solid–liquid interfacial free energy (−ΔGSL). Water flux and salt rejection ability of the membranes prepared with or without the additives were evaluated by cross-flow RO tests. The results reveal that the addition of DMSO and glycerol strongly influences the property of the TFC RO membrane. Compared to the MPD/TMC membrane fabricated without DMSO and glycerol, the MPD/TMC/DMSO/glycerol membrane has a rougher surface and is more hydrophilic, showing smaller water contact angle and larger −ΔGSL value. Without decrease in salt rejection ability, the MPD/TMC/DMSO/glycerol membrane shows water flux significantly larger than that of the MPD/TMC membrane. The unique property of the MPD/TMC/DMSO/glycerol membrane is attributed to the cooperative effect of DMSO and glycerol on membrane structure during the interfacial polymerization process.

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