Ionic behavior modification of cation exchange ED membranes by using CMC-co-Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles for heavy metals removal from water

A new mixed matrix polyvinyl chloride-based heterogeneous cation exchange membrane was prepared by incorporation of carboxy methyl cellulose-co-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles through solution casting technique. The effect of simultaneous using of carboxy methyl cellulose and iron oxide nanoparticles in the casting solution on the physicochemical properties of membranes was studied. SOM images showed uniform particles distribution and uniform surfaces for the membranes relatively. The SEM images exhibited regular direction/spatial orientation for the CMC-co-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in the membrane matrix. XRD patterns showed that membrane heterogeneity was enhanced by using of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. Membrane ion exchange capacity, membrane surface hydrophilicity, membrane potential, surface charge density, transport number, selectivity, and ionic flux were increased by using CMC/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in membrane matrix. Results showed that membrane areal electrical resistance was declined up to 3.8 Ω cm² by utilizing CMC/Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles in the casting solution. Also PVC/CMC-co-Fe₃O₄ membrane showed higher transport number, selectivity, flux, and electrical conductivity compared to PVC/CMC membrane and unmodified ones. Electrodialysis experiment in laboratory scale showed higher dialytic rate in lead ions removal for PVC/CMC-co-Fe₃O₄ nanoparticle-mixed matrix ion exchange membrane compared to PVC/CMC membrane and pristine one.     

Selective permeation of CO2 through poly 2-(N,N-dimethyl)aminoethyl methacrylate membrane prepared by plasma-graft polymerization technique

A membrane having an amine moiety was prepared by plasma-grafting 2-(N,N-dimethyl)aminoethyl methacrylate (DAMA) onto a microporous polyethylene substrate. Permselectivity of the membrane for CO₂ over N₂ was achieved in both dry and water swollen conditions. When the CO₂ partial pressure in the feed gas was 0.047 atm, the selectivity of CO₂ over N₂ reached 130 for the highly swollen water containing membrane. This value was found to agree with that obtained with a mobile carrier membrane (supported liquid membrane) using DAMA as the carrier. The effects of several experimental conditions such as degree of grafting, feed partial pressure and temperature on the membrane performance were studied. It was suggested that the membrane acted as a fixed carrier membrane for CO₂ facilitated transport in under the dry condition and acted as a fixed reaction site membrane in the water swollen condition. The carrier transport mechanism is discussed for dry and aqueous membranes.     

Formation of appropriate sites on nanofiltration membrane surface for binding TiO2 photo-catalyst: Performance, characterization and fouling-resistant capability

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles were assembled on the surface of nanofiltration blend membrane. For settling TiO₂ on the membrane surface, two membrane categories were used: (i) unmodified polyethersulfone (PES)/polyimide (PI) blend membrane, and (ii) –OH functionalized PES/PI blend membrane with different concentrations of diethanolamine (DEA). These membranes were radiated by UV light after TiO₂ depositing with different concentrations. 15 min immersion in colloidal suspension and 15 min UV irradiation with 160 W lamps were used for modification. The modification resulted in the formation of a photo-catalytic property with enhanced membrane hydrophilicity. The self-assembly of TiO₂ nanoparticles was established through coordinance bonds with –OH functional groups on the membrane surface. A comparison between the UV irradiated TiO₂ deposited blend membrane and deposited-functionalized blend membranes showed that –OH groups originate excellent adhesion of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the membrane surface, increase reversible deposition, and diminish irreversible fouling. The membranes were characterized using SEM, FTIR, EDX, contact angle, cross flow filtration, and antifouling measurements. SEM images show that the presence of –OH groups on the DEA-modified membrane surface is the main parameter for extra uniformly settlement of TiO₂ nanoparticles on the membrane surface. This procedure is a superior technique for modification of PES/PI nanofiltration membranes to enhance water flux and minimization membrane fouling.     

A mussel‐inspired method to fabricate a novel reduced graphene oxide/Bi12O17Cl2 composites membrane for catalytic degradation and oil/water separation

In this study, a novel dopamine modified graphene‐based photocatalytic membrane with Bi₁₂O₁₇Cl₂ inserted was fabricated to modify the commercial cellulose acetate membrane via vacuum filtration method. Results showed the reduced graphene oxide (RGO)/poly(dopamine) (PDA)/Bi₁₂O₁₇Cl₂‐CA photocatalytic composite membrane exhibited 98% removal efficiency for methylene blue (MB) within 100 minutes and 96% removal efficiency for 4‐CP within 160 minutes. Importantly, the photocatalytic composite membrane can simultaneously achieve dye degradation and oil‐water separation in only one device within a short time. And the as‐prepared membrane displayed great antifouling performance and recyclability after 10 cycles. Meanwhile, the membrane showed excellent stability in the agitated water bath or different pH conditions. In summary, the photocatalytic membrane investigated in this study opens new avenue for treatment of wastewater.     

Simulation study on the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen iodide in a membrane reactor with a silica membrane for the thermochemical water-splitting IS process

Catalytic decomposition of hydrogen iodide in a membrane reactor was investigated theoretically for the application to the hydrogen production step in the thermochemical iodine–sulfur (IS) process. Characteristics of the membrane reactor were evaluated using observed permeances of H₂ and HI in a homemade silica membrane that was prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method (selectivity of H₂/HI: 650). The effect of the H₂/I₂ selectivity on the performance of the membrane reactor was evaluated by simulation since I₂ permeance through the homemade silica membrane could not be determined so far because of the difficulty of the measurements. It was found from the simulation study that the conversion of over 0.9 would be attainable using the membrane reactor with the homemade silica membrane. Design criterion of the membrane reactor was discussed using the relationships between the ratio of reaction zone volume to the membrane surface area, the dimensionless reactor length and the conversion.     

Nafion/TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> hybrid membrane fabricated via hydrothermal method for vanadium redox battery

To improve the performance of Nafion membrane as a separator in vanadium redox battery (VRB) system, a Nafion/TiO₂ hybrid membrane was fabricated by a hydrothermal method. The primary properties of this hybrid membrane were measured and compared with the Nafion membrane. The Nafion/TiO₂ hybrid membrane has a dramatic reduction in crossover of vanadium ions compared with the Nafion membrane. The results of scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction of the hybrid membrane revealed that the TiO₂ phase was formed in the bulk of the prepared membrane. Cell tests identified that the VRB with the Nafion/TiO₂ hybrid membrane presented a higher coulombic efficiency (CE) and energy efficiency (EE), and a lower self-discharge rate compared with that of the Nafion system. The CE and EE of the VRB with the hybrid membrane were 88.8% and 71.5% at 60 mA cm⁻², respectively, while those of the VRB with Nafion membrane were 86.3% and 69.7% at the same current density. Furthermore, cycling tests indicated that the Nafion/TiO₂ hybrid membrane can be applied in VRB system.     

Hydrogen production capacity of membrane reformer for methane steam reforming near practical working conditions

Currently, H₂ production techniques for application to proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) are intensively investigated, aiming to realize a clean hydrogen society. Due to the limitation by the thermodynamics of methane steam reforming (MSR), multi-reactions and multi-steps should be performed before the generated H₂-rich gas could be delivered to PEMFC, which inevitably increases the cost of H₂. However, using a thermodynamic shifting membrane reformer, H₂ could be produced compactly from MSR, provided that the catalyst showed high performance for MSR reaction and membrane efficiently removed H₂ from the reaction zone. We presented here a Pd-based membrane reformer for MSR reaction. In contrast with previous reports, nickel-based catalyst pre-reduced at high temperature was applied in this work, as well as high performance Pd-based membrane. The performances of the membrane reformer in terms of H₂ production capacity were also widely investigated. It was found that combination of an active catalyst for MSR and a H₂ ultra-permeable Pd membrane obtained high flux of H₂ across the membrane and recovery rate of H₂ in the membrane reformer. For instance, 98.8% methane conversion, over 97.0% selectivity to CO₂ and over 95.0% recovery rate of H₂ were obtained under mild working conditions. Simultaneously, the hydrogen flux across the membrane reached 18.6 m³/(m² h), and Pd-based pure H₂ production capacity significantly increased and reached around 387.5 m³/(kg_Pd h) in membrane reformer. Further work on stability investigation may develop an efficient on-site route of H₂ production process for application to on-site power generation using PEMFC.     

Metal–Organic Framework Crystal–Glass Composite Membranes with Preferential Permeation of Ethane

Metal–organic framework (MOF) glass is an easy to process and self-supported amorphous material that is suitable for fabricating gas separation membranes. However, MOF glasses, such as ZIF-62 and ZIF-4 have low porosity, which makes it difficult to obtain membranes with high permeance. Here, a self-supported MOF crystal–glass composite (CGC) membrane was prepared by melt quenching a mixture of ZIF-62 as the membrane matrix and ZIF-8 as the filler. The conversion of ZIF-62 from crystal to glass and the simultaneous partial melting of ZIF-8 facilitated by the melt state of ZIF-62 make the CGC membrane monolithic, eliminating non-selective grain boundaries and improving selectivity. The thickness of CGC membrane can be adjusted to fabricate a membrane without the need of a support substrate. CGC membranes exhibit a C₂H₆ permeance of 41 569 gas permeation units (GPU) and a C₂H₆/C₂H₄ selectivity of 7.16. The CGC membrane has abundant pores from the glassy state of ZIF-62 and the crystalline ZIF-8, which enables high gas permeance. ZIF-8 has preferential adsorption for C₂H₆ and promotes C₂H₆ transport in the membrane, and thus the GCG membrane exhibits ultrahigh C₂H₆ permeance and good C₂H₆/C₂H₄ selectivity.     

TiO2微粒功能化多孔Al2O3膜的光电化学研究

用恒电位法制备了多孔Al₂O₃薄膜, 通过在Al₂O₃薄膜孔内水蒸汽水解钛酸异丙酯生成了锐钛矿型TiO₂微粒, 制备出了Al₂O₃与TiO₂微粒的复合薄膜. 用XRD, SEM, 光电化学方法进行了研究. 实验表明: 该复合薄膜具有光电转换特性, 在光催化、光电化学太阳能转换中具有应用价值.     

Fe3+对MBR减缓膜污染的研究进展

膜生物反应器(membrane bioreactor, MBR)作为一种高效的污水处理及回用工艺,比传统的活性污泥法具有更多优势。然而,膜污染问题是限制其广泛应用的关键性问题。众多研究者已证实Fe₃₊能有效的改善MBR中混合液的可滤性及减缓膜污染。本文简述了MBR污泥混合液中主要污染物—胞外聚合物(extracellular polymeric substances, EPSs),并总结Fe₃ 在去除混合液中污染物、减缓膜污染方面的效能及其对污泥混合液的影响。最后,对Fe₃ 在减缓MBR膜污染的未来研究方向进行展望。     

A comparison between polysulfone,zirconia and organo-mineral membranes for use in ultrafiltration

In this paper, representative polymeric (a PSf/PVP membrane), ceramic (a ZrO₂ membrane) and organo-mineral (a ZrO₂/PSf membrane) ultrafiltration membranes, all in the tubular configuration, are being compared for their basic membrane properties, and for the typical ultrafiltration application of protein recovery of cheese whey. These three different membranes with a quite similar pore size (the cut-off values for each of the three membranes were comprised between 25 000 and 50 000 Dalton) showed pure water permeability coefficients between 135 and 1250 l/h m² bar. The highest pure water flux was found for the organo-mineral membrane, the lowest for the polymeric membrane. By FESEM analysis of the top-surfaces (skin) of both the PSf/PVP and the ZrO₂/PSf membrane a strong difference in surface-porosity was found. These results were claimed to partially explain the difference in pure water flux. From SEM pictures of the cross-section of the ZrO₂/PSf membrane it could also be seen that the skin layer thickness is smaller, at these places where particles are present near the skin-surface, compared to the rest of the membrane as well as to the skin of the PSf/PVP membrane. These latter observations were also used to further explain the flux difference between the PSf/PVP and the ZrO₂/PSf membrane.     

A MOF Glass Membrane for Gas Separation

Metal–organic framework (MOF) glasses are promising candidates for membrane fabrication due to their significant porosity, the ease of processing, and most notably, the potential to eliminate the grain boundary that is unavoidable for polycrystalline MOF membranes. Herein, we developed a ZIF‐62 MOF glass membrane and exploited its intrinsic gas‐separation properties. The MOF glass membrane was fabricated by melt‐quenching treatment of an in situ solvothermally synthesized polycrystalline ZIF‐62 MOF membrane on a porous ceramic alumina support. The molten ZIF‐62 phase penetrated into the nanopores of the support and eliminated the formation of intercrystalline defects in the resultant glass membrane. The molecular sieving ability of the MOF membrane is remarkably enhanced via vitrification. The separation factors of the MOF glass membrane for H₂/CH₄, CO₂/N₂ and CO₂/CH₄ mixtures are 50.7, 34.5, and 36.6, respectively, far exceeding the Robeson upper bounds.     

氢分离与CO催化甲烷化双功能型钯复合膜

以多孔Al₂O₃陶瓷为基体材料, 采用浸渍法担载NiO后用2B铅笔修饰NiO/Al₂O₃表面, 通过化学镀法沉积约5 μm厚的金属钯, 还原后成功制得Pd/Pencil/Ni/Al₂O₃膜. 为进行对比, 还制备了未担载镍的Pd/Pencil/Al₂O₃膜. 膜的表面和断面形貌分别采用扫描电镜和金相显微镜观测, 膜的透氢动力学通过H₂/N₂单气体法测试, 并以成分为H₂ 77.8%, CO 5.2%, CO₂ 13.5%和CH₄ 3.5%的原料氢测定了膜的氢分离效果. 结果表明, 未载镍的Pd/Pencil/Al₂O₃膜只具有氢分离作用, 而Pd/Pencil/Ni/Al₂O₃膜还可以有效地将钯膜泄漏的CO和CO₂转化为甲烷, 因而成为双功能型钯膜. 这种双功能膜尤其适用于面向质子交换膜燃料电池(PEMFC)的氢气分离, 既有效解决了PEMFC对氢燃料中CO格外敏感的难题, 又提高了对钯膜缺陷的容忍度, 因而延长了钯膜的使用寿命.     

Novel proton-conductive nanochannel membranes with modified SiO2 nanospheres for direct methanol fuel cells

A novel approach is proposed to prepare a proton-conductive nanochannel membrane based on polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) porous membrane with modified SiO₂ nanospheres. The hydrophilic PVDF porous membrane with a 450-nm inner pore size was chosen as the supporting structure. Pristine SiO₂ with a uniform particle size of 95–110 nm was synthesized and functionalized with –NH₂ and –COOH, respectively. Through-plane channels of porous membrane and arranged functional nanoparticles in pores could contribute to constituting efficient proton transfer channels. The characteristics such as morphology, thermal stability, water uptake, dimensional swelling, proton conductivity and methanol permeability as proton exchange membranes, of the SiO₂ nanospheres, and the composite membrane were investigated. The formation of ionic channels in membrane enhanced the water uptakes and proton conduction abilities of the composite membranes. PVDF/Nafion/SiO₂–NH₂ exhibited superior proton conductivities (0.21 S cm^?1) over other samples due to several proton sites and the acid–base pairs formed between –NH₂ and –SO₃H. Furthermore, all the composite membranes exhibited improved methanol resistance compared with Nafion. Therefore, such a design based on porous membrane provided feasibility for high-performance proton exchange membrane in fuel cell applications.     

Ceramic membranes modified with catalytic oxide films as ensembles of catalytic nanoreactors

Hybrid catalytic membrane systems have been produced by modifying porous ceramic membranes with metal oxide films. A two-layer cermet membrane consisting of a flexible stainless steel layer and an overlying porous TiO₂ ceramic layer and a ceramic titanium carbide membrane are examined. The membrane surfaces have been modified by the alkoxide method using colloidal organic solutions of metal complex precursors. Producing a tetragonal single-phase ZrO₂/Y₂O₃ coating on the cermet surface increases the abrasion strength of the ceramic layer. CO oxidation and the oxidative conversion of methane into synthesis gas and light hydrocarbons can be markedly intensified by modifying the membrane channels with Cu_0.03Ti_0.97O_2±δ and La + Ce/MgO catalysts, respectively. A method has been developed for depositing, onto the geometrical surface of a membrane, a film of the new single-phase oxide P_0.03Ti_0.97O_2±δ with an anatase structure and uniform pores of mean diameter 〈d〉 ～ 2 nm. Blocks of zeolite-like silicalite can be formed on the surface of the phosphorus-titanium oxide film. The resulting hybrid membrane is characterized by an anisotropic permeability depending on the flow direction. This property has an effect on conversion and selectivity in the nonoxidative dehydrogenation of methanol.     

Solubilization of Homologous ω-Phenylalkanols into Gel and Liquid-Crystalline Liposome Membranes of Dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine

The gel-to-liquid-crystalline phase transition temperature T _m of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) liposome membrane was measured in the presence of homologous -phenylalkanols (phenol to 8-phenyl-1-octanol). The decrease in T _m induced by the alkanols allowed us, by applying the van't Hoff equation for freezing-point depression, to estimate two partition coefficients of each alkanol: gel membrane/bulk water K _x ^g and liquid-crystalline membrane/bulk water K _x ¹ . Shorter alkyl chain alkanols were solubilized only in the liquid-crystalline membrane, i.e., K _x ^g =0, whereas longer-chain alkanols were solubilized not only in the liquid-crystalline membrane but also in the gel membrane. The former result suggests that the fraction of liquid-crystalline phase in the liposome membrane is 0.83 at T _m. From the latter result, the values of the free energy changes of transfer of the alkanol molecules from bulk water to liposome membrane were estimated to be – 3.46 kJ-mol^–1 (liquid-crystalline membrane) and – 3.85 kJ-mol^–1 (gel membrane) per CH₂ group in the alkanol molecules.     

g-C3N4基复合分离膜的制备及光催化性能

利用g-C₃N₄纳米片表面的氨基与膜基底材料氯甲基化聚醚砜（CMPES）的苄氯基团发生化学交联反应,再通过相转化法制备出g-C₃N₄/CMPES复合膜。系统研究了g-C₃N₄纳米片的添加对复合膜的结构、形貌及过滤、光催化、抗污染性能的影响,并探讨其光催化降解牛血清白蛋白溶液（BSA）的机理。研究结果表明：g-C₃N₄纳米片与膜基底材料通过化学键相连接,有效提高了复合膜的光催化性能和稳定性。由于g-C₃N₄纳米片的亲水性和光催化作用,使复合膜表现出优异的过滤性能和抗污染性能。     

302 - Experimental evidence of specific electrical contribution of a membrane system

A technical device, designed to measure directly the membrane permeability in non-equilibrium steady state, has been developed for the study of membrane potential differences. It is shown that the membrane potential does not depend on membrane nature and bulk concentrations only, but also on local concentrations on membrane walls due to experimental mixing conditions. This observation leads us to define a specific contribution of membrane ΔΦ_sm: ΔΦ_mb = ΔΦ_lj + ΔΦ_sm where ΔΦ_mb is the measured membrane potential and ΔΦ_lj is the liquid junction potential. ΔΦ_sm includes two terms:

• •a diffusion term depending on concentration ratio, and
• •a charge term depending also on the concentration level.

From theoretical and experimental treatment, we can show that our artificial albumin membranes are negatively charged. We can also determine local ionic transference numbers inside the membrane phasis. The studied electrolytes are NaCl or CaCl₂. We observe that the relative mobility of Ca²⁺ decreases inside membrane phase whereas the relative mobility of Na⁺ increases with respect to the relative mobility of Cl⁻.     

The influence of H2SO4 electrolyte concentration on proton transfer resistance of membrane/solution interface

The proton transfer resistance of membrane/solution interface is investigated in this paper by employing H₂SO₄ aqueous solution with different concentration. Two commercial cation exchange membranes, Nafion1135 and PE01 membranes with different ion exchange capacity were selected as test membranes; Proton transfer resistance measurements were made by A.C impedance techniques. The proton transfer resistance of membrane/solution interface increases quickly from 0.059 to 2.22 Ω with the decrease of H₂SO₄ concentration from 2.0 to 0.05 mol/L. The ion exchange capacity of the membrane, or more exactly, the surface charge of the membrane has obviously effect on the membrane/solution resistance due to the formation of electrical double layer (EDL). The effect of electrolyte concentration on membrane/solution interface resistance can be explained by the electrical interactions between ions and charged groups of the membrane: high concentration of ions in the medium can compress the EDL and reduce the electrical interactions between ions and charged groups of the membrane.     

Hydrogen Production by Water Dissociation in Surface‐Modified BaCoxFeyZr1−x−yO3−δ Hollow‐Fiber Membrane Reactor with Improved Oxygen Permeation

A porous perovskite BaCo_xFe_yZr_0.9?x?yPd_0.1O_3?δ (BCFZ‐Pd) coating was deposited onto the outer surface of a BaCo_xFe_yZr_1?x?yO_3?δ (BCFZ) perovskite hollow‐fiber membrane. The surface morphology of the modified BCFZ fiber was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indicating the formation of a BCFZ‐Pd porous layer on the outer surface of a dense BCFZ hollow‐fiber membrane. The oxygen permeation flux of the BCFZ membrane with a BCFZ‐Pd porous layer increased 3.5 times more than that of the blank BCFZ membrane when feeding reactive CH₄ onto the permeation side of the membrane. The blank BCFZ membrane and surface‐modified BCFZ membrane were used as reactors to shift the equilibrium of thermal water dissociation for hydrogen production because they allow the selective removal of the produced oxygen from the water dissociation system. It was found that the hydrogen production rate increased from 0.7 to 2.1 mL H₂ min^?1 cm^?2 at 950 °C after depositing a BCFZ‐Pd porous layer onto the BCFZ membrane.