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Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11)

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A special issue of Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2018) | Viewed by 39699

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. George Chen

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Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
Interests: electromembrane systems; osmotically driven membrane processes; mass transport in membranes; membrane processes for food processing, desalination, water treatment and sustainable energy
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Prof. Dr. Mikel Duke

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Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC 8001, Australia
Interests: desalination; water treatment; gas separation; membrane distillation; ceramic membranes; zeolites; silica; nanocomposite materials; microbiology; membrane bioreactor; dairy processing; membrane recycling; molecular scale and process modelling
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Prof. Dr. Hideto Matsuyama

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Center for Membrane and Film Technology, Department of Chemical Science and Engineering, Kobe University, Rokkodai, Nada-ku, Kobe 657-8501, Japan
Interests: chemical engineering; membrane technology; separation technology
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Prof. Dr. Neal Tai-Shung Chung

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Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119260, Singapore
Interests: membranes for water reuse; desalination; gas separation; biofuel separation; energy development and CO₂ capture
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Prof. Dr. Jin Yong Park

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Dept. of Environmental Sciences & Biotechnology, Hallym University, Gangwon 24252, Republic of Korea
Interests: water/wastewater treatment; membrane fouling; photocatalyst; membrane recovery
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Prof. Da-Ming Wang

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National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Interests: membrane separation technology; molecular simulation; tissue engineering

Prof. Dr. Abdul Latif Ahmad

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School of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Malaysia
Interests: water and wastewater treatment; greenhouse gases; alternative energy; biomedical applications
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Prof. Wanqin Jin

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State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Technology, Nanjing, China
Interests: ceramic membrane reactors; organic/ceramic composite membranes for pervaporation; MOF membranes; nanomaterial-based electrochemical biosensor
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Prof. Dr. Long D. Nghiem

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Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
Interests: membrane technology; desalination technology; anaerobic digestion; molecular biology; urban water management
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue includes selected peer-reviewed papers presented at the 11^th conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11), held from the 3–6 July, 2018, in Brisbane, Australia.

The AMS conferences attract leading scientists and engineers, not only from Asia and Oceania, but also around the world, to share their latest innovative work on membrane science and technology.

The main topics covered in these papers are:

Gas separation
Pervaporation and membrane distillation
MF and UF membranes
NF, RO and FO membranes
Electrically enhanced membrane operations
Membrane bioreactors
Membrane fouling
Water and waste water treatment
Wine, food and dairy application
Application in mining industry and agriculture
Membranes for energy conversion and storage
Bioinspired membranes and novel membrane materials
Process integration
Resource recovery

Dr. George Chen
Prof. Mikel Duke
Prof. Hideto Matsuyama
Prof. Neal Chung
Prof. Jin Yong Park
Prof. Da-Ming Wang
Prof. Abdul Latif Ahmad
Prof. Wanqin Jin
Prof. Long Nghiem
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 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

inorganic membranes
polymeric membranes
bioinspired membranes
electro-membrane Processes
membrane fouling
membrane reactors
desalination
water recycling and wastewater treatment
gas separation
membranes for food and beverage applications
membranes in energy conversion and storage

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Antifouling Properties of PES Membranes by Blending with ZnO Nanoparticles and NMP–Acetone Mixture as Solvent

by Abdul Latif Ahmad, Jayasree Sugumaran and Noor Fazliani Shoparwe

Membranes 2018, 8(4), 131; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8040131 - 14 Dec 2018

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 4556

Abstract

In this study, the antifouling properties of polyethersulfone (PES) membranes blended with different amounts of ZnO nanoparticles and a fixed ratio of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)-acetone mixture as a solvent were investigated. The properties and performance of the fabricated membranes were examined in terms of hydrophilicity, porosity, pore size, surface and cross-section image using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), surface roughness using atomic force microscopy (AFM), pure water flux, and humic acid filtration. Addition of ZnO as expected was found to improve the hydrophilicity as well as to encourage pore formation. However, the agglomeration of ZnO at a higher concentration cannot be avoided even when dissolved in a mixed solvent. The presence of highly volatile acetone contributed to the tight skin layer of the membrane which shows remarkable antifouling ability with the highest flux recovery ratio and negligible irreversible fouling. ZnO NPs in acetone/NMP mixed solvent shows an improvement in flux and rejection, but, the fouling resistance was moderate compared to the pristine membrane. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11))

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11 pages, 2711 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fabrication of Stacked Graphene Oxide Nanosheet Membranes Using Triethanolamine as a Crosslinker and Mild Reducing Agent for Water Treatment

by Keizo Nakagawa, Shintaro Araya, Misato Kunimatsu, Tomohisa Yoshioka, Takuji Shintani, Eiji Kamio and Hideto Matsuyama

Membranes 2018, 8(4), 130; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8040130 - 13 Dec 2018

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4873

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) nanosheets show promise for the development of water treatment membranes with extraordinary separation properties and the advantages of atomic thickness with micrometer-sized lateral dimensions. Stacked graphene oxide (GO)-based membranes can demonstrate unique molecular sieving properties with fast water permeation. However, improvements to the structural stability of the membranes in water to avoid problems such as swelling, disruption of the ordered GO layer and decreased rejection are crucial issues. This study reports the fabrication of stacked GO nanosheet membranes by simple vacuum filtration using triethanolamine (TEOA) as a crosslinker and mild reducing agent for improved structural stability and membrane performance. Results show that GO membranes modified with TEOA (GO-TEOA membranes) have a higher structural stability in water than unmodified GO membranes, resulting in improved salt rejection performance. Furthermore, GO-TEOA membranes show stable water permeance at applied pressures up to 9 bar with Na₂SO₄ rejection of 85%, suggesting the potential benefits for water treatment applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11))

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17 pages, 13699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study of Polyamide Membrane Structures and RO/FO Water Permeation Properties

by Tomohisa Yoshioka, Keisuke Kotaka, Keizo Nakagawa, Takuji Shintani, Hao-Chen Wu, Hideto Matsuyama, Yu Fujimura and Takahiro Kawakatsu

Membranes 2018, 8(4), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8040127 - 6 Dec 2018

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 8956

Abstract

Polyamide (PA) membranes possess properties that allow for selective water permeation and salt rejection, and these are widely used for reverse osmotic (RO) desalination of sea water to produce drinking water. In order to design high-performance RO membranes with high levels of water permeability and salt rejection, an understanding of microscopic PA membrane structures is indispensable, and this includes water transport and ion rejection mechanisms on a molecular scale. In this study, two types of virtual PA membranes with different structures and densities were constructed on a computer, and water molecular transport properties through PA membranes were examined on a molecular level via direct reverse/forward osmosis (RO/FO) filtration molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A quasi-non-equilibrium MD simulation technique that uses applied (RO mode) or osmotic (FO mode) pressure differences of several MPa was conducted to estimate water permeability through PA membranes. A simple NVT (Number, Volume, and Temperature constant ensemble)-RO MD simulation method was presented and verified. The simulations of RO and FO water permeability for a dense PA membrane model without a support layer agreed with the experimental value in the RO mode. This PA membrane completely rejected Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions during a simulation time of several nano-seconds. The naturally dense PA structure showed excellent ion rejection. The effect that the void size of PA structure exerted on water permeability was also examined. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11))

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12 pages, 1422 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proof of Concept for Light Conducting Membrane Substrate for UV-Activated Photocatalysis as an Alternative to Chemical Cleaning

by Lavern T. Nyamutswa, Bo Zhu, Dimuth Navaratna, Stephen Collins and Mikel C. Duke

Membranes 2018, 8(4), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8040122 - 2 Dec 2018

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 6712

Abstract

Adopting an effective strategy to control fouling is a necessary requirement for all membrane processes used in the water/wastewater treatment industry to operate sustainably. The use of ultraviolet (UV) activated photocatalysis has been shown to be effective in mitigating ceramic membrane fouling by natural organic matter. The widely used configuration in which light is directed through the polluted water to the membrane’s active layer suffers from inefficiencies brought about by light absorption by the pollutants and light shielding by the cake layer. To address these limitations, directing light through the substrate, instead of through polluted water, was studied. A UV conducting membrane was prepared by dip coating TiO₂ onto a sintered glass substrate. The substrate could successfully conduct UV from a lamp source, unlike a typical alumina substrate. The prepared membrane was applied in the filtration of a humic acid solution as a model compound to study natural organic matter membrane fouling. Directing UV through the substrate showed only a 1 percentage point decline in the effectiveness of the cleaning method over two cleaning events from 72% to 71%, while directing UV over the photocatalytic layer had a 9 percentage point decline from 84% to 75%. Adapting the UV-through-substrate configuration could be more useful in maintaining membrane functionality during humic acid filtration than the current method being used. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11))

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10 pages, 3313 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nitrogen Removal by Sulfur-Based Carriers in a Membrane Bioreactor (MBR)

by Thi-Kim-Quyen Vo, Jeong-Jun Lee, Joon-Seok Kang, Seogyeong Park and Han-Seung Kim

Membranes 2018, 8(4), 115; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8040115 - 22 Nov 2018

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4390

Abstract

Sulfur-based carriers were examined to enhance the nitrogen removal efficiency in a mixed anoxic–anaerobic-membrane bioreactor system, in which sulfur from the carrier acts as an electron donor for the conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas through the autotrophic denitrification process. A total nitrogen removal efficiency of 63% was observed in the system with carriers, which showed an increase in the removal efficiency of around 20%, compared to the system without carriers. The results also indicated that the carriers had no adverse effect on biological treatment for the organic matter and total phosphorus. The removal efficiencies for chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total phosphorus (TP) were 98% and 37% in both systems, respectively. The generation of sulfate ions was a major disadvantage of using sulfur-based carriers, and resulted in pH drop. The ratio of sulfate in the effluent to nitrate removed in the system ranged from 0.86 to 1.97 mgSO₄²⁻/mgNO₃⁻-N, which was lower than the theoretical value and could be regarded as due to the occurrence of simultaneous heterotrophic and autotrophic denitrification. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11))

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10 pages, 1030 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Physical and Chemical Enhanced Backwashing to Reduce Membrane Fouling in the Water Treatment Process Using Ceramic Membranes

by Seogyeong Park, Joon-Seok Kang, Jeong Jun Lee, Thi-Kim-Quyen Vo and Han-Seung Kim

Membranes 2018, 8(4), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8040110 - 15 Nov 2018

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 4341

Abstract

This study investigated the improvement of operating efficiency through physical cleaning and chemical enhanced backwashing (CEB) using ceramic membranes with high permeability and chemical safety compared to organic membranes. The turbidity and DOC (Dissolved Organic Carbon) concentrations were selected to ensure that the degree of contamination was always constant. The operating pressures were fixed at 100, 200, and 300 kPa, and the filtration was terminated when the effluent flow rate decreased to 30% or less from the initial value. After filtration, backwashing was performed at a pressure of 500 kPa using 500 mL backwash water. The membrane was cleaned by dipping in NaOCl, and a new washing technique was proposed for steam washing. In this study, we investigated the recovery rate of membranes by selectively performing physical cleaning and CEB by changing the influent water quality and operating pressure conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11))

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17 pages, 4529 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Performance of PES/LSMM-OGCN Photocatalytic Membrane for Phenol Removal: Effect of OGCN Loading

by Noor Elyzawerni Salim, Nor Azureen Mohamad Nor, Juhana Jaafar, Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, Takeshi Matsuura, Mohammed Rasool Qtaishat, Mohd Hafiz Dzarfan Othman, Mukhlis Abdul Rahman, Farhana Aziz and Norhaniza Yusof

Membranes 2018, 8(3), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes8030042 - 11 Jul 2018

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4438

Abstract

In designing a photocatalytic oxidation system, the immobilized photocatalyst technique becomes highly profitable due to its promising capability in treating organic pollutants such as phenols in wastewater. In this study, hydrophiLic surface modifying macromolecules (LSMM) modified polyethersulfone (PES) hybrid photocatalytic membranes incorporated with oxygenated graphitic carbon nitride (OGCN) was successfully developed using phase inversion technique. The effectiveness of the hybrid photocatalytic membrane was determined under different loading of OGCN photocatalyst (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 wt%). The best amount of OGCN in the casting solution was 1.0 wt% as the agglomeration did not occur considering the stability of the membrane performance and morphology. The highest flux of 264 L/m²·h was achieved by PES/LSMM-OGCN1.5wt% membrane. However, the highest flux performance was not an advantage in this situation as the flux reduced the rejection value due to open pores. The membrane with the highest photocatalytic performance was obtained at 1.0 wt% of OGCN loading with 35.78% phenol degradation after 6 h. Regardless of the lower rejection value, the performance shown by the PES/LSMM-OGCN1.0wt% membrane was still competent because of the small difference of less than 1% to that of the PES/LSMM-OGCN0wt% membrane. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that the optimisation of the OGCN loading in the PES hybrid photocatalytic membrane indeed plays an important role towards enhancing the catalyst distribution, phenol degradation, and acceptable rejection above all considerations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from the 11th Conference of the Aseanian Membrane Society (AMS11))

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