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Membranes
Special Issues
Composite Membranes: Preparation and Applications
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Composite Membranes: Preparation and Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 16723

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Michael O. Daramola

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028, South Africa
Interests: membrane technology and catalysis; renewable energy, bio-based economy, and sustainable environment; water purification/wastewater treatment; nanotechnology and composite materials; and process modeling and simulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anita Etale

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Guest Editor
Global Change Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa
Interests: adsorption; acid mine drainage; metal pollution
Prof. Dr. Olugbenga S. Bello

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Guest Editor
Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, P.M.B. 4000, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria
Interests: composite membranes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Composite membranes comprise two or more materials, selected to optimize membrane properties and/or performance. They offer a unique avenue for addressing wide ranging environmental, pharmaceutical, and industrial challenges including contaminant sensing and water and wastewater treatment, self-disinfecting surfaces, food packaging, gas separation, petrochemicals, and bioprocessing. Compounding the existing socio-economic and environmental challenges is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had global implications and has highlighted the need for advancements in sustainable technologies for a changing world.

In light of this, this Special Issue seeks contributions on the state-of-the-art in the synthesis and applications of composite membranes. Original research papers and reviews on the above topics will be considered. Review articles should offer comprehensive coverage of composite membranes in selected areas, addressing, in particular, recent advances with respect to challenges associated with composite membrane fabrication, characterization, and application. Research articles on the development and application of composite membranes in areas including, but not limited to, contaminant sensing, water/wastewater treatment, membranes involving separation coupling reactions, membranes incorporating nanomaterials (e.g., MOFs, CNTs, zeolite), membranes incorporating natural and synthetic polymers, PVC sheets, elastic latex, nylon and silk, membranes for gas separation; membranes with application in biorefinery, bioprocessing, and desalination are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Michael O. Daramola
Dr. Anita Etale
Prof. Dr. Olugbenga S. Bello
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

  • Nanocomposite membrane
  • Metal–organic framework membrane
  • Mixed matrix membrane
  • Gas separation
  • Water and wastewater treatment
  • Liquid membranes
  • Non-supported membranes
  • Zeolite membranes
  • Bioprocessing applications
  • Oil and gas applications
  • Petrochemical applications
  • Food processing
  • Environmental abatement
  • CO2 capture and utilization
  • Membrane-based biosensors
  • Membranes for separation coupling reaction
  • Microporous membranes
  • Non-porous dense membranes
  • Electrically-charged membranes

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 7808 KiB  
Article
Effect of Silica Sodalite Functionalization and PVA Coating on Performance of Sodalite Infused PSF Membrane during Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage
by Nobuhle C. Ntshangase, Olawumi O. Sadare and Michael O. Daramola
Membranes 2021, 11(5), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11050315 - 26 Apr 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2446
Abstract
In this study, silica sodalite (SSOD) nanoparticles were synthesized by topotactic conversion and functionalized using HNO3/H2SO4 (1:3). The SSOD and functionalized SSOD (fSSOD) nanoparticles were infused into a Polysulfone (Psf) membrane to produce mixed matrix membranes. The membranes [...] Read more.
In this study, silica sodalite (SSOD) nanoparticles were synthesized by topotactic conversion and functionalized using HNO3/H2SO4 (1:3). The SSOD and functionalized SSOD (fSSOD) nanoparticles were infused into a Polysulfone (Psf) membrane to produce mixed matrix membranes. The membranes were fabricated via the phase inversion method. The membranes and the nanoparticles were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to check the morphology of the nanoparticles and the membranes and Fourier Transform Infrared to check the surface chemistry of the nanoparticles and the membranes. Thermal stability of the nanoparticles and the membranes was evaluated using Themogravimetry analysis (TGA) and the degree of hydrophilicity of the membranes was checked via contact angle measurements. The mechanical strength of the membranes and their surface nature (roughness) were checked using a nanotensile instrument and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), respectively. The textural property of the nanoparticles were checked by conducting N2 physisorption experiments on the nanoparticles at 77 K. AMD-treatment performance of the fabricated membranes was evaluated in a dead-end filtration cell using a synthetic acid mine drainage (AMD) solution prepared by dissolving a known amount of MgCl2, MnCl2·4H2O, Na2SO4, Al(NO3)3, Fe(NO3)3·9H2O, and Ca2OH2 in deionized water. Results from the N2 physisorption experiments on the nanoparticles at 77 K showed a reduction in surface area and increase in pore diameter of the nanoparticles after functionalization. Performance of the membranes during AMD treatment shows that, at 4 bar, a 10% fSSOD/Psf membrane displayed improved heavy metal rejection >50% for all heavy metals considered, expect the SSOD-loaded membrane that showed a rejection <13% (except for Al3+ 89%). In addition, coating the membranes with a PVA layer improved the antifouling property of the membranes. The effects of multiple PVA coating and behaviour of the membranes during real AMD are not reported in this study, these should be investigated in a future study. Therefore, the newly developed functionalized SSOD infused Psf membranes could find applications in the treatment of AMD or for the removal of heavy metals from wastewater. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Membranes: Preparation and Applications)
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17 pages, 2966 KiB  
Article
Innovative BPPO Anion Exchange Membranes Formulation Using Diffusion Dialysis-Enhanced Acid Regeneration System
by Muhammad Imran Khan, Majeda Khraisheh and Fares AlMomani
Membranes 2021, 11(5), 311; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11050311 - 23 Apr 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3022
Abstract
Recycling of acid from aqueous waste streams is crucial not only from the environmental point of view but also for maturing the feasible method (diffusion dialysis). Anion exchange membrane (AEM)–based diffusion dialysis process is one of the beneficial ways to recover acid from [...] Read more.
Recycling of acid from aqueous waste streams is crucial not only from the environmental point of view but also for maturing the feasible method (diffusion dialysis). Anion exchange membrane (AEM)–based diffusion dialysis process is one of the beneficial ways to recover acid from aqueous waste streams. In this article, the synthesis of a series of brominated poly (2, 6–dimethyl-1, 4–phenylene oxide) (BPPO)-based anion exchange membranes (AEMs) through quaternization with triphenylphosphine (TPP) were reported for acid recovery via diffusion dialysis process. The successful synthesis of the prepared membranes was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The as-synthesized anion exchange membranes represented water uptake (WR) of 44 to 66%, ion exchange capacity of (IEC) of 1.22 to 1.86 mmol/g, and linear swelling ratio (LSR) of 8 to 20%. They exhibited excellent thermal, mechanical, and acid stability. They showed homogeneous morphology. The acid recovery performance of the synthesized AEMs was investigated in a two compartment stack using simulated mixture of HCl and FeCl2 as feed solution at room temperature. For the synthesized anion exchange membranes TPP–43 to TPP–100, the diffusion dialysis coefficient of acid (UH+) was in the range of 6.7 to 26.3 (10−3 m/h) whereas separation factor (S) was in the range of 27 to 49 at 25 °C. Obtained results revealed that diffusion dialysis performance of the synthesized AEMs was higher than the commercial membrane DF–120B (UH+ = 0.004 m/h, S = 24.3) at room temperature. It showed that the prepared AEMs here could be excellent candidates for the diffusion dialysis process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Membranes: Preparation and Applications)
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11 pages, 3702 KiB  
Article
A Novel Electrospinning Polyacrylonitrile Separator with Dip-Coating of Zeolite and Phenoxy Resin for Li-ion Batteries
by Danxia Chen, Xiang Wang, Jianyu Liang, Ze Zhang and Weiping Chen
Membranes 2021, 11(4), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11040267 - 08 Apr 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2819
Abstract
Commercial separators (polyolefin separators) for lithium-ion batteries still have defects such as low thermostability and inferior interface compatibility, which result in serious potential safety distress and poor electrochemical performance. Zeolite/Polyacrylonitrile (Z/PAN) composite separators have been fabricated by electrospinning a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane and [...] Read more.
Commercial separators (polyolefin separators) for lithium-ion batteries still have defects such as low thermostability and inferior interface compatibility, which result in serious potential safety distress and poor electrochemical performance. Zeolite/Polyacrylonitrile (Z/PAN) composite separators have been fabricated by electrospinning a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membrane and then dip-coating it with zeolite (ZSM-5). Different from commercial separators, the Z/PAN composite separators exhibit high electrolyte uptake, excellent ionic conductivity, and prominent thermal stability. Specifically, the Z/PAN-1.5 separator exhibits the best performance, with a high electrolyte uptake of 308.1% and an excellent ionic conductivity of 2.158 mS·cm−1. The Z/PAN-1.5 separator may mechanically shrink less than 10% when held at 180 °C for 30 min, proving good thermal stability. Compared with the pristine PAN separator, the Li/separator/LiFePO4 cells with the Z/PAN-1.5 composite separator have excellent high-rate discharge capacity (102.2 mAh·g−1 at 7 C) and favorable cycling performance (144.9 mAh·g−1 at 0.5 C after 100 cycles). Obviously, the Z/PAN-1.5 separator holds great promise in furthering the safety and performance of lithium-ion batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Membranes: Preparation and Applications)
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Review

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33 pages, 2610 KiB  
Review
A Review on Polymer Nanocomposites and Their Effective Applications in Membranes and Adsorbents for Water Treatment and Gas Separation
by Oluranti Agboola, Ojo Sunday Isaac Fayomi, Ayoola Ayodeji, Augustine Omoniyi Ayeni, Edith E. Alagbe, Samuel E. Sanni, Emmanuel E. Okoro, Lucey Moropeng, Rotimi Sadiku, Kehinde Williams Kupolati and Babalola Aisosa Oni
Membranes 2021, 11(2), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes11020139 - 16 Feb 2021
Cited by 74 | Viewed by 7223
Abstract
Globally, environmental challenges have been recognised as a matter of concern. Among these challenges are the reduced availability and quality of drinking water, and greenhouse gases that give rise to change in climate by entrapping heat, which result in respirational illness from smog [...] Read more.
Globally, environmental challenges have been recognised as a matter of concern. Among these challenges are the reduced availability and quality of drinking water, and greenhouse gases that give rise to change in climate by entrapping heat, which result in respirational illness from smog and air pollution. Globally, the rate of demand for the use of freshwater has outgrown the rate of population increase; as the rapid growth in town and cities place a huge pressure on neighbouring water resources. Besides, the rapid growth in anthropogenic activities, such as the generation of energy and its conveyance, release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, warming the planet. Polymer nanocomposite has played a significant role in finding solutions to current environmental problems. It has found interest due to its high potential for the reduction of gas emission, and elimination of pollutants, heavy metals, dyes, and oil in wastewater. The revolution of integrating developed novel nanomaterials such as nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, nanofibers and activated carbon, in polymers, have instigated revitalizing and favourable inventive nanotechnologies for the treatment of wastewater and gas separation. This review discusses the effective employment of polymer nanocomposites for environmental utilizations. Polymer nanocomposite membranes for wastewater treatment and gas separation were reviewed together with their mechanisms. The use of polymer nanocomposites as an adsorbent for toxic metals ions removal and an adsorbent for dye removal were also discussed, together with the mechanism of the adsorption process. Patents in the utilization of innovative polymeric nanocomposite membranes for environmental utilizations were discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Composite Membranes: Preparation and Applications)
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