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

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2018) | Viewed by 35239

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

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School of Chemical Engineering, Engineering Campus, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 14300 Nibong Tebal, Malaysia
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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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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 11th 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

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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

  • 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

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1337 KiB  
Article
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://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes8040131 - 14 Dec 2018
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 3969
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 [...] Read more.
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
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11 pages, 2711 KiB  
Article
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://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes8040130 - 13 Dec 2018
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4440
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 [...] Read more.
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
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17 pages, 13699 KiB  
Article
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://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes8040127 - 06 Dec 2018
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 7929
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 [...] Read more.
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
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12 pages, 1422 KiB  
Article
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://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes8040122 - 02 Dec 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 6138
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 [...] Read more.
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
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10 pages, 3313 KiB  
Article
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://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes8040115 - 22 Nov 2018
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3906
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 [...] Read more.
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
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10 pages, 1030 KiB  
Article
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://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes8040110 - 15 Nov 2018
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3734
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 [...] Read more.
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
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17 pages, 4529 KiB  
Article
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://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/membranes8030042 - 11 Jul 2018
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4006
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 [...] Read more.
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
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