• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.51-61
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• 2022

Gas separation via hollow fibre membrane modules (HFMM) is deemed to be a promising technology for natural gas sweetening, particularly for lowering the level of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in natural gas, which can cause various problems during transportation and process operation. Separation performance via HFMM is affected by membrane properties, module specifications and operating conditions. In this study, a mathematical model for HFMM is developed, which can be used to assess the effects of the aforementioned variables on separation performance. Appropriate boundary conditions are imposed to resolve steady-state values of permeate variables and incorporated in the model equations via an iterative numerical procedure. The developed model is proven to be reliable via model validation against experimental data in the literature. Also, the model is capable of capturing axial variations of process variables as well as predicting key performance indicators. It can be extended to simulate a large-scale plant and identify an optimal process design and operating conditions for improved separation efficiency and reduced cost.

• Korean Membrane Journal
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2006

In semiconductor industries, dissolved oxygen is one of the most undesirable contaminants of ultrapure water. A method for dissolved oxygen removal (DOR) consists in the use of polymeric hollow fibres, loaded with a catalyst and fed with a reducing agent such as hydrogen. In this work, PVDF hollow fibres loaded with Pd were characterized by means of perporometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). The hollow fibre analyzed shows a five-layer structure with remarkable morphological differences. An estimation of pore diameters and their distribution was performed giving a mean pore diameter of 100 nm. The permeance and selectivity of the fibres were measured using $H_2,\;N_2,\;O_2$ as single gases, at different operating conditions. An $H_2$ permeance of $37 mmol/m^2s$ was measured and $H_2/O_2$ and $H_2/N_2$ selectivities of ca. 3 were obtained. $H_2$ permeance was 1/3 when a water stream flows in the shell side. Catalytic fibrebehaviour was simulated using a mathematical model for a loop membrane reactor, considering only $O_2$ and $H_2$ diffusive transport inside the membrane and their catalytic reaction. Dimensionless parameters such as the Thiele modulus are employed to describe the system behaviour. The model agrees well with the experimental reaction data.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.112-117
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• 2007

The application of membrane bioreactors for the depuration of wastewater coming from the washing of mineral oil storage tanks is described. Microfiltration hollow-fibre membranes were used in the submerged configuration. Filtration tests were carried out with a biomass concentration of about 15 g/L in order to assess the critical flux of the hollow fibre membrane used. Then particular care was taken in carrying out the performance runs in the sub-critical flux region. The reactor performance was very high, with removal efficiencies ranging between 93% and 97% also when the concentration of hydrocarbon was very high. Some kinetic parameters for the COD and the hydrocarbon removal were estimated.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 1991

This study thus looks into two treatment processess : i) Anaerobic digester coupled with hollow fibre membrane unit. Treatment of starch waste with anaerobic digester-membrane system was studied. $0.17\m^2$ area of hollow fibre membrane unit of known pore size was immersed into laboratory-scale anaerobic digestion system. The pore size of membrane was varied from 0.03 to $\0.15mu$m. The hydraulic retention time of anaerobic digester was varied from 1.5 to 10 days. The effect of hydraulic retention time on treatment efficiency was significant while effect of membrane size was not significant. The gas production was about 0.74㎥/kg COD treated. The COD removal efficient was about 80-95% depending on the hydraulic retention time. ii ) Crossflow ultrafiltration as post treatment to anaerobic filter. The effluent from anaerobic filter, which had a total COD in the range of 4,500-5,200 mg/L was treated by crossflow ultrafiltration units. The study conducted with different membrane pore size indicated that membrace with 1,000,000 molecular weight cut-off size gave a higher COD removal efficiency in the range of 83-87% while giving a study flux of $120-130 L/\m^2$.h. A study was conducted to see the long term clogging effect of membrane also.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.19-34
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• 2017

Boron exists in dilute concentrations in sea water, ground water and waste waters. Reactive liquid extraction can be used for removing boron to make the treated water suitable for drinking and irrigation, with its final concentration less than 0.5 ppm. The results of equilibrium experiments are reported on the removal of boron using 2-butyl-2-ethyl-1, 3-propanediol (BEPD as a nonionic carrier) in sunflower oil, a non-traditional solvent. The results of removal of boron from aqueous solutions in the concentration range 0.5-20 ppm are presented. It is shown that this new liquid membrane system, is able to remove boron from ground waters at their natural pH of 6-8 (without any chemical addition for pH adjustments). The removal efficiency is good when the process is upgraded to a hollow-fibre membrane contactor and approximately 45% boron can be removed in a single-stage contact. There are additional advantages of this new approach that includes reduced operational health and safety and environmental issues. The results reported here provide guidelines to the development of boron removal process using renewable, biodegradable, safe and cheap solvent system such as sunflower oil.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.251-266
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• 2011

This work deals with the use of High Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy (HRSEM) to verify ultrafiltration membrane selectivity at the end of the production line as well as membrane ageing. The first part of this work is focused on new membranes. It is shown that it is better to use sputtering metallization than vacuum deposition, as this latter technique entails thermal damage to the skin layer. Moreover, the impact of the metallization layer on the determination of the membrane pore size is studied and it is observed that no impact of the metallization step can be clearly defined for a metallization layer ranging from 3 to 12 nm. For example, an average pore size of 16.9 nm and a recovery rate of 6.5 % are observed for a 150 kDa cellulose acetate membrane. These results are in agreement with those given by the manufacturer: pore size ranging from 10 to 15 nm and recovery rate ranging from 5 to 10 %. The second part of this work focuses on the study of membrane ageing. A PVDF hollow fibre membrane is studied. It is shown that a 65 % decrease in the permeate flux can be linked to a decrease in the number of pores at the surface of the membrane and a decrease in the recovery rate. In conclusion, a mapping of the pores is performed for several new hollow fibre membranes used to produce drinking water, made of different materials, with different geometries and molecular weight cut-off. These results provide reference data that will help better understand the phenomena of membrane fouling and membrane ageing.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2015

The compact structure and high-quality effluent of membrane bioreactors make them well-suited for decentralized greywater reclamation. However, the occurrence of membrane fouling continues to limit their effectiveness. To address this concern, a unique membrane module configuration was developed for use in a decentralized greywater treatment system. The module featured local aeration directly below a series of inclined membrane bundles, giving the overall module a twisted appearance compared to a module with vertically orientated fibres. The intent of this design was to increase the frequency and intensity of collisions between rising air bubbles and the membrane surface. Material related to the construction of custom-fit modules is rarely communicated. Therefore, detailed design and assembly procedures were provided in this paper. The twisted module was compared to two commercially available modules with diverse specifications in order to assess the relative performance and marketability of the twisted module with respect to existing products. Contaminant removal efficiencies were determined in terms of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and turbidity for each module. Membrane fouling was monitored in terms of permeate flux, transmembrane pressure, and membrane resistance. Following 168 h of operation, the twisted module configuration demonstrated competitive performance, indicating good potential for further development and commercialization.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.95-108
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• 2013

Metal ions exist in seawater, groundwater and industrial wastewaters. These source waters can be recycled if their concentrations are reduced. A number of processes can be applied for this purpose. Liquid-liquid extraction is one of the promising methods. In this paper, experimental results are presented on the removal of Cr(VI) using Aliquat-336, a reactive carrier, in sunflower oil (a non-toxic solvent). The performance of this new system is compared with those of kerosene (a toxic solvent). The extent of removal of Cr(VI) from samples with high and low concentrations are presented. The process was upgraded to a bench-scale module that can selectively remove about 50-90% Cr(VI) from samples of groundwater. Thus this process can produce water within the acceptable range for recycling and for use in secondary purposes such as irrigation.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05b
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• pp.89-93
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• 2004

이산화탄소는 메탄, 오존, 산화질소, CFC등의 온실기체 중 약 50%를 차지하는 물질로서 이산화탄소 발생의 저감과 함께 회수 기술의 개발을 통한 배출량 억제는 환경적 측면에서 대단히 중요한 것으로 간주되고 있다. 따라서 각종 산업분야에서 발생하는 다양한 성분을 가진 다성분계 배가스내에 존재하는 10%내외의 이산화탄소만을 분리정제 농축하여 메탄, 메탄을 등의 다른 화학물질의 제조의 원료, 신에너지원, 고부가가치의 신제품 등으로 전환하는 연구가 활발히 진행 중이다.(중략)