Journal of water process engineering最新文献

{"title":"Photocatalytic ozonation and Fenton-like properties of in-situ-grown zinc peroxide on g-C₃N₄: Unlocking multimodal reactivity under ambient and visible light","authors":"V. Lakshmi Prasanna ,&nbsp;Daneshwaran Balaji ,&nbsp;Cyrine Cherrat ,&nbsp;Vinod Kumar Vadivel ,&nbsp;R. Vijayaraghavan ,&nbsp;Dror Avisar","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108663","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108663","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>ZnO₂ is an efficient catalyst for generating H₂O₂ under ambient conditions, surpassing ZnO in Fenton-like and catalytic ozonation processes. However, its wide band gap of 3.7 eV restricts its activity under visible light. This study investigates ZnO₂/g-C₃N₄ composites, hypothesizing that their heterojunction enables catalysts to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under visible light. The composites were synthesized and characterized using XRD, HRTEM, UV-DRS, and XPS, confirming the successful integration of ZnO₂ into the g-C₃N₄ matrix. The catalytic performance of ZnO₂/g-C₃N₄ was evaluated through multiple pathways, including Fenton-like, catalytic, and photocatalytic ozonation, for ROS generation and degradation of persistent organic pollutants under ambient and visible light. OH<img> production by the composite after 60 min was measured as follows: Fenton-like (1.2 × 10⁻¹⁰ M), photocatalysis (3.2 × 10⁻¹⁰ M), ozonation (6.5 × 10⁻¹⁰ M), and photocatalytic ozonation (22 × 10⁻¹⁰ M), indicating the superior efficiency of the photocatalytic ozonation process. The composite's pollutant degradation efficiency was tested using cyclophosphamide and iohexol as model micropollutants. ZnO₂/g-C₃N₄ significantly degraded and mineralized both compounds, even in tertiary wastewater effluents, highlighting its practical applicability. Moreover, the composite demonstrated excellent stability, retaining over 95 % of its catalytic activity after five consecutive treatment cycles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108663"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046837","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced cadmium removal from wastewater using ZnO/MgO coated organo-mineral composites of biochar and bentonite: A comparative adsorption study","authors":"Saqib Bashir ,&nbsp;Yurong Wang ,&nbsp;Ziyao Li ,&nbsp;Liqin He ,&nbsp;Muhammad Adnan ,&nbsp;Xingxiang Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108712","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108712","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cadmium (Cd) is a potential toxic element commonly found in aqueous environments, primarily due to the expansion of urban and industrial activities all around the globe. The development of organo-mineral composites can be a suitable approach for the efficient removal of Cd from ecosystem. This study investigated the adsorption efficiency of biochar (BC), bentonite (BT), and their composites in the form of BC/BT, ZnO/MgO@BC and ZnO/MgO@BT for Cd sorption from the aqueous solution. In addition, adsorption isotherms and kinetics models were employed to estimate the Cd adsorption from the aqueous solutions under varying pH conditions. The adsorption equilibrium data were efficiently calculated and described by both the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, demonstrating monolayer and heterogeneous adsorption mechanisms respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities were estimated at 80.10 mg/g and 64.55 mg/g for ZnO/MgO@BT and ZnO/MgO@BC respectively, when compared with pristine BT (62.77 mg/g) and BC (48.62 mg/g). The insight mechanism of Cd adsorption onto ZnO/MgO@BT and ZnO/MgO@BC was confirmed by the FTIR, XRD, SEM-EDS and XPS spectral analysis. In addition, mechanistic calculations also confirmed that mineral precipitation and ion exchange were the dominant mechanisms contributing to Cd removal from aqueous solution. Overall, among all the studied materials, ZnO/MgO@BT and ZnO/MgO@BC composites expressed the significant adsorption capacities over pristine BC, BT and BC/BT, highlighting their ability as efficient and environmentally friendly sorbents for Cd removal in aqueous remediation technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108712"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046833","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Peroxydisulfate-enhanced photocatalytic degradation of Tetracycline using NiO/α-Fe2O3-C derived from hierarchical NiFe Prussian blue analogue via seed-mediated growth","authors":"Hadis Sadeghzadeh ,&nbsp;Darush Mowla ,&nbsp;Milad Zarghami Qaretapeh ,&nbsp;Kheibar Dashtian","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Antibiotics in the environment pose ecological risks and promote drug resistance. Heterostructure photocatalysts offer a solution but are often hindered by charge carrier recombination. Integrating photocatalysis with peroxydisulfate (PDS) activation mitigates this issue by enhancing charge separation. Herein, we report for the first time the synthesis of a NiO/α-Fe₂O₃-C p–n heterojunction via an epitaxial hierarchical NiFe Prussian blue analogue via seed-mediated growth template, followed by thermal oxidation, enabling efficient visible-light-driven PDS activation for tetracycline degradation. This PBA-derived approach allows precise control over composition and interface structure, resulting in superior ROS generation compared to conventional heterojunction fabrication methods. The catalyst achieved 87.67 % tetracycline degradation (2 mg/30 mL catalyst, 2.5 mM/L PDS, pH 5.5, 150 min) with a pseudo-first-order rate constant of 0.025 min⁻¹, attributed to the synergistic production of O₂^•−, h⁺, SO₄^•− and ^•OH. Notably, the NiO/α-Fe₂O₃-C exhibited remarkable recyclability and reusability, maintaining high degradation efficiency even after six consecutive cycles. This work introduces a novel, scalable PBA-templated strategy for constructing high-performance heterojunction photocatalysts, offering a sustainable pathway for industrial wastewater remediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108665"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Red mud-efficient catalyst for the treatment of real olive mill wastewater through advanced oxidation toward greener and sustainable practices","authors":"Mha Albqmi ,&nbsp;Amani Belaiba ,&nbsp;Gassan Hodaifa","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108685","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108685","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recirculation of red mud residue as an efficient catalyst for treating real olive mill wastewater (OMW) via Fenton and photo-Fenton-like processes presents a sustainable approach to addressing environmental challenges in the aluminum industry. To be precise, the large storage areas required for disposal and the likelihood of spills and groundwater contamination should be reduced. Red mud (RM) has a metal composition on a dry weight basis of 82.2 %, with iron compounds (α-Fe³⁺O(OH) and Fe₂O₃) having compositions up to 31 %. RM showed a heterogeneous particle size distribution, mainly with particle sizes ranging from 100 to 600 μm. Adsorption, heterogeneous Fenton, and photo-Fenton-like reactions were employed to remove the organic matter, including phenolic compounds in the OMW, demonstrating significant removal efficiencies. The highest removal efficiencies were observed in the oxidation system under the following conditions: RM concentrations above 1 g/L, agitation rate of 460 rpm, pH 3, ambient temperature, and H₂O₂ concentration at 10 % <em>w</em>/<em>v</em> (131.2 mL/L). Under these conditions, the removal percentages were as follows: TC_removal = 80.9 %, TOC_removal = 75.7 %, IC_removal = 99.8 %, TN_removal = 48.5 %, COD_removal = 58.3 %, and TPC_removal = 70.6 %. The reuse of RM (minimum 6 times) as a catalyst contributes to waste minimization and enhances the sustainability of the aluminum industry by providing a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution for wastewater treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108685"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Catalytic ozonation of dye wastewater using Fe-Ce@γ-Al2O3 catalyst","authors":"Xiao Wang ,&nbsp;Wenyan Yuan ,&nbsp;Xiao Ye ,&nbsp;Dexu Cheng ,&nbsp;Xiaoyin Niu ,&nbsp;Xuedong Feng ,&nbsp;Yanfei Ma","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic heterocyclic dyes have seen increased use as sectors, including textiles, rubber, paper, plastics, and cosmetics have grown in size. Rhodamine B (Rh B), a common organic heterocyclic dye, is a substantial environmental risk due to its complicated structure and great resistance to degradation. In this study, a Fe-Ce@γ-Al2O3 (FCAL) catalyst was synthesized using an impregnation-calcination method and applied to the catalytic ozonation degradation of Rh B. The preparation conditions of the catalyst were optimized, and the catalyst was characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, BET, and XPS. The effects of ozone flow rate, catalyst dosage, initial Rh B concentration, and initial pH on Rh B removal were optimized using the RSM. The results suggested the quadratic polynomial equation obtained possessed a high reliability, and the maximum predicted Rh B removal rate reached 99.81 %, which was consistent with the experimental Rh B removal rate (100 %). The FCAL catalyst maintained high activity after 5 repeated uses, with a Rh B removal rate of 96.82 %. Through electron transfer, the Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ and Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ redox couples create OVs, which facilitate the adsorption and breakdown of O₃ into reactive oxygen species (ROS). This process ultimately breaks down Rh B to H₂O, CO₂, and some organic molecules. This study provides an innovative method and theoretical foundation for treating wastewater containing organic dyes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108707"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing moving bed biofilm reactor performance for complex leachate treatment in urbanizing regions","authors":"Mohammad Reza Samarghandi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Taghi Samadi ,&nbsp;Ali Dehdar ,&nbsp;Solmaz Zabihollahi ,&nbsp;Ghasem Azarian ,&nbsp;Kamran Tari ,&nbsp;Sonia Chavoshi","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108678","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108678","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As urbanization and technological growth accelerate in developing regions, managing mature landfill leachate has become a significant environmental concern due to its complex blend of biodegradable matter, heavy metals. This study investigates a biological treatment approach using a moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) seeded with microorganisms derived from landfill soil. At a 30 % carrier filling rate and a 12-h retention time, the system removed 44 % of ammonium and 41.91 % of phosphorus, while chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal averaged below 24.40 %. Improved removal efficiencies 84.14 % for ammonium, 63.17 % for phosphorus, and 78.84 % for COD were observed with increased hydraulic retention time and a 50 % filling ratio. Advanced qPCR analysis identified dominant microbial groups, including Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, as key drivers of pollutant degradation. The findings highlight the MBBR's robustness and adaptability under variable contamination levels, underscoring its potential as a sustainable treatment strategy for mature leachate in rapidly urbanizing regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108678"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046986","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective removal of nanoplastic and microplastic particles by using microalgae cells with dielectrophoresis-assisted method","authors":"Kai Zhao ,&nbsp;Guoran Chen ,&nbsp;Lizhe Ma ,&nbsp;Yiyang Huo ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang ,&nbsp;Tianbo Gao ,&nbsp;Junsheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108714","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108714","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work presents the removal of nanoplastic and microplastic particles using microalgae cells in a dielectrophoresis-assisted system. Microalgae cell was tested against two types of particles: 500 nm polystyrene nanoplastic particles, and 1 μm polystyrene microplastic particles and silicon dioxide microspheres. The growth ratio of the microalgae was determined by quantifying the suspension against the particles. Then the microalgae chains adsorbed with particles were trapped by the dielectrophoretic effects in the vicinity of the electrode cross-corner, which was induced by applying DC electric field through the embedded electrode meshes. Accurate quantification of capture efficiency was achieved by quantifying the microalgae adsorbed with plastic particles before and after the treatment in the DEP assisted device. This study examined the effects of the concentration of microalgae cells and microplastic particles, the particles size and type on its removal, and the applied electrical potential and electrode mesh on the capture of microalgae cells adsorbed with MPs and NPs. The results suggest that the particles were successfully removed by microalgae cells which was further trapped by the DEP-assisted device with capture ratio as high as 95 %, demonstrating a promising strategy for the removal of nanoplastic and microplastic particles using microalgae cells.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108714"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046831","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Solvent extraction and supercritical water oxidation; A hybrid method for oil sludge remediation","authors":"Saeed Rahimi Hardorodee ,&nbsp;Ahmad Hallajisani ,&nbsp;Roya Mafigholami ,&nbsp;Karim Ghasemipanah","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this research, a dual approach involving solvent extraction and supercritical water oxidation was employed to recover and enhance oil sludge. Initially, for the solvent extraction phase, experiments were performed utilizing Design Expert software to analyze the impact of temperature settings ranging from 25 to 50 °C, duration between 10 and 30 min, and a solvent-to-sludge ratio varying from 2 to 8. Additionally, the influence of using different solvents, specifically ethanol and hexane, for hydrocarbon extraction from the sludge was examined. The experimental findings indicated that the ideal conditions for solvent extraction were a temperature of 35 °C, a duration of 20 min, and a solvent-to-sludge ratio of 5.5, under which the solvents successfully separated 68 % of the petroleum hydrocarbons present in the oil sludge sample. In the subsequent phase, the supercritical water oxidation process was implemented to recover and enhance the quality of the resultant products. The experimental design was executed using response surface methodology, under the following parameters: temperature between 390 and 450 °C, duration of 30 to 90 min, a water-to-feed ratio of 1 to 5, and a hydrogen-to-feed ratio of 2 to 1. Among these variables, the water-to-feed ratio was found to have the most significant impact on the efficiency of the supercritical oxidation process. The optimal conditions were identified as a temperature of 420 °C, a duration of 60 min, and a water-to-feed ratio of 3, under which 64 % of hydrocarbon compounds were recovered. The presence of water enhances the concentration of OH radicals, thereby increasing the reaction rate, which ultimately boosts the yield of recovered products. In the final stage, the influence of various weight ratios of zeolite catalyst (5, 50, 20, 10, and 100 %) was assessed to improve product quality. The test results revealed that at a catalyst ratio of 10 %, 84 % of the products were successfully recovered. The findings of this research demonstrate that the integration of solvent extraction and supercritical catalytic oxidation with water is both effective and efficient in recovering hydrocarbons from oil sludge.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108729"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Engineered thioglycolate-activated carbon composites via ambient alcohol esterification for enhanced mercury(II) adsorption performance: The role of alcohols in thioglycolic acid esterification","authors":"Aphinan Saengsrichan ,&nbsp;Pongtanawat Khemthong ,&nbsp;Jakkapop Phanthasri ,&nbsp;Supawadee Namuangruk ,&nbsp;Saran Youngjan ,&nbsp;Chaiyasit Phawa ,&nbsp;Suttipong Wannapaiboon ,&nbsp;Phakkhananan Pakawanit ,&nbsp;Gopinathan Sankar ,&nbsp;Rattabal Khunphonoi ,&nbsp;Pummarin Khamdahsag","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108674","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108674","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mercury contamination necessitates effective remediation strategies. This study synthesized thioglycolate-modified activated carbon (TG/AC) via facile, eco-friendly esterification of thioglycolic acid (TGA) using methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol under ambient conditions as a sustainable alternative to harsh methods. The materials were evaluated for their ability to remove Hg(II) from contaminated water at pH 6. Methanol-derived 8 %Me-TG/AC demonstrated exceptional performance, removing 99 % of Hg(II) within 20 min (1.0 mg g⁻¹ adsorption capacity), significantly outperforming TGA(DI)/AC control and other alcohol-derived variants. This superior efficiency is attributed to methanol facilitating a uniform distribution of thiol active sites, leading to a highly negative surface charge that promotes both favorable electrostatic attraction and strong Hg<img>S chemisorption. Advanced characterization via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations confirmed direct, covalent Hg<img>S bond formation as the primary adsorption mechanism, with high calculated binding energies. Comparing 8 %Me-TG/AC to 4 %Me-TG/AC mechanistically revealed that higher thiol loading creates a more defined and uniform Hg<img>S coordination environment (dominated by species such as Hg₃S₂Cl₂), enhancing removal efficiency over lower loadings and TGA(DI)/AC control. This work provides key insights for advancing the understanding of thioglycolate preparation mechanisms on AC surfaces for environmental mercury remediation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108674"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046985","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hierarchical fractal surface patterns for enhanced gypsum scaling resistance in membrane distillation: A computational fluid dynamics analysis","authors":"Balsam Swaidan ,&nbsp;Immanuvel Paul ,&nbsp;Simon Ching Man Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jwpe.2025.108700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gypsum scaling remains a significant barrier to widespread industrial implementation of membrane distillation (MD) in challenging water treatment applications. This study introduces microscale fractal-based patterns for direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD), incorporating hierarchical geometries within a single length domain to enhance scaling resistance. Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) coupled with population balance modeling for gypsum crystallization, we systematically evaluated fractal-patterned membranes through a 2 × 2 factorial design investigating pattern direction (indentation vs. protrusion) and orientation (0° vs. 45°) effects. Indentation patterns achieved the highest pure water flux (∼20.0 LMH), demonstrating 35–37 % enhancement over unpatterned baselines, while maintaining nearly identical pressure drops (∼110 Pa/m) across all fractal configurations. Under gypsum scaling conditions, 45° orientations consistently outperformed 0° alignments. The optimal 45° indentation fractal pattern maintained superior flux stability throughout 16-h scaling tests, and comparative analysis against ridge-groove patterns revealed fundamental design trade-offs: although ridge-groove initially achieved higher flux (∼22 LMH), it suffered catastrophic &gt;90 % flux decline versus fractal patterns' sustained performance. Wall shear stress analysis demonstrates that fractal geometries generate more uniform stress distributions through hierarchical, multi-scale flow disruption, effectively eliminating stagnation zones where crystal nucleation preferentially occurs. The findings advance MD implementation in challenging water treatment scenarios through strategic hydrodynamic engineering.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":17528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of water process engineering","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 108700"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145046987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}