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Membranes
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Advance in Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor (2nd Edition)
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Advance in Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375). This special issue belongs to the section "Membrane Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2024) | Viewed by 3311

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Julie Mendret

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM), UMR Université Montpellier 2, Place E. Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier, France
Interests: wastewater reuse; membrane filtration; photocatalysis/hybrid process
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Stephan Brosillon

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institut Européen des Membranes (IEM), UMR Université Montpellier, 2 Place E. Bataillon, F-34095 Montpellier, France
Interests: wastewater reuse; ozonation; membrane filtration; photocatalysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The lack of access to clean water remains a severe issue all across the world. In this way, coupling photocatalysis with membrane filtration, which is known as a photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR), is gaining popularity as a water treatment alternative. The development of hybrid materials that exhibit the simultaneous action of photocatalysis and membrane filtration can lead to improved water treatment processes. In addition, photocatalysis can greatly improve membrane processes by limiting fouling formation. There has been considerable progress in the development of photocatalytic membrane reactors, which will soon be available on the water/wastewater treatment market. This Special Issue highlights some of the recent advances in PMRs, including membrane elaboration, reactor configuration, and possible applications in water treatment. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following: the effect of irradiation time and light intensity on membrane material; progress in the configuration and operational parameters of PMRs; and development prospects for practical applications (process efficiency and light source).

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Julie Mendret
Prof. Dr. Stephan Brosillon
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Membranes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • composite membrane
  • membrane filtration
  • low-fouling membrane
  • UV irradiation
  • process intensification

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 8031 KiB  
Article
CFD-Assisted Process Optimization of an Integrated Photocatalytic Membrane System for Water Treatment
by Vimbainashe Mercy Chakachaka, Charmaine Sesethu Tshangana, Bhekie Brilliance Mamba and Adolph Anga Muleja
Membranes 2023, 13(10), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13100827 - 9 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1451
Abstract
An integrated photocatalytic membrane system (IPMS) was developed for potential use in the remediation of naproxen using real water samples from a drinking water treatment plant. Key parameters such as time, pH, water matrix, mixing speeds, flow rate, and light intensity undeniably affected [...] Read more.
An integrated photocatalytic membrane system (IPMS) was developed for potential use in the remediation of naproxen using real water samples from a drinking water treatment plant. Key parameters such as time, pH, water matrix, mixing speeds, flow rate, and light intensity undeniably affected photocatalytic and membrane separation processes. The system optimization was based on improving irradiation to generate a more reactive species and mass transfer to increase the reaction rate. Upon optimization, IPMS achieved 99% naproxen removal efficiency. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulated the flow patterns and radiation distribution inside the photocatalytic membrane reactor to improve irradiation and mass transfer during operation. The simulated flow field revealed the presence of dead zones with different velocities in the photocatalytic membrane reactor; this limited the mass transfer of reactive species in the reactor, resulting in uneven distribution of reactive radicals. The dead zones were mitigated by increasing the mixing speed, and as a result, convective mass flow improved process performance. The governing parameters (flow patterns and radiation distribution) of the simulated and experimental data were in agreement. The absorption of irradiation by the active site of the membranes improved with light intensity; at higher light intensities, the light irradiated deeper into the membrane. As such, the CoFe2O4 nanoparticles incorporated inside the membrane pores became highly activated, thus enhancing degradation. The obtained space–time yield (STY) (1.23 × 1011 mol/cm2.s) and photocatalytic space–time yield (PSTY) (4.39 × 1011 mol/W.s) showed that the developed IPMS was efficient regarding energy intensiveness and throughput for treatment of pollutants in water. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor (2nd Edition))
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17 pages, 2199 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different TiO2/CNT Coatings of PVDF Membranes on the Filtration of Oil-Contaminated Wastewaters
by Ákos Ferenc Fazekas, Tamás Gyulavári, Zsolt Pap, Attila Bodor, Krisztián Laczi, Katalin Perei, Erzsébet Illés, Zsuzsanna László and Gábor Veréb
Membranes 2023, 13(10), 812; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes13100812 - 27 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1258
Abstract
Six different TiO2/CNT nanocomposite-coated polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF) microfilter membranes (including –OH or/and –COOH functionalized CNTs) were evaluated in terms of their performance in filtering oil-in-water emulsions. In the early stages of filtration, until reaching a volume reduction ratio (VRR) of ~1.5, the [...] Read more.
Six different TiO2/CNT nanocomposite-coated polyvinylidene-fluoride (PVDF) microfilter membranes (including –OH or/and –COOH functionalized CNTs) were evaluated in terms of their performance in filtering oil-in-water emulsions. In the early stages of filtration, until reaching a volume reduction ratio (VRR) of ~1.5, the membranes coated with functionalized CNT-containing composites provided significantly higher fluxes than the non-functionalized ones, proving the beneficial effect of the surface modifications of the CNTs. Additionally, until the end of the filtration experiments (VRR = 5), notable flux enhancements were achieved with both TiO2 (~50%) and TiO2/CNT-coated membranes (up to ~300%), compared to the uncoated membrane. The irreversible filtration resistances of the membranes indicated that both the hydrophilicity and surface charge (zeta potential) played a crucial role in membrane fouling. However, a sharp and significant flux decrease (~90% flux reduction ratio) was observed for all membranes until reaching a VRR of 1.1–1.8, which could be attributed to the chemical composition of the oil. Gas chromatography measurements revealed a lack of hydrocarbon derivatives with polar molecular fractions (which can act as natural emulsifiers), resulting in significant coalescent ability (and less stable emulsion). Therefore, this led to a more compact cake layer formation on the surface of the membranes (compared to a previous study). It was also demonstrated that all membranes had excellent purification efficiency (97–99.8%) regarding the turbidity, but the effectiveness of the chemical oxygen demand reduction was slightly lower, ranging from 93.7% to 98%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advance in Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor (2nd Edition))
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