High performance photodegradation resistant PVA@TiO_(2)/carboxyl-PES self-healing reactive ultrafiltration membrane

The occurrence of ultrafiltration(UF)membrane fouling frequently hampers the sustainable advancement of UF technology.Reactive self-cleaning UF membranes can effectively alleviate the problem of membrane fouling.Nevertheless,the self-cleaning process may accelerate membrane aging.Addressing these concerns,we present an innovative design concept for composite self-healing materials based on self-cleaning UF membranes.To begin,TiO_(2)nanoparticles were incorporated into the polymer molecular structure via molecular design,resulting in the synthesis of TiO_(2)/carboxyl-polyether sulfone(PES)hybrid materials.Subsequently,the nonsolvent-induced phase inversion technique was employed to prepare a novel of UF membrane.Lastly,a polyvinyl alcohol(PVA)hydrogel coating was applied to the hybrid UF membrane surface to create PVA@TiO_(2)/carboxyl-PES self-healing reactive UF membranes.By establishing a covalent bond,the TiO_(2)nanoparticles were effectively and uniformly dispersed within the UF membrane,leading to exceptional self-cleaning properties.Furthermore,the water-absorbing and swelling properties of PVA hydrogel,along with its capacity to form hydrogen bonds with water molecules,resulted in UF membranes with improved hydrophilicity and active self-healing abilities.The results demonstrated that the water contact angle of PVA@5%TiO_(2)/carboxyl-PES UF membrane was 43.1°.Following a 1-h exposure to simulated solar exposure,the water flux recovery ratio increased from 48.16%to 81.03%.Moreover,even after undergoing five cycles of 12-h simulated sunlight exposure,the UF membranes exhibited a consistent retention rate of over 97%,thus fully demonstrating their exceptional self-cleaning,antifouling,and selfhealing capabilities.We anticipate that the self-healing reactive UF membrane system will serve as a pioneering and comprehensive solution for the self-cleaning antifouling challenges encountered in UF membranes while also effectively mitigating the aging effects of reactive UF membranes.

Selective adsorption of tetracycline by β-CD-immobilized sodium alginate aerogel coupled with ultrafiltration for reclaimed water

In this work,a novel composite material based on β-cyclodextrin-immobilized sodium alginate aerogel(β-CD/NaAlg) was developed utilizing cross-linker of epichlorohydrin and applied as an adsorbent to remove tetracycline antibiotics from reclaimed wastewater.A series of characterizations were utilized to confirm the successful synthesis of the adsorbent and this β-CD/NaAlg presented a three-dimensional network at the nanoscale or microscale.Under optimal conditions(pH=4,t=8 h,β-CD:NaAlg=9,adsorbent dosage = 1.5 g·L-1),the maximum removal rate of β-CD/NaAlg to tetracycline was 70%.The adsorption behavior of tetracycline on β-CD/NaAlg conformed to the Freundlich isotherm model(R2=0.9977) and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model(R^(2)=0.9993).Moreover,the adsorbent still removed 55.3% of tetracycline after five cycles.Specially,the adsorbent was integrated with ultrafiltration to adsorb tetracycline antibiotics from simulated reclaimed wastewater,and the removal rate of tetracycline reached 78.9% within 2 h.The existence of Cr(Ⅵ) had a negligible impact on tetracycline removal,while the presence of humic acid exhibited a promoting effect.The possible adsorption mechanisms were also elucidated through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density functional theory analysis.In summary,β-CD/NaAlg represents an environmentally friendly,efficient,and sustainable adsorbent for removing tetracycline antibiotics from reclaimed water.

Preparation of felt-metal supported modified polyvinyl alcohol composite hydrophilic ultrafiltration membrane

A novel technology of preparation of felt-metal supported modified polyvinyl alcohol（PVA） ultrafiltration（UF） membrane was invented, which could avoid the blockage of the holes of support layer and the leakage of the casting solution through the holes of support layer. Felt-metal supported ferric sulfate modified PVA composite UF membranes were prepared by the innovative technology. The results show that the composite membranes are used to treat 1 000 mg/L oil/water emulsion at trans-membrane pressure from 0.25 to 0.45 MPa, the permeate flux is from 36 to 52 L/（m2·h）, and the retention of chemical oxygen demand（COD） is over 92%. The composite membrane resistance increases with the increase of trans-naembrane pressure.

Dielectric Analysis of Dynamic Fouling Behavior on Surface of Polyethersulfone Composite Ultrafiltration Membrane

A dielectric analysis model for the fouling layer on the polyethersulfone composite ultrafiltration （UF） membrane and solution system, which consists of the solution, concentration polarization layer （CPL）, and cake layer, was established by virtue of the interfacial polarization and the electrostatic field theory. The effect of some important parameters, such as the depth, conductivity of CPL, and cake layer, on the dielectric spectroscopy （or dielectric relaxation properties） of the UF system was discussed by the parameter sensitivity analysis and the dielectric measurement. The simulations indicate that the CPL can be created rapidly and the cake layer formation is the dynamic balance process of growth and erosion in the process of UF. The key factor affecting on the dielectric spectrum of UF system is the electrical properties of the CPL and the cake layer. In comparison to the results of dielectric measurement, the simulations indicate that the model proposed in this work is valid and reliable to some degree for describing and explaining the dielectric relaxation phenomenon in UF system. It is very important to further understand the fouling behavior of membrane surface and optimize the controlling techniques of membrane fouling in the process of UF.

Effect of coagulation pretreatment on the fouling of ultrafiltration membrane

The purpose of this study is to understand the effect and mechanism of preventing membrane fouling, by coagulation pretreatment, in terms of fractional component and molecular weight of natural organic matter （NOM）. A relatively higher molecular weight （MW） of hydrophobic compounds was responsible for a rapid decline in the ultrafiltration flux. Coagulation could effectively remove the hydrophobic organics, resulting in the increase of flux. It was found that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds, which could remove inadequately by coagulation, was responsible for the slow declining flux. The fluxes in the filtration of coagulated water and supernatant water were compared and the results showed that a lower MW of neutral hydrophilic compounds remained in the supernatant water after coagulation could be rejected by a membrane, resulting in fouling. It was also found that the coagulated flocs could absorb neutral hydrophilic compounds effectively. Therefore, with the coagulated flocs formed on the membrane surface, the flux decline could be improved.

Ultrafiltration with in-line coagulation for the removal of natural humic acid and membrane fouling mechanism

Experimental and theoretical analysis were made on the natural humic acid removal and the membrane fouling of ultrafiltration （UF） with in-line coagulation. The results showed dissolved organic carbon （DOC） and UV254 removals by the UF with in-line coagulation at pH 7 were increased from 28% to 53% and 40% to 78% in comparison with direct UF treatment respectively. At the same time, the analysis of high performance liquid chromatography showed that UF with coagulation had significant improvement of removal of humic acid with molecular weights less than 6000 Da in particular. Compared to direct UF, the in-line coagulation UF also kept more constant permeate flux and very slight increase oftransmembrane pressure during a filtration circle. Two typical membrane fouling models were used by inducing two coefficients Kc and Kp corresponding to cake filtration model and pore narrowing model respectively. It was found that membrane fouling by pore-narrowing effect was effectively alleviated and that by cake-filtration was much decreased by in-line coagulation. Under the condition of coagulation prior to ultrafiltration at pH 7, the cake layer formed on the membrane surface became thicker, but the membrane filtration resistance was lower than that at pH 5 with the extension of operation time.

Effect of the Ultrasound Generated by Flat Plate Transducer Cleaning on Polluted Polyvinylidenefluoride Hollow Fiber Ultrafiltration Membrane

Polyvinylidenefluoride （PVDF） hollow fiber ultrafiltration membrane is frequently employed in water treatment. However, the fouling of ultrafiltration membranes affects the economic effectiveness of such process significantly. The ultrasound generated by flat plate transducer （UFPT） was used to clean the polluted PVDF ultrafiltration membrane with 2 g·L^-1 of citric acid aqueous solution in our study. The effects of UFPT intensity on the membrane surface were studied. The new membrane was easy to be polluted by the saturated CaCl2 solution. A synergistic effect of UFPT and 2 g·L^-1 citric acid aqueous solution could remove the foul of the membrane, and its flux could be recovered about 81%. The flux recovery of old membrane polluted was increased to 73.2% after 7 h soaking in citric acid aqueous solution, but its flux recovery without soaking was only increased to 56.2%.

Flux enhancement during ultrafiltration of produced water using turbulence promoter

Concentration polarization and membrane fouling remain one of the major hurdles for the implementation of ultrafiltration of produced water. Although many applications for ultrafiltration were already suggested, only few were implemented on an industrial scale. Among those techniques, turbulence promoter can be more simple and effective in overcoming membrane fouling and enhancing membrane flux. As for the result that turbulence promoter increase fluid velocity, wall shear rates and produce secondary flows or instabilities, the influence of turbulence promoter was investigated on permeate flux during produced water ultrafiltration and the potential application of this arrangement for an industrial development. Experimental investigations were performed on 100 KDa molecular weight cut-off PVDF single-channel tubular membrane module using four kinds of turbulence promoters. It is observed that the significant flux enhancement in the range of 83%--164% was achieved while the hydraulic dissipated power per unit volume of permeate decreased from 31%--42%, which indicated that the using of turbulence promoter is more efficient than operation without the turbulence promoter. The effects of transmembrane pressure and cross-flow velocity with and without turbulence promoter were studied as well. Among the four kinds of turbulence promoters, winding inserts with 20.0 mm pitch and 1.0 mm wire diameter showed better performances than the others did.

Ultrafiltration Enhanced with Activated Carbon Adsorption for Efficient Dye Removal from Aqueous Solution

In this study, orange G dye was efficiently removed from aqueous solution by ultraflltration （UF） membrane separation enhanced with activated carbon adsorption. The powdered activated carbon （PAC） was deposited onto the UF membrane surface, forming an intact filter cake. The enhanced UF process simultaneously exploited the high water permeation flux of porous membrane and the high adsorption ability of PAC toward dye molecules. The influencing factors on the dye removal were investigated. The results indicated that with sufficient PAC incorporation, the formation of intact PAC filtration cake led to nearly complete rejection for dye solution under opti-mized dye concentration and operation pressure, without large sacnticlng the permeation tlux ot the filtration process. Typically, the dye rejection ratio increased from 43.6% for single UF without adsorption to nearly 100% for the enhanced UF process, achieving long time continuous treatment with water permeation flux of 47 L·m^-2·h^-1. The present study demonstrated that adsorption enhanced UF may be a feasible method for the dye wastewater treatment.

Selective swelling of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block copolymer towards fouling-resistant ultrafiltration membranes

Fouling resistance of ultrafiltration(UF) membranes is critical for their long-term usages in terms of stable performance, so convenient approaches to prepare fouling-resistant membranes are always anticipated. Herein, we demonstrate the facile fabrication of antifouling polysulfone-block-poly(ethylene glycol)(PSF-b-PEG, SFEG)composite membranes. SFEG layer was coated onto macroporous supports and cavitated by immerging them in acetone/n-propanol following the mechanism of selective swelling induced pore generation. Thus-produced SFEG membranes possessed high permeance and excellent mechanical strength. Meanwhile, the structures and separation performances of the SFEG layers can be continuously tuned through simply changing swelling durations. More importantly, the hydrophilic PEG chains were spontaneously enriched onto the pore walls through swelling treatment, endowing intrinsic antifouling property to the SFEG membranes. Bovine serum albumin(BSA)/humic acid(HA) fouling tests proved the prominent fouling resistance of SFEG membranes, and the fouling resistance is expected to be long-standing because of the firm connection between PEG chains and PSF matrix by covalent bonding.

Optical properties of estuarine dissolved organic matter isolated using cross-flow ultrafiltration

Dissolved organic matter （DOM） from freshwater, mid-salinity, and seawater endmember samples in the Jiulong River Estuary, China were fractionated using cross-flow ultrafiltration with a 10-kDa membrane. The colloidal organic matter （COM; 10 kDa-0.22 pm） retentate, low molecular weight （LMW） DOM （〈10 kDa） permeate, and bulk samples were analyzed using absorption spectroscopy and three-dimensional fluorescence excitation-emission-matrix spectroscopy. The UV-visible spectra of COM were very similar to those obtained for permeate and bulk samples, decreasing monotonically with increasing wavelength. Most of the chromophoric DOM （CDOM, expressed as the absorption coefficient a355） occurred in the LMW fraction, while the percentage of CDOM in the colloidal fraction was substantially higher in the freshwater endmembet （13.4% of the total） than in the seawater endmember （6.8%）. The bulk CDOM showed a conservative mixing behavior in the estuary, while there was removal of the COM fraction and a concurrent addition of the permeate fraction in the mid-salinity sample, implying that part of the colloidal CDOM was transformed into LMW CDOM. Two humic-like components （CI： 〈250, 325/402 nm; and C2： 265, 360/458 nm） and one protein-like component （C3：275/334 nm） were identified using parallel factor analysis. The contributions of the C1, C2, and C3 components of the COM fraction to the bulk sample were 2.5%-8.7%, 4.8%-12.6%, and 7.4%-14.7%, respectively, revealing that fluorescent DOM occurred mainly in the LMW fraction in the Jiulong River Estuary. The C1 and C2 components in the retentate and permeate samples showed conservative mixing behavior, but the intensity ratio of C2/C1 was higher in the retentate than in the permeate fractions for all salinity samples, showing that the humic component was more enriched in the COM than the fulvic component. The intensity ratio of C3/（C 1 ＋C2） was much higher in the retentate than in the permeate fraction for mid-salinity and seawater samples, revealing that the protein-like component was relatively more enriched in COM than the humic-like component. The contribution of the protein-like component （C3） to the total fluorescence in the retentate increased from 14% in the freshwater endmember to 72% for the seawater endmember samples, clearly indicating the variation of dominance by the humic-like component compared to the protein-like component during the estuarine mixing process of COM.

Fouling of WO3 nanoparticle-incorporated PSf membranes in ultrafiltration of landfill leachate and dairy a combined wastewaters： An investigation using model

As fouling has always been a major drawback of membrane technology, qualitative and quantitative understanding of membrane fouling mechanisms therefore becomes vital in order to help push membrane separation technologies forward. In this study, firstly, self-cleaning Polysulfone(PSf) membranes were synthesized by incorporation of WO_3nanoparticles(0–2 wt%) and subsequent UV irradiation for efficient ultrafiltration(UF)of landfill leachate and dairy wastewater. The membrane surface properties were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and contact angle analysis. It was found that UV-irradiated membranes exhibited higher percent COD removals due to the hydrophilicity and photocatalytic properties of nano-WO_3. Subsequently, in order to analyze the fouling behavior of the membranes, a set of experimental data from cross-flow ultrafiltration of municipal landfill leachate and industrial dairy wastewater at 25 °C was obtained. A new model of membrane fouling was proposed based on a resistance in series concept and was fitted well with all experimental data sets.Almost all relative errors of prediction provided by the proposed model were less than 2.5%. In addition, it was revealed that this newly-developed model exhibited smooth transition between the common successive twostep pore blockage-cake filtration phenomena and thus eliminates the need to use separate equations for different mechanisms.

Screening potential mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines using a mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry method

Mitochondria regulate numerous crucial cell processes, including energy production, apoptotic cell death, oxidative stress, calcium homeostasis and lipid metabolism. Here, we applied an efficient mitochondria-based centrifugal ultrafiltration/liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry（LC/MS） method,also known as screening method for mitochondria-targeted bioactive constituents（SM-MBC）. This method allowed searching natural mitochondria-targeting compounds from traditional Chinese medicines（TCMs）, including Puerariae Radix（PR） and Chuanxiong Radix（CR）. A total of 23 active compounds were successfully discovered from the two TCMs extracts. Among these 23 hit compounds, 17 were identified by LC/MS, 12 of which were novel mitochondria-targeting compounds. Among these, 6 active compounds were analyzed in vitro for pharmacological tests and found able to affect mitochondrial functions. We also investigated the effects of the hit compounds on Hep G2 cell proliferation and on loss of cardiomyocyte viability induced by hypoxia/reoxygenation injury. The results obtained are useful for in-depth understanding of mechanisms underlying TCMs therapeutic effects at mitochondria level and for developing novel potential drugs using TCMs as lead compounds. Finally, we showed that SM-MBC was an efficient protocol for the rapid screening of mitochondria-targeting constituents from complex samples such as PR and CR extracts.

Application of response surface methodology to the chemical cleaning process of ultrafiltration membrane

A numerical model was established to predict and optimise the chemical cleaning process of Polyvinylidene Fluo- ride （PVDF） Ultrafiltration （UF） membranes with the results from the experiment that applied the Response Sur- face Method （RSM） and Central Composite Design （CCD）. The factors considered in the experimental design were sodium hydroxide （NaOH） concentration, sodium bypochlorite concentration （NaCIO）, citric acid concentration and cleaning duration, The interactions between the factors were investigated with the numerical model. Humic acid （20 mg· L-1） was used as the model foulant, and chemical enhanced backflush （CEB） was employed to sim- ulate the chemical cleaning process. The concentrations of sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, citric acid and cleaning duration tested during the experiments were in the range of 0.1%-0.3% 100-300 mg· L-1 1%-3% and 0.5-1.5 h, respectively. Among the variables, the sodium hypochlorite concentration and the cleaning dura- tion showed a positive relationship involving the increased efficiency of the chemical cleaning. The chemical cleaning efficiency was hardly improved with increasing concentrations of sodium hydroxide. However, the data was sharply decreased when at a low level of sodium hydroxide concentration. In total, 54 sets of cleaning schemes with 80% to 100K cleaning efficiency were observed with the R＆M model after calibration.

Fabrication of SPES/Nano-TiO_2 Composite Ultrafiltration Membrane and Its Anti-fouling Mechanism

Membrane fouling is one of the major obstacles for reaching a high flux over a prolonged period of ultrafiltration（UF）process.In this study,a sulfonated-polyethersulfone（SPES）/nano-TiO2 composite UF membrane with good anti-fouling performance was fabricated by phase inversion and self-assembly methods.The TiO2 nanoparticle self-assembly on the SPES membrane surface was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）and FT-IR spectrometer.The morphology and hydrophilicity were characterized by scanning electron microscopy（SEM）,atomic force microscopy（AFM）and contact angle goniometer,respectively.The anti-fouling mechanism of composite UF membrane was discussed through the analysis of the micro-structure and component of UF membrane surface.The results showed that the TiO2 content and the micro-structure of the composite UF membrane surface had great influence on the separation and anti-fouling performance.

Evaluation of Four Measurement Operation Modes of Streaming Potential for Microfiltration and Ultrafiltration Membranes

Surface charge characteristics of a membrane can be determined by the streaming potential. In order to obtain more accurate streaming potential value during the measurement, four measurement operation modes were investigated in this study, and among the four modes, the steady mode with pressure stepped downward was considered the best one. Experimental results showed that the effects of compaction on the streaming potential measurement for a microfiltration membrane was more obvious than that for a ultrafiltration membrane. Both feed pH and presoaking could affect the measurement of streaming potential.

Effects of solubility parameter differences among PEG,PVP and CA on the preparation of ultrafiltration membranes:Impacts of solvents and additives on morphology,permeability and fouling performances

The effects of two different hydrophilic additives and two solvents on the membrane morphological structure,permeability property and anti-fouling performances of cellulose acetate(CA) ultrafiltration membranes were investigated. During the phase-inversion process, cellulose acetate was selected as a membrane forming polymer; polyethylene glycol(PEG) and polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP) were used as additives; acetone(Ac): N,N-Dimethylacetamide(DMAc) and N, N-Dimethylformamide(DMF) were used as solvents; and deionized(DI)water was used in the coagulation bath. All the prepared membranes were characterized in terms of hydraulic permeability(Pm), membrane resistance, average pore radius, and hydrophilicity. The top surface and crosssectional view of the prepared membranes were also observed by using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Membrane fouling and rejection experimentations were done using a stirred batch-cell filtration set-up.The experimental studies of fouling/rinsing cycles, rejection, and permeate fluxes were used to investigate the effect of PEG and PVP additives and effect of the two solvents on the fabricated membranes using bovine serum albumin(BSA) as a model protein.

Peritoneal dialysis for chronic cardiorenal syndrome:Lessons learned from ultrafiltration trials

The current models of cardiorenal syndrome(CRS) are mainly based on a cardiocentric approach; they assume that worsening renal function is an adverse consequence of the decline in cardiac function rather than a separate and independent pathologic phenomenon. If this assumption were true,then mechanical extraction of fluid(i.e.,ultrafiltration therapy) would be expected to portend positive impact on renal hemodynamics and function through improvement in cardio-circulatory physiology and reduction in neurohormonal activation. However,currently available ultrafiltration trials,whether in acute heart failure(AHF) or in CRS,have so far failed to show any improvement in renal function; they have reported no impact or even observed adverse renal outcomes in this setting. Moreover,the presence or absence of renal dysfunction seems to affect the overall safety and efficacy of ultrafiltration therapy in AHF. This manuscript briefly reviews cardiorenal physiology in AHF and concludes that therapeutic options for CRS should not only target cardio-circulatory status of the patients,but they need to also have the ability of addressing the adverse homeostatic consequences of the associated decline in renal function. Peritoneal dialysis(PD) can be such an option for the chronic cases of CRS as it has been shown to provide efficient intracorporeal ultrafiltration and sodium extraction in volume overloaded patients while concurrently correcting the metabolic consequences of diminished renal function. Currently available trials on PD in heart failure have shown the safety and efficacy of this therapeutic modality for patients with chronic CRS and suggest that it could represent a pathophysiologically and conceptually relevant option in this setting.

Charged modified tight ceramic ultrafiltration membranes for treatment of cationic dye wastewater

Tight ceramic ultrafiltration membranes have been proven to exhibit good rejection performance for reactive dye wastewater at high temperatures because of their high thermal and chemical resistance.However,the application of ceramic membranes for the treatment of cationic dye wastewater is challenging because of their surface charge.In this study,a ceramic membrane is modified by grafting aminosilane(KH-551)to enhance the positive charge of the membrane surface.The rejection performance of the charged modified ceramic membrane toward the methylene blue solution is significantly improved.The modification substance is bonded to the ceramic membrane surface via covalent bonding,which imparts good thermal stability.The modified ceramic membrane exhibits stable separation performance toward the methylene blue solution.Overall,this study provides valuable guidance for the adjustment of the ceramic membrane surface charge for treating industrial cationic dye wastewater.

Spray coating of polysulfone/poly(ethylene glycol) block polymer on macroporous substrates followed by selective swelling for composite ultrafiltration membranes

Polysulfone(PSF) is extensively used for the production of ultrafiltration(UF) membranes thanks to its high strength,chemical stability,and good processibility.However,PSF is intrinsically hydrophobic,and hydrophilic modification is always required to PSF-based membranes if they are intended to be used in aqueous systems.Facile strategies to prepare hydrophilic PSF membranes are thus highly demanded.Herein we spray coat a PSF-based amphiphilic block polymer onto macroporous substrates followed by selective swelling to prepare flat-sheet PSF UF membranes.The polymer is a triblock polymer containing PSF as the majority middle block tethered with shorter block of polyethylene glycol(PEG) on both ends,that is,PEG-b-PSF-b-PEG.We use the technique of spray coa ting to homogeneously dispense diluted triblock polymer solutions on the top of macroporous supports,instantly resulting in uniform,defect-free polymer coating layers with the thickness down to ~1.2 μm.The bi-layered composite structures are then immerged in ethanol/acetone mixture to generate mesoscale pores in the coating layers following the mechanism of selective swelling-induced pore generation,thus producing composite membranes with the mesoporous triblock polymer coating as the selective layers.This facile strategy is free from additional hydrophilic modification and much smaller dosages of polymers are used compared to conventional casting methods.The pore sizes,porositie s,hydrophilicity,and consequently the separation properties of the membranes can be flexibly tuned by changing the swelling duration and the composition of the swelling bath.This strategy combining spray coating and selective swelling is upscalable for the production of highperformance PSF UF membranes.