Membranes最新文献

{"title":"Ultrapure Water Production by a Saline Industrial Effluent Treatment.","authors":"Adriana Hernández Miraflores, Karina Hernández Gómez, Claudia Muro, María Claudia Delgado Hernández, Vianney Díaz Blancas, Jesús Álvarez Sánchez, German Eduardo Devora Isordia","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040116","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040116","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A membrane system was applied for ultrapure water production from the treatment of saline effluent from the canned food industry. The industrial effluent presented a high saline concentration, including sodium chloride, calcium carbonate, calcium sulfates, and magnesium. The effluent was treated using a system of reverse osmosis (RO) and a post-treatment process consisting of ion exchange resins (IEXRs). The RO was accompanied by the addition of a hexametaphosphate dose (2, 6, and 10 mg/L) as an antiscalant to avoid the RO membrane scaling by minerals. In turn, IEXRs were used for water deionization to produce ultrapure water with a reduced concentration of monovalent ions. The antiscalant dose was 6 mg/L, producing clean water from RO permeates with an efficiency of 65-70%. The brine from RO was projected for its reuse in food industry processes. The clean water quality from RO showed 20% total dissolved solids (TDS) removal (equivalent to salts). The antiscalant inhibited the formation of calcium salt incrustation > 200 mg/L, showing low fouling. In turn, anionic resins removed 99.8% of chloride ions, whereas the monovalent salts were removed by a mix of cationic-anionic resin, producing ultrapure water with electrical conductivity < 3.3 µS/cm. The cost of ultrapure water production was 2.62 USD/m³.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12028797/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143977186","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"RF Sputtering of Gold Nanoparticles in Liquid and Direct Transfer to Nafion Membrane for PEM Water Electrolysis.","authors":"Chandrakanth Reddy Chandraiahgari, Gloria Gottardi, Giorgio Speranza, Beatrice Muzzi, Domenico Dalessandro, Andrea Pedrielli, Victor Micheli, Ruben Bartali, Nadhira Bensaada Laidani, Matteo Testi","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040115","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040115","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sputtering onto liquids is rapidly gaining attention for the green and controlled dry synthesis of ultrapure catalysts nanomaterials. In this study, we present a clean and single-step method for the synthesis of gold nanoparticles directly in polyethylene glycol (PEG) liquid using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering and by subsequently transferring them to Nafion ionomer, fabricating a catalyst-coated membrane (CCM), an essential component of the proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE). The samples were systematically characterized at different stages of process development. The innovative transfer process resulted in a monodispersed homogeneous distribution of catalyst particles inside CCM while retaining their nascent nanoscale topography. The chemical analysis confirmed the complete removal of the trapped PEG through the process optimization. The electrochemical catalytic activity of the optimized CCM was verified, and the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic media appeared outstanding, a vital step in water electrolysis toward H₂ production. Therefore, this first study highlights the advantages of RF sputtering in liquid for nanoparticle synthesis and its direct application in preparing CCM, paving the way for the development of innovative membrane preparation techniques for water electrolysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12028722/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144025180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electrocatalytic PANI-Encapsulated Aluminum Silicate/Ceramic Membranes for Efficient and Energy-Saving Removal of 4-Chlorophenol in Wastewater.","authors":"Shuo Wang, Tianhao Huang, Haoran Ma, Zihan Liu, Houbing Xia, Zhiqiang Sun, Jun Ma, Ying Zhao","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040114","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040114","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The removal of chlorinated organic pollutants from wastewater is a critical environmental challenge, as traditional methods for treating toxic pollutants like phenol and chlorophenols often suffer from high energy consumption and long treatment times, limiting their practical use. Electrocatalytic filtration has emerged as a promising alternative, but efficient, energy-saving electrocatalytic membranes for pollutants like 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) are still underexplored. A new type of electrocatalytic coupling membrane catalyst, ASP/CM (PANI-encapsulated aluminum silicate/ceramic membrane), was prepared using inexpensive silicate and polyaniline as the base materials, with in situ polymerization combined with co-focus magnetron sputtering. Under optimal conditions (25 mA/cm², 10 mM Na₂SO₄, 1.0 mL·min^-1 flow rate, and 50 μM 4-CP concentration), the membrane achieved about 95.1% removal of 4-CP and the degradation rate after five cycles was higher than 85%. In addition, O₂^•- and •OH are important active species in the electrocatalytic degradation of 4-CP. The 4-CP electrocatalytic membrane filtration process is a dual process of cathode reduction dechlorination and anodic oxidation. This work offers new insights into developing next-generation electrocatalytic membranes and expands the practical applications of electrocatalytic filtration systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12028994/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144007507","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Process Simulation of High-Pressure Nanofiltration (HPNF) for Membrane Brine Concentration (MBC): A Pilot-Scale Case Study.","authors":"Abdallatif Satti Abdalrhman, Sangho Lee, Seungwon Ihm, Eslam S B Alwaznani, Christopher M Fellows, Sheng Li","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040113","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040113","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The growing demand for sustainable water management solutions has prompted the development of membrane brine concentration (MBC) technologies, particularly in the context of desalination and minimum liquid discharge (MLD) applications. This study presents a simple model of high-pressure nanofiltration (HPNF) for MBC. The model integrates reverse osmosis (RO) transport equations with mass balance equations, thereby enabling acceptable predictions of water flux and total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration. Considering the limitations of the pilot plant data, the model showed reasonable accuracy in predicting flux and TDS, with R² values above 0.99. The simulation results demonstrated that an increase in feed flow rate improves flux but raises specific energy consumption (SEC) and reduces recovery. In contrast, an increase in feed pressure results in an increased recovery and brine concentration. Increasing feed TDS decreases flux, recovery, and final brine TDS and increases SEC. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize process performance across multiple criteria, optimizing flux, SEC, recovery, and final brine concentration. The optimal feed flow rate and pressure vary depending on the criteria in the improvement scenarios, underscoring the importance of systematic process improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12029138/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144004356","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing Ceramic Membrane Technology for Sustainable Treatment of Mining Discharge: Challenges and Future Directions.","authors":"Seyedeh Laleh Dashtban Kenari, Saviz Mortazavi, Sanaz Mosadeghsedghi, Charbel Atallah, Konstantin Volchek","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040112","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040112","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Mining discharge, namely acid mine drainage (AMD), is a significant environmental issue due to mining activities and site-specific factors. These pose challenges in choosing and executing suitable treatment procedures that are both sustainable and effective. Ceramic membranes, with their durability, long lifespan, and ease of maintenance, are increasingly used in industrial wastewater treatment due to their superior features. This review provides an overview of current remediation techniques for mining effluents, focusing on the use of ceramic membrane technology. It examines pressure-driven ceramic membrane systems like microfiltration, ultrafiltration, and nanofiltration, as well as the potential of vacuum membrane distillation for mine drainage treatment. Research on ceramic membranes in the mining sector is limited due to challenges such as complex effluent composition, low membrane packing density, and poor ion separation efficiency. To assess their effectiveness, this review also considers studies conducted on simulated water. Future research should focus on enhancing capital costs, developing more effective membrane configurations, modifying membrane outer layers, evaluating the long-term stability of the membrane performance, and exploring water recycling during mineral processing.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12029168/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143971393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integration of Specific Aeration Demand (SAD) into Flux-Step Test for Submerged Membrane Bioreactor.","authors":"Albert Galizia, Joaquim Comas, Ignasi Rodríguez-Roda, Gaëtan Blandin, Hèctor Monclús","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040111","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040111","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study proposes a novel methodology to assess fouling that complements the flux-step test (FST) by integrating aeration-step tests (ASTs) to optimise the specific aeration demand (SADm) for ultrafiltration hollow-fibre (UF-HF) submerged membranes in membrane bioreactor (MBR) configurations. Three membranes with distinct manufacturing processes-non-thermal-induced phase separation (NIPS) and thermal-induced phase separation (TIPS)-were evaluated under continuous and intermittent aeration. The AST revealed that the critical SADm has a range of 0.1-0.5 m³·m^-2·h^-1 for continuous aeration and 0.1-0.2 m³·m^-2·h^-1 for intermittent aeration. NIPS membranes with homogeneous structures were less prone to fouling under intermittent aeration, while TIPS membranes with a heterogeneous structure exhibited better recovery under continuous aeration, reflecting distinct fouling dynamics. Findings indicate that the FST alone does not fully represent operational conditions, as aeration efficiency is linked to membrane structure and aeration mode. By combining the FST with ASTs, our approach enables tailored fouling control strategies, reducing energy consumption and improving MBR performance. These insights are critical for advancing toward energy-efficient wastewater treatment technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12029511/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144006913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Nexus Between Sperm Membrane Integrity, Sperm Motility, and DNA Fragmentation.","authors":"Alfredo Góngora, Stephen Johnston, Pablo Contreras, Carmen López-Fernández, Jaime Gosálvez","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040109","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040109","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study investigated the interrelationships between sperm plasma membrane integrity, motility, and DNA fragmentation (SDF) to provide a more holistic understanding of male fertility. A total of 1159 ejaculates were analyzed for sperm membrane integrity (% dead spermatozoa), motility (% immotile spermatozoa), and SDF (% sperm with fragmented DNA). The statistical methods included non-parametric correlation analysis and artificial intelligence (AI)-generated cluster analysis to identify patterns based on these three parameters. The results showed a moderate correlation (ρ = 0.65; <i>p</i> < 0.000) between sperm membrane integrity and motility, indicating that immotile sperm were more likely to exhibit membrane damage. A weak correlation (ρ = 0.21; <i>p</i> < 0.000) suggested that DNA damage was largely independent of the other sperm parameters. Cluster analysis identified three main clusters: Cluster 0: high levels of low membrane integrity, immotile sperm, and moderate DNA fragmentation. Cluster 1: moderate membrane integrity and motility but extremely high DNA fragmentation. Cluster 2: the lowest levels of membrane damage, immotile sperm, and DNA fragmentation, indicating overall better sperm quality. The clustering techniques demonstrated their ability to integrate multiple sperm parameters, enabling a more individualized fertility diagnosis and potentially enhancing male infertility assessments.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12028733/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144009442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impacts of Natural Organic Matter and Dissolved Solids on Fluoride Retention of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer-Based Hollow Fiber Nanofiltration Membranes.","authors":"Hussein Abuelgasim, Nada Nasri, Martin Futterlieb, Radhia Souissi, Fouad Souissi, Stefan Panglisch, Ibrahim M A ElSherbiny","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040110","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines the effects of natural organic matter (NOM) and dissolved solids on fluoride (F^-) retention in polyelectrolyte multilayer-based hollow-fiber nanofiltration membranes (dNF40). Lab-scale filtration experiments were conducted under varying operating conditions (initial salt concentration, NOM concentration, permeate flux, crossflow velocity, and recovery rate). dNF40 membranes exhibited F^- retention above 70% ± 1.2 in the absence of NOM and competing ions. However, when filtering synthetic model water (SMW) designed to simulate groundwater contaminated with high total dissolved solids (TDSs) and NOM, F^- retention decreased to approximately 60% ± 0.7, which was generally attributed to ion competition. Furthermore, despite limited declines in normalized permeability, the addition of NOM to SMW notably deceased F^- retention in the steady state to~20% due to fouling effects. The facilitated transport of the divalent cations Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ could be observed, as they accumulated in the organic fouling layer. While SO₄^2- retention remained relatively stable, the retention of monovalent anions (NO₃^-, Cl^-, and F^-) decreased substantially due to drag effects. Na⁺ retention improved slightly to maintain electroneutrality. Feed salinity was shown to significantly affect separation efficiency, with PEC layers undergoing swelling and certain structural changes as the ionic strength increased. During batch filtration experiments at varying recovery rates, the retention of monovalent anions further decreased, with F^- retention reducing to just ~10% at a 90% recovery rate. This study provides valuable insights into better understanding and optimizing the performance of PEC-based NF membranes across diverse water treatment scenarios.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12029039/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144034517","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quaternized Polysulfone as a Solid Polymer Electrolyte Membrane with High Ionic Conductivity for All-Solid-State Zn-Air Batteries.","authors":"Luis Javier Salazar-Gastélum, Alejandro Arredondo-Espínola, Sergio Pérez-Sicairos, Lorena Álvarez-Contreras, Noé Arjona, Minerva Guerra-Balcázar","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040102","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Solid polymer electrolytes (SPEs) are gaining attention as viable alternatives to traditional aqueous electrolytes in zinc-air batteries (ZABs), owing to their enhanced performance and stability. In this study, anion-exchange solid polymer electrolytes (A-SPEs) were synthesized via electrophilic aromatic substitution and substitution reactions. Thin films were prepared using the solvent casting method and characterized using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The ion-exchange capacity (IEC), KOH uptake, ionic conductivity, and battery performance were also obtained by varying the degree of functionalization of the A-SPEs (30 and 120%, denoted as PSf30/PSf120, respectively). The IEC analysis revealed that PSf120 exhibited a higher quantity of functional groups, enhancing its hydroxide conductivity, which reached a value of 22.19 mS cm^-1. In addition, PSf120 demonstrated a higher power density (70 vs. 50 mW cm^-2) and rechargeability than benchmarked Fumapem FAA-3-50 A-SPE. Postmortem analysis further confirmed the lower formation of ZnO for PSf120, indicating the improved stability and reduced passivation of the zinc electrode. Therefore, this type of A-SPE could improve the performance and rechargeability of all-solid-state ZABs.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12029050/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144003501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DNA Transactions in Bacteria and Membranes: A Place for the Hfq Protein?","authors":"Sylwia Bloch, Richard R Sinden, Frank Wien, Grzegorz Węgrzyn, Véronique Arluison","doi":"10.3390/membranes15040103","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15040103","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>DNA metabolism consists of crucial processes occurring in all living cells. These processes include various transactions, such as DNA replication, genetic recombination, transposition, mutagenesis, and DNA repair. While it was initially assumed that these processes might occur in the cytoplasm of prokaryotic cells, subsequent reports indicated the importance of the cell membrane in various DNA transactions. Furthermore, newly identified factors play significant roles in regulating DNA-related cellular processes. One such factor is the Hfq protein, originally discovered as an RNA chaperone but later shown to be involved in several molecular mechanisms. These include DNA transactions and interaction with the cell membrane. Recent studies have suggested that Hfq plays a role in the regulation of DNA replication, mutagenesis, and recombination. In this narrative review, we will focus on the importance of membranes in DNA transactions and discuss the potential role of Hfq-mediated regulation of these processes in <i>Escherichia coli</i>, where the protein is the best characterized. Special attention is given to the affinity of this small protein for both DNA and membranes, which might help explain some of the findings from recent experiments.</p>","PeriodicalId":18410,"journal":{"name":"Membranes","volume":"15 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12029325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144064149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}