Improvements in permeation and fouling resistance of PVC ultrafiltration membranes via addition of Tetronic-1107 and Triton X-100 as two non-ionic and hydrophilic surfactants

2016 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 1469-1483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hesamoddin Rabiee ◽  
S. Mojtaba Seyedi ◽  
Hossein Rabiei ◽  
Negar Alvandifar

Two non-ionic and hydrophilic surfactant additives, Tetronic-1107 and Triton X-100, were added to poly(vinyl chloride)/NMP polymeric solution to prepare ultrafiltration membranes via immersion precipitation. Surfactants at three different weight percentages up to 6 wt% were added, and the fabricated membranes were characterized and their performance for water treatment in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a foulant was assessed. The scanning electron microscopy images indicated remarkable changes in morphology due to higher thermodynamic instability after surfactant addition. The membranes are more porous with more macro-voids in the sub-layer. Plus, the membranes become more hydrophilic. Water flux increases for the modified membranes by nearly two times and the ability of membranes for flux recovery increases from 66% to over 83%. BSA rejection reduces slightly with the addition of surfactants, however this parameter is still almost over 90% for the membranes with the highest amount of surfactants.

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1378-1387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reyhaneh Kaveh ◽  
Zahra Shariatinia ◽  
Ahmad Arefazar

The effect of decane-functionalized reduced graphene oxide (decane-rGO) was studied on the performance of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration membranes. The results showed that the decane-rGO/PAN membranes had greater salt rejections relative to their corresponding GO/PAN membranes, confirming superior performance of modified decane-rGO particles. Also, the membrane with 0.2 wt% decane-rGO exhibited maximum water flux and appropriate salt rejection. The field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) micrographs illustrated that the sponge-like pores in the pristine PAN membrane were changed to a finger-like structure in the membrane containing up to 0.2 wt% of decane-rGO and the vertical holes were converted to horizontal holes by further increasing the decane-rGO concentration in the polymer matrix.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 1226-1234
Author(s):  
Safa Jida ◽  
Hassan Ouallal ◽  
Brahim Aksasse ◽  
Mohammed Ouanan ◽  
Mohamed El Amraoui ◽  
...  

Abstract This work intends to apprehend and emphasize the contribution of image-processing techniques and computer vision in the treatment of clay-based material known in Meknes region. One of the various characteristics used to describe clay in a qualitative manner is porosity, as it is considered one of the properties that with “kill or cure” effectiveness. For this purpose, we use scanning electron microscopy images, as they are considered the most powerful tool for characterising the quality of the microscopic pore structure of porous materials. We present various existing methods of segmentation, as we are interested only in pore regions. The results show good matching between physical estimation and Voronoi diagram-based porosity estimation.


Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 652
Author(s):  
Divine Sebastian ◽  
Chun-Wei Yao ◽  
Lutfun Nipa ◽  
Ian Lian ◽  
Gary Twu

In this work, a mechanically durable anticorrosion superhydrophobic coating is developed using a nanocomposite coating solution composed of silica nanoparticles and epoxy resin. The nanocomposite coating developed was tested for its superhydrophobic behavior using goniometry; surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy; elemental composition using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy; corrosion resistance using atomic force microscopy; and potentiodynamic polarization measurements. The nanocomposite coating possesses hierarchical micro/nanostructures, according to the scanning electron microscopy images, and the presence of such structures was further confirmed by the atomic force microscopy images. The developed nanocomposite coating was found to be highly superhydrophobic as well as corrosion resistant, according to the results from static contact angle measurement and potentiodynamic polarization measurement, respectively. The abrasion resistance and mechanical durability of the nanocomposite coating were studied by abrasion tests, and the mechanical properties such as reduced modulus and Berkovich hardness were evaluated with the aid of nanoindentation tests.


2010 ◽  
Vol 192 (7) ◽  
pp. 1751-1760 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Julián ◽  
Mónica Roldán ◽  
Alejandro Sánchez-Chardi ◽  
Oihane Astola ◽  
Gemma Agustí ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT The aggregation of mycobacterial cells in a definite order, forming microscopic structures that resemble cords, is known as cord formation, or cording, and is considered a virulence factor in the M ycobacterium tuberculosis complex and the species M ycobacterium marinum. In the 1950s, cording was related to a trehalose dimycolate lipid that, consequently, was named the cord factor. However, modern techniques of microbial genetics have revealed that cording can be affected by mutations in genes not directly involved in trehalose dimycolate biosynthesis. Therefore, questions such as “How does mycobacterial cord formation occur?” and “Which molecular factors play a role in cord formation?” remain unanswered. At present, one of the problems in cording studies is the correct interpretation of cording morphology. Using optical microscopy, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between cording and clumping, which is a general property of mycobacteria due to their hydrophobic surfaces. In this work, we provide a new way to visualize cords in great detail using scanning electron microscopy, and we show the first scanning electron microscopy images of the ultrastructure of mycobacterial cords, making this technique the ideal tool for cording studies. This technique has enabled us to affirm that nonpathogenic mycobacteria also form microscopic cords. Finally, we demonstrate that a strong correlation exists between microscopic cords, rough colonial morphology, and increased persistence of mycobacteria inside macrophages.


Membranes ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daria Nevstrueva ◽  
Arto Pihlajamäki ◽  
Juha Nikkola ◽  
Mika Mänttäri

Supported cellulose ultrafiltration membranes are cast from a cellulose-ionic liquid solution by the immersion precipitation technique. The effects of coagulation bath temperature and polymer concentration in the casting solution on the membrane morphology, wettability, pure water flux, molecular weight cut-off, and fouling resistance are studied. Scanning electron microscopy, contact angle measurements, atomic force microscopy, and filtration experiments are carried out in order to characterise the obtained ultrafiltration cellulose membranes. The results show the effect of coagulation bath temperature and polymer concentration on the surface morphology and properties of cellulose ultrafiltration membranes. Optimisation of the two parameters leads to the creation of dense membranes with good pure water fluxes and proven fouling resistance towards humic acid water solutions.


2009 ◽  
Vol 1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob R Eltzholtz ◽  
Marie Krogsgaard ◽  
Henrik Birkedal

AbstractBiology has evolved several strategies for attachment of sedentary animals. In the bivalves, byssi abound and the best known example being the protein-based byssus of the blue mussel and other Mytilidae. In contrast the bivalve Anomia sp. has a single calcified thread. The byssus is hierarchical in design and contains several different types of structures as revealed by scanning electron microscopy images. The mechanical properties of the byssus are probed by nanoindentation. It is found that the mineralized part of the byssus is very stiff with a reduced modulus of about 67 GPa and a hardness of ˜3.7 GPa. This corresponds to a modulus roughly 20% smaller than that of pure calcite and a hardness that is about 20% larger than pure calcite. The results reveal the importance of microstructure on mechanical performance.


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