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Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies:...
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Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies: Innovations in Membrane and Porous Material Technologies

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 October 2025) | Viewed by 8489

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Arash Mollahosseini

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute of Nanotechnology, National Research Council Canada, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada
Interests: membrane separation; gas separation; energy-water nexus; renewable energy; biomedical engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Editorial Introduction:

In the face of growing environmental challenges and the urgent need for sustainable development, industries worldwide are exploring advanced technologies to reduce their ecological footprint and enhance operational efficiency. We are excited to announce our upcoming Special Issue focusing on how membrane and porous material technologies can enhance sustainability across the oil & gas, mining, and environmental sectors.

The Role of Membrane and Porous Material Technologies:

Membrane and porous material technologies have emerged as game-changers in various industrial applications. These technologies offer innovative solutions for resource management, pollution control, and energy efficiency, making them indispensable tools for achieving environmental sustainability. By enabling more efficient separation processes, these technologies help in reducing waste, conserving water, and minimizing the environmental impact of industrial operations.

Applications in Oil & Gas: In the oil & gas sector, membrane technologies are revolutionizing processes such as water treatment, gas separation, and bitumen extraction. These advancements not only enhance the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of operations but also contribute significantly to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption. The integration of membrane technologies in oil sand processing is particularly noteworthy for its potential to address environmental concerns while maintaining economic viability.

Innovations in Mining: The mining industry is also benefiting from the application of porous materials. These materials are being used to improve mineral recovery, manage waste, and mitigate environmental impacts. Innovations in this field are helping mining companies to adopt more sustainable practices, ensuring that natural resources are extracted and processed with minimal harm to the environment.

Environmental Technologies: Beyond their industrial applications, membrane and porous material technologies are playing a crucial role in environmental protection. From air and water purification to waste management, these technologies are essential for mitigating pollution and enhancing the quality of our natural resources. This Special Issue will explore how these technologies are being applied to address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time.

Collaborative Efforts and Future Directions: The articles in this Special Issue highlight the importance of collaboration between academia, industry, and government in advancing membrane and porous material technologies. By sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise, these collaborations are driving innovation and promoting the adoption of sustainable practices across various sectors. As we look to the future, it is clear that continued research and development in these technologies will be key to achieving a more sustainable and environmentally friendly industrial landscape.

We are excited to present this Special Issue entitled "Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies". The contributions from leading researchers and industry experts offer valuable insights into the current state and future potential of membrane and porous material technologies. We hope that this collection of articles will inspire further innovation and collaboration, ultimately leading to a more sustainable and resilient future for industries worldwide.

Dr. Arash Mollahosseini
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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 2200 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

  • membrane technologies
  • porous materials
  • sustainability
  • waste recovery
  • environmental innovation
  • oil sand
  • oil and gas industry
  • gas separation
  • ecological footprint
  • environmental technologies
  • resilient future
  • resource conservation
  • sustainable development
  • mining industry

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3282 KB  
Article
A Technical Feasibility Study of the Recovery of Used Lubricant Oil Using Ceramic Ultrafiltration Membranes
by Madina Mohamed, Pieter Vandezande and Anita Buekenhoudt
Membranes 2026, 16(5), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16050164 - 1 May 2026
Viewed by 418
Abstract
This laboratory-scale experimental study investigated the purification level of used lubricant oil (ULO) filtration using a large variety of ceramic UF membranes, allowing for treatment at high temperatures unreachable for polymeric membranes. Varying pore sizes (5 nm, 10 nm, 30 nm, and 100 [...] Read more.
This laboratory-scale experimental study investigated the purification level of used lubricant oil (ULO) filtration using a large variety of ceramic UF membranes, allowing for treatment at high temperatures unreachable for polymeric membranes. Varying pore sizes (5 nm, 10 nm, 30 nm, and 100 nm) were included as well as a range of materials (Al2O3, TiO2, and ZrO2). Moreover, four different grafting techniques were applied to alter the surface chemistry of the native membranes from hydrophilic to more hydrophobic or oleophilic, intending to further increase UF flux and/or retention. Benchmark native 10 nm TiO2 membranes shows a stable flux of 7 to 9 kg/h·m2 at 110 °C, strong (metal) impurity removal, and unexpected high water retention. All other membranes tested show fluxes that never exceed the ones for the 10 nm benchmark membranes, elucidating that surface chemistry does not help to improve the flux. In general, membrane performance is very similar for all membranes, except for flux and water retention. Systematically, high-flux membranes show high water retention, while very-low-flux membranes preferentially pass water. The variation in flux and water retention as a function of membrane pore size (before grafting) shows that surface chemistry only plays a role when the effective pore size becomes small. The study results allow for the selection of the best membranes for initial ULO treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies: Innovations in Membrane and Porous Material Technologies)
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16 pages, 3922 KB  
Article
Nanomaterial Enhanced PVDF Mixed Matrix Membranes for Microfluidic Electrochemical Desalination
by Haya Taleb, Gopal Venkatesh, Sofian Kanan, Raed Hashaikeh, Nidal Hilal and Naif Darwish
Membranes 2026, 16(2), 62; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes16020062 - 2 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1069
Abstract
This work provides a systematic experimental study for the electrochemical desalination of saline water using an electrospun permselective polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. Several nano additives were initially screened during membrane development; however, only the materials that demonstrated stable dispersion, reproducible membrane formation, and [...] Read more.
This work provides a systematic experimental study for the electrochemical desalination of saline water using an electrospun permselective polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane. Several nano additives were initially screened during membrane development; however, only the materials that demonstrated stable dispersion, reproducible membrane formation, and consistent electrochemical behaviour, namely graphene oxide (GO) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were selected for full analysis in this study. Accordingly, the study focuses on pure PVDF, PVDF/GO, and PVDF/CNTs membranes integrated with an alternating Ag/AgCl electrode system. The silver electrode is prepared by spray-coating of silver nanoparticles on high surface carbon cloth, whereas the AgCl electrode was prepared electrochemically from the Ag electrode using a three-electrode electrochemical cell. The electrochemical behaviour of various modified electrodes (bare carbon cloth, Ag/carbon cloth, Ag/nafion/carbon black/PVDF, and Ag/nafion/carbon cloth) was evaluated using cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). The electrode prepared using Nafion and PVDF as binders with carbon black as conductive additive exhibited the highest current response and lowest charge-transfer resistance. When coupled with this optimized electrode, the PVDF/GO membrane delivered the best desalination performance, achieving an ion removal efficiency of 68%, a salt adsorption capacity (SAC) of 775.40 mg/g, and a specific energy consumption (SEC) of 16.17 kJ/mole values superior to those reported in the literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies: Innovations in Membrane and Porous Material Technologies)
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32 pages, 2576 KB  
Article
Advancing Solvent Dehydration with Innovative HybSi® AR Membranes: Economic and Environmental Benefits of Pervaporation
by Mohammed Nazeer Khan, Elmar Boorsma, Pieter Vandezande, Ilse Lammerink, Rob de Lange, Anita Buekenhoudt and Miet Van Dael
Membranes 2025, 15(12), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15120367 - 1 Dec 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1484
Abstract
A techno-economic and environmental evaluation of dehydrating five industrially relevant solvents (isopropanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, acetic acid, and n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) using pervaporation-based processes was performed and compared to their respective traditional distillation processes. A standalone pervaporation and two hybrid processes (i.e., distillation-pervaporation and distillation-pervaporation-distillation) employing [...] Read more.
A techno-economic and environmental evaluation of dehydrating five industrially relevant solvents (isopropanol, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, acetic acid, and n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) using pervaporation-based processes was performed and compared to their respective traditional distillation processes. A standalone pervaporation and two hybrid processes (i.e., distillation-pervaporation and distillation-pervaporation-distillation) employing HybSi® AR membranes were simulated in Aspen Plus, where the pervaporation module was modeled as a separator block that followed the experimental data. The experiments were performed at a vacuum pressure of 20 mbar and a temperature of 130 °C. The performance was compared based on several technical, economic, and environmental measures, of which key metrics are the levelized cost of separation (LCOS) and CO2 footprint reduction. From the economic perspective, the pervaporation-based processes are much more economical than the distillation processes for isopropanol (up to 42% reduction in LCOS) and acetonitrile (up to 39% reduction in LCOS), while their economic performance is similar to the benchmark process in the case of tetrahydrofuran (only up to 4% reduction in LCOS). For acetic acid (9% higher LCOS) and n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (124% higher LCOS), the pervaporation-based processes do not perform better than the distillation processes under the current technical and economic considerations. However, a sensitivity analysis showed the potential to make the pervaporation-based processes more economical by improving the permeate flux and membrane module cost. On the other hand, the pervaporation-based processes are much more environmentally friendly for all the solvents studied compared to their respective benchmark processes. The reduction in CO2 footprint is in the order of 86%, 82%, 73%, 82%, and 65%, respectively, for the aforementioned solvents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies: Innovations in Membrane and Porous Material Technologies)
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Review

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21 pages, 4383 KB  
Review
The Advent of MXene-Based Synthetics and Modification Approaches for Advanced Applications in Wastewater Treatment
by Isha Soni, Monika Ahuja, Pratik Kumar Jagtap, Vinay Chauhan, Savan K. Raj and Prem P. Sharma
Membranes 2025, 15(12), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15120364 - 30 Nov 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1257
Abstract
MXenes, members of two-dimensional materials, were discovered in 2011 for the first time. MXenes are famous nowadays for their attractive and unique properties such as hydrophilicity, surface area, and catalytic activity for various industrial applications. This review comprehensively focused on composite membranes with [...] Read more.
MXenes, members of two-dimensional materials, were discovered in 2011 for the first time. MXenes are famous nowadays for their attractive and unique properties such as hydrophilicity, surface area, and catalytic activity for various industrial applications. This review comprehensively focused on composite membranes with MXenes that can be directly deployed for water purification. Moreover, this review will also give significant insight into new synthetic approaches for MXene-based composite membranes. A review of the utilization of MXene-based composite membranes in modern separation techniques such as nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, and forward osmosis has also been summarized. Finally, the current issues and future perspectives on applying two-dimensional materials for water treatment are elaborately discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies: Innovations in Membrane and Porous Material Technologies)
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22 pages, 892 KB  
Review
Membrane Technologies for Bioengineering Microalgae: Sustainable Applications in Biomass Production, Carbon Capture, and Industrial Wastewater Valorization
by Michele Greque Morais, Gabriel Martins Rosa, Luiza Moraes, Larissa Chivanski Lopes and Jorge Alberto Vieira Costa
Membranes 2025, 15(7), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes15070205 - 11 Jul 2025
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3251
Abstract
In accordance with growing environmental pressures and the demand for sustainable industrial practices, membrane technologies have emerged as key enablers for increasing efficiency, reducing emissions, and supporting circular processes across multiple sectors. This review focuses on the integration among microalgae-based systems, offering innovative [...] Read more.
In accordance with growing environmental pressures and the demand for sustainable industrial practices, membrane technologies have emerged as key enablers for increasing efficiency, reducing emissions, and supporting circular processes across multiple sectors. This review focuses on the integration among microalgae-based systems, offering innovative and sustainable solutions for biomass production, carbon capture, and industrial wastewater treatment. In cultivation, membrane photobioreactors (MPBRs) have demonstrated biomass productivity up to nine times greater than that of conventional systems and significant reductions in water (above 75%) and energy (approximately 0.75 kWh/m3) footprints. For carbon capture, hollow fiber membranes and hybrid configurations increase CO2 transfer rates by up to 300%, achieving utilization efficiencies above 85%. Coupling membrane systems with industrial effluents has enabled nutrient removal efficiencies of up to 97% for nitrogen and 93% for phosphorus, contributing to environmental remediation and resource recovery. This review also highlights recent innovations, such as self-forming dynamic membranes, magnetically induced vibration systems, antifouling surface modifications, and advanced control strategies that optimize process performance and energy use. These advancements position membrane-based microalgae systems as promising platforms for carbon-neutral biorefineries and sustainable industrial operations, particularly in the oil and gas, mining, and environmental technology sectors, which are aligned with global climate goals and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Advances in Oil & Gas, Mining, and Environmental Technologies: Innovations in Membrane and Porous Material Technologies)
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