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Polymers
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Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications
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Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2020) | Viewed by 24527

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Tiziana Marino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials (IPCB-CNR) Via Campi Flegrei 34, 80078 Pozzuoli, NA, Italy
Interests: polymer membranes; materials chemistry; material characterization; water treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Collegues,

Sustainable development has its roots in the respect and the protection of natural resources for a qualitative improvement of our life. In this context, eco-friendly technologies are emerging as a valid solution for preserving the environment through energy-saving products and the reduction of waste production. Membrane-based operations have become increasingly competitive thanks to the existing technologies and find a great variety of applications in many industrial sectors, such as extraction, concentration, purification, recovery, and production. Polymers are, by far, the most commonly used material for preparing membranes. The choice of a selected polymer affects the final membrane morphology and properties, hence, the starting material is of crucial importance for assuring an efficient separation process. Both renewable and nonrenewable polymeric sources should be employed. With the development of membrane technology, improvements in membrane performance have been made through polymer modifications. However, a much greater effort is still needed to obtain sustainable membrane processes.

For this Special Issue, full research papers, communications, and review articles are invited on the following topics:

  • Novel/sustainable materials for membrane preparation
  • Polymer modifications for membrane fabrication
  • Innovative membrane preparation techniques and applications
  • Recent advances in polymeric membrane production
  • Future perspectives for polymeric membrane materials.

Dr. Tiziana Marino
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 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. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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

  • polymeric membranes
  • membrane preparation
  • membrane characterization
  • membrane applications
  • innovative polymers for membranes
  • polymers modification for membranes
  • sustainable membrane processes

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 4626 KiB  
Article
Selective Vapor Permeation Behavior of Crosslinked PAMPS Membranes
by Ye Ji Son, So Jeong Kim, Young-Jin Kim and Kyung-Hye Jung
Polymers 2020, 12(4), 987; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12040987 - 24 Apr 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3109
Abstract
The effect of crosslinking on vapor permeation behavior of polyelectrolyte membranes was studied. Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) membranes were crosslinked by using crosslinkers with different lengths between the reactive ends. Crosslinked membranes with a longer crosslinking length showed lower water vapor permeability due to [...] Read more.
The effect of crosslinking on vapor permeation behavior of polyelectrolyte membranes was studied. Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS) membranes were crosslinked by using crosslinkers with different lengths between the reactive ends. Crosslinked membranes with a longer crosslinking length showed lower water vapor permeability due to the lower sorption coefficient. It was also shown that the permeation behavior of PAMPS membranes was more affected by sorption than diffusion. For chemical protection applications, the ratio of water over chemical warfare agent permeability (i.e., selectivity) was measured. Due to the high water solubility of polyelectrolytes, crosslinked PAMPS allowed for the selective permeation of water over harmful chemical vapor, showing a selectivity of 20. The addition of electrospun nylon nanofibers in the membranes significantly improved the selectivity to 80, since the embedded nanofibers effectively reduced both diffusion and sorption coefficients of chemical warfare agents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications)
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12 pages, 2305 KiB  
Article
Patterned Membrane in an Energy-Efficient Tilted Panel Filtration System for Fouling Control in Activated Sludge Filtration
by Aisyah Osman, Normi Izati Mat Nawi, Shafirah Samsuri, Muhammad Roil Bilad, Norazanita Shamsuddin, Asim Laeeq Khan, Juhana Jaafar and Nik Abdul Hadi Nordin
Polymers 2020, 12(2), 432; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12020432 - 12 Feb 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 2598
Abstract
A membrane bioreactor enhances the overall biological performance of a conventional activated sludge system for wastewater treatment by producing high-quality effluent suitable for reuse. However, membrane fouling hinders the widespread application of membrane bioreactors by reducing the hydraulic performance, shortening membrane lifespan, and [...] Read more.
A membrane bioreactor enhances the overall biological performance of a conventional activated sludge system for wastewater treatment by producing high-quality effluent suitable for reuse. However, membrane fouling hinders the widespread application of membrane bioreactors by reducing the hydraulic performance, shortening membrane lifespan, and increasing the operational costs for membrane fouling management. This study assesses the combined effect of membrane surface corrugation and a tilted panel in enhancing the impact of air bubbling for membrane fouling control in activated sludge filtration, applicable for membrane bioreactors. The filterability performance of such a system was further tested under variable parameters: Filtration cycle, aeration rate, and intermittent aeration. Results show that a combination of surface corrugation and panel tilting enhances the impact of aeration and leads to 87% permeance increment. The results of the parametric study shows that the highest permeance was achieved under short filtration–relaxation cycle of 5 min, high aeration rate of 1.5 L/min, and short switching period of 2.5 min, to yield the permeances of 465 ± 18, 447 ± 2, and 369 ± 9 L/(m2h bar), respectively. The high permeances lead to higher operational flux that helps to lower the membrane area as well as energy consumption. Initial estimation of the fully aerated system yields the energy input of 0.152 kWh/m3, much lower than data from the full-scale references of <0.4 kWh/m3. Further energy savings and a lower system footprint can still be achieved by applying the two-sided panel with a switching system, which will be addressed in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications)
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12 pages, 2990 KiB  
Article
Enhancing Gas Permeation Properties of Pebax® 1657 Membranes via Polysorbate Nonionic Surfactants Doping
by Paola Bernardo and Gabriele Clarizia
Polymers 2020, 12(2), 253; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12020253 - 21 Jan 2020
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 4431
Abstract
Composite membranes were prepared by co-casting, incorporating two nonionic surfactants in a poly(ether-block-amide), Pebax® 1657 up to 50 wt %. These polysorbate nonionic surfactants contain many ethylene oxide units and are very CO2-philic agents; thereby, they can be [...] Read more.
Composite membranes were prepared by co-casting, incorporating two nonionic surfactants in a poly(ether-block-amide), Pebax® 1657 up to 50 wt %. These polysorbate nonionic surfactants contain many ethylene oxide units and are very CO2-philic agents; thereby, they can be exploited as membrane additives for gas separation involving carbon oxide. Dynamic light scattering analysis proved a higher stability of additionated Pebax® 1657 solutions with respect to those containing only the copolymer. Scanning electron microscopy showed a regular membrane morphology without pores or defects for all investigated samples. If on the one hand the addition of the additive has depressed the mechanical properties, on the other, it has positively influenced the gas transport properties of Pebax® 1657 films. CO2 permeability increased up to two or three times after the incorporation of 50 wt % additive in copolymer matrix, while the selectivity was not significantly affected. The effect of temperature on permanent gas transport properties was studied in the range of 15–55 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications)
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13 pages, 2094 KiB  
Article
Removal of Pb(II) Ions Using Polymer Inclusion Membranes Containing Calix[4]resorcinarene Derivative as Ion Carrier
by Iwona Zawierucha, Anna Nowik-Zajac and Cezary A. Kozlowski
Polymers 2019, 11(12), 2111; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11122111 - 16 Dec 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2449
Abstract
Stricter environmental regulations regarding the discharge of toxic metals require developing various technologies for the removal of these metals from polluted effluents. The removal of toxic metal ions using immobilized membranes with doped ligands is a promising approach for enhancing environmental quality, because [...] Read more.
Stricter environmental regulations regarding the discharge of toxic metals require developing various technologies for the removal of these metals from polluted effluents. The removal of toxic metal ions using immobilized membranes with doped ligands is a promising approach for enhancing environmental quality, because of the high selectivity and removal efficiency, high stability, and low energy requirements of the membranes. Cellulose triacetate-based polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs), with calix[4]resorcinarene derivative as an ion carrier, were analyzed to determine their ability for removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solutions. The effects of ion carrier concentration, plasticizer amount, pH of source aqueous phase, and receiving agents on the effective transport of Pb(II) were determined. All studied parameters were found to be important factors for the transport of Pb(II) ions. The PIM containing calix[4]resorcinarene derivative as an ion carrier showed high stability and excellent transport activity for selective removal of Pb(II) from the battery industry effluent, with a separation efficiency of 90%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications)
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17 pages, 4274 KiB  
Article
Polymer Inclusion Membranes (PIMs) Doped with Alkylimidazole and their Application in the Separation of Non-Ferrous Metal Ions
by Elzbieta Radzyminska-Lenarcik and Malgorzata Ulewicz
Polymers 2019, 11(11), 1780; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11111780 - 30 Oct 2019
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 3232
Abstract
The study involved the transport of zinc(II), cadmium(II), and nickel(II) ions from acidic aqueous solutions using polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs). PIMs consisted of cellulose triacetate (CTA) as a support; o-nitrophenyl pentyl ether (o-NPPE) as a plasticizer; and 1-octylimidazole (1), 1-octyl-2-methylimidazole ( [...] Read more.
The study involved the transport of zinc(II), cadmium(II), and nickel(II) ions from acidic aqueous solutions using polymer inclusion membranes (PIMs). PIMs consisted of cellulose triacetate (CTA) as a support; o-nitrophenyl pentyl ether (o-NPPE) as a plasticizer; and 1-octylimidazole (1), 1-octyl-2-methylimidazole (2), 1-octyl-4-methylimidazole (3), or 1-octyl-2,4-dimethylimidazole (4) as ion carriers. The membranes were characterized by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that Zn(II) and Cd(II) are effectively transported across PIMs, while Ni(II) transport is not effective. The rate of transport of metal ions across PIMs is determined by the diffusion rate of the M(II)–carrier complex across the membrane. The best result achieved for Zn(II) removal after 24 h was 95.5% for the ternary Zn(II)–Cd(II)–Ni(II) solution for PIM doped (4). For this membrane, the separation coefficients for Zn(II)/Cd(II), Zn(II)/Ni(II), and Cd(II)/Ni(II) were 2.8, 104.5, and 23.5, respectively. Additionally, the influence of basicity and structure of carrier molecules on transport kinetics was discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications)
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12 pages, 1292 KiB  
Article
Effect of Sulfonic Groups Concentration on IEC Properties in New Fluorinated Copolyamides
by Ramón de Jesús Pali-Casanova, Marcial Alfredo Yam-Cervantes, José del Carmen Zavala-Loría., María Isabel Loría-Bastarrachea, Manuel de Jesús Aguilar-Vega, Luis Alonso Dzul-López, María Luisa Sámano-Celorio, Jorge Crespo-Álvarez, Eduardo García-Villena, Pablo Agudo-Toyos and Francisco Méndez-Martínez
Polymers 2019, 11(7), 1169; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11071169 - 09 Jul 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3013
Abstract
Seven aromatic polyamides and copolyamides were synthesized from two different aromatic diamines: 4,4′-(Hexafluoroisopropylidene)bis(p-phenyleneoxy)dianiline (HFDA) and 2,4-Aminobenzenesulfonic acid (DABS). The synthesis was carried out by polycondensation using isophthaloyl dichloride (1SO). The effect of an increasing molar concentration of the sulfonated groups, from DABS, in [...] Read more.
Seven aromatic polyamides and copolyamides were synthesized from two different aromatic diamines: 4,4′-(Hexafluoroisopropylidene)bis(p-phenyleneoxy)dianiline (HFDA) and 2,4-Aminobenzenesulfonic acid (DABS). The synthesis was carried out by polycondensation using isophthaloyl dichloride (1SO). The effect of an increasing molar concentration of the sulfonated groups, from DABS, in the copolymer properties was evaluated. Inherent viscosity tests were carried out to estimate molecular weights. Mechanical tests were carried out under tension, maximum strength ( σ max), Young’s modulus (E), and elongation at break (εmax) to determine their mechanical properties. Tests for water sorption and ion exchange capacity (IEC) were carried out. Proton conductivity was measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The results indicate that as the degree of sulfonation increase, the greater the proton conductivity. The results obtained showed conductivity values lower than the commercial membrane Nafion 115 of 0.0065 S cm−1. The membrane from copolyamide HFDA/DABS/1S0-70/30 with 30 mol DABS obtained the best IEC, with a value of 0.747 mmol g−1 that resulted in a conductivity of 2.7018 × 10−4 S cm−1, lower than the data reported for the commercial membrane Nafion 115. According to the results obtained, we can suggest that further developments increasing IEC will render membranes based on aromatic polyamides that are suitable for their use in PEM fuel cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications)
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Review

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14 pages, 1664 KiB  
Review
Membrane Surface Patterning as a Fouling Mitigation Strategy in Liquid Filtration: A Review
by Nafiu Umar Barambu, Muhammad Roil Bilad, Yusuf Wibisono, Juhana Jaafar, Teuku Meurah Indra Mahlia and Asim Laeeq Khan
Polymers 2019, 11(10), 1687; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym11101687 - 15 Oct 2019
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 5100
Abstract
Membrane fouling is seen as the main culprit that hinders the widespread of membrane application in liquid-based filtration. Therefore, fouling management is key for the successful implementation of membrane processes, and it is done across all magnitudes. For optimum operation, membrane developments and [...] Read more.
Membrane fouling is seen as the main culprit that hinders the widespread of membrane application in liquid-based filtration. Therefore, fouling management is key for the successful implementation of membrane processes, and it is done across all magnitudes. For optimum operation, membrane developments and surface modifications have largely been reported, including membrane surface patterning. Membrane surface patterning involves structural modification of the membrane surface to induce secondary flow due to eddies, which mitigate foulant agglomeration and increase the effective surface area for improved permeance and antifouling properties. This paper reviews surface patterning approaches used for fouling mitigation in water and wastewater treatments. The focus is given on the pattern formation methods and their effect on overall process performances. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer-Based Membrane Technology and Applications)
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