Surface modification of membrane substrates for nanofiltration-based removal of essential and energy-critical metals from industrial wastewater

IF 6.3 2区材料科学 Q2 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL

Surfaces and Interfaces Pub Date : 2025-08-21 DOI:10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107486

Daniel T. Oyekunle , Jiwoo Lee , Chenxiang Wang , Yuzhou Chen , JeoungJae Jang , Soyoung Choi , Aaron J. Moment

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Heavy metal ions in water pose significant health and environmental risks due to their persistence, as they do not biodegrade and are prone to accumulating in aquatic organisms. Consequently, effective removal methods are critical, with membrane technology emerging as a promising approach for treating contaminated water. In this study, thin-film composite active layers were systematically synthesized on three different support substrates: polyethylene (PE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and polyethersulfone (PES). The resulting membranes were characterized to evaluate their surface morphology, roughness, and porosity using various analytical techniques, including SEM, AFM, FT-IR, XPS, and contact angle measurements. Thin-film composite polyamide layers synthesized on different support substrates exhibited different surface properties and porosity. Dead-end filtration tests showed that the modified PVDF membrane (TFL-PVDF) has a higher pure water flux compared to its PE (TFL-PE) and PES (TFL-PES) counterparts. However, in single-metal ion solutions, TFL-PES demonstrated superior rejection of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and Ni²⁺, attributed to steric exclusion mechanisms. Further investigation into operational parameters such as pressure, feed concentration, associated anions, and pH confirmed the robust performance of TFL-PES membranes. The removal efficiency of the TFL-PES membrane was also evaluated in simulated industrial wastewater and mixed metal solutions over 24 h. TFL-PES maintained high removal rates for Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Ni²⁺, and Fe, confirming its strong potential for application in industrial wastewater treatment.

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纳滤去除工业废水中必需金属和能量临界金属的膜基表面改性

水中的重金属离子由于其持久性而构成重大的健康和环境风险，因为它们不能生物降解，而且容易在水生生物中积累。因此，有效的去除方法至关重要，膜技术成为处理污染水的一种很有前途的方法。在本研究中，系统地在聚乙烯（PE）、聚偏氟乙烯（PVDF）和聚醚砜（PES）三种不同的载体上合成了薄膜复合活性层。利用各种分析技术，包括SEM、AFM、FT-IR、XPS和接触角测量，对所得膜进行了表征，以评估其表面形貌、粗糙度和孔隙度。在不同的支撑基质上合成的复合聚酰胺薄膜具有不同的表面性能和孔隙率。终端过滤试验表明，与PE （TFL-PE）和PES （TFL-PES）相比，改性PVDF膜（TFL-PVDF）具有更高的纯水通量。然而，在单金属离子溶液中，由于位阻机制，TFL-PES表现出对Ca 2 +、Mg 2 +和Ni 2 +的优异排斥。进一步研究了操作参数，如压力、进料浓度、相关阴离子和pH值，证实了TFL-PES膜的坚固性能。对TFL-PES膜在模拟工业废水和混合金属溶液中的去除率进行了24 h的评价。TFL-PES膜对Ca 2 +、Mg 2 +、Ni 2 +和Fe保持了较高的去除率，证实了其在工业废水处理中的应用潜力。

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来源期刊

Surfaces and Interfaces Chemistry-General Chemistry

CiteScore

8.50

自引率

6.50%

发文量

753

审稿时长

35 days

期刊介绍： The aim of the journal is to provide a respectful outlet for ''sound science'' papers in all research areas on surfaces and interfaces. We define sound science papers as papers that describe new and well-executed research, but that do not necessarily provide brand new insights or are merely a description of research results. Surfaces and Interfaces publishes research papers in all fields of surface science which may not always find the right home on first submission to our Elsevier sister journals (Applied Surface, Surface and Coatings Technology, Thin Solid Films)