• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.85-93
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• 2023

Membrane separation is widely used for several applications such as water treatment, membrane reactors and climate change. Cross-linked organic-inorganic hybrid polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) / Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) was adopted for the preparation of optimized hollow membrane (HFM) for membrane distillation or other low pressure separators for mechanical properties and permeability under varying pretreatment schemes. HFMs were prepared on semi-pilot membrane fabrication system. Novel adopted post-treatment schemes involved soaking in glycerol, magnesium sulphate (MgSO₄), sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and isopropanol for different durations. All fibers were characterized for morphology using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface roughness using atomic force microscope (AFM), elemental composition by examining Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), water contact angle (CA°) and porosity. The performance of the fibers was evaluated for pure water permeation flux (PWF). Post-treatment with MgSO₄ gave the highest both tensile modulus and flux. Assessment of properties and performance revealed comparable results with other organic-inorganic separators, HF or flat. In spite of few reported data on post treatment using MgSO₄ in presence of TEOS, this proves the potential of low cost treatment without negative impact on other membrane properties. The flux is also comparable with hypochlorite which manifests substantial precaution requirements in actual industrial use.The relatively high values of flux/bar for sample treated with TEOS, post treated with MgSO₄ and hypochlorite are 88 and 82 LMH/bar respectively.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.442-448
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• 2021

Seawater desalination is a technology through which salt and other constituents are removed from seawater to produce fresh water. While a significant amount of fresh water is produced, the desalination process is limited by the generation of concentrated brine with a higher salinity than seawater; this imposes environmental and economic problems. In this study, characteristics of seawater from three different locations in South Korea were analyzed to evaluate the feasibility of crystallization to seawater desalination. Organic and inorganic substances participating in crystal formation during concentration were identified. Then, prediction and economic feasibility analysis were conducted on the actual water flux and obtainable salt resources (i.e. Na2SO4) using membrane distillation and energy-saving crystallizer based on multi-stage flash (MSF-Cr). The seawater showed a rather low salinity (29.9~34.4 g/L) and different composition ratios depending on the location. At high concentrations, it was possible to observe the participation of dissolved organic matter and various ionic substances in crystalization. When crystallized, materials capable of forming various crystals are expected. However, it seems that different salt concentrations should be considered for each location. When the model developed using the Aspen Plus modular was applied in Korean seawater conditions, relatively high economic feasibility was confirmed in the MSF-Cr. The results of this study will help solve the environmental and economic problems of concentrated brine from seawater desalination.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.89-92
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• 2020

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) fibers are widely used in the textile industry, filter media, membrane distillation, electronic appliances, and construction. In this study, PTFE-polyethylene oxide (PEO) fibrous membranes were fabricated by emulsion electrospinning; subsequently, pure PTFE nanofibers were obtained via sintering. PTFE-PEO electrospinning solutions were prepared using different weight ratios to determine the optimized condition. As the ratio of the PEO increased, the fiber structure improved. Scanning electron microscopy and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy observations indicate that PEO is removed and PTFE fused gradually to form bonds among them during sintering. The obtained pristine PTFE membrane demonstrated hydrophobicity at 143.6° water contact angle and oleophilicity at 0° oil contact angle, which is known to be utilized for oil/water separation. A simple separation experiment was performed to remove oil droplets from water. The PTFE membrane exhibited good chemical stability and a high surface-area-to-volume nanofiber ratio. These excellent properties suggest that it is applicable to oil/water separation in harsh chemical environments.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.158-167
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• 2023

The increasing concerns for environmental pollution and depletion of natural resources have prompted the development of environmentally sustainable technologies. Pervaporation has garnered attention in recent decades due to its low energy consumption, environmental impact, and performance efficiency. This method has been used to separate chemical species and dehydrate organic solvents, as the membranes can be fine-tuned to fulfill the desired selectivity. Several separation processes, such as reverse osmosis and distillation, are being utilized in both experimental settings and industrial applications. However, pervaporation has several advantages, such as low operating pressure and temperature and a higher rejection rate. Nonetheless, the current state of membrane technology alone can't suffice the demands of practical applications. Composite membranes, on the other hand, can leverage the benefits of both organic and inorganic materials. Many studies have effectively incorporated inorganic nanomaterials such as graphene oxide (GO) and MXene (MX) in polymeric membranes to tackle the current limitations. This review investigates the recent development of 2D composite membranes in pervaporation and evaluates performance enhancement.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.114-123
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• 2024

Hydrogen isotopes can be categorized into light hydrogen, heavy hydrogen, and tritium based on the number of neutrons, each of which is used in specific fields. Specifically, deuterium is of interest in the electronics industry, nuclear energy industry, analytical technology industry, pharmaceutical industry, and telecommunications industry. Conventional methods such as cold distillation, thermal cycling absorption processes, Girdler sulfide processes, and water electrolysis have their own advantages and disadvantages, leading to the need for alternative technologies with high separation and energy efficiency. In this context, membrane-based hydrogen isotope separation is one of the promising solutions to reduce energy consumption. In this review, we will present the state-of-the-art in hydrogen isotope separation using membranes and their operating principles. The technology for separating hydrogen isotopes using membranes is just beginning to be conceptualized, and many challenges remain to be overcome. However, if achieved, the economic benefits are expected to be significant. We will discuss future research directions for this purpose.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.168-180
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• 2023

H₂ generation from renewable sources is crucial for ensuring sustainable production of energy. One approach to achieve this goal is biohydrogen production by utilizing renewable resources such as biomass and microorganisms. In contrast to commercial methods, biohydrogen production needs ambient temperature and pressure, thereby requiring less energy and cost. Biohydrogen production can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, particularly the emission of carbon dioxide (CO₂). However, it is also associated with significant challenges, including low hydrogen yields, hydrodynamic issues in bioreactors, and the need for H₂ separation and purification methods to obtain high-purity H₂. Various technologies have been developed for hydrogen separation and purification, including cryogenic distillation, pressure-swing adsorption, absorption, and membrane technology. This review addresses important experimental developments in dense polymeric membranes for biohydrogen purification.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.163-171
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• 2022

Many studies on pervaporation (PV) for the separation of dilute alcohols as an alternative to conventional energy-intensive technique of distillation have been conducted earlier. The pervaporation transition behavior of ethanol-water mixtures through the PDMS/PSF membrane is important, in order to understand the mechanism of diffusion process. Therefore, in the present work, transient PV behavior for 50 wt% EtOH/H₂O mixture at 50℃ was investigated by using 1194 cm² PDMS/PSF hollow fiber membrane modules. The overall total flux and the separation factor of all the membrane modules increased initially and then gradually decreased with respect to PV time. The initial increase can be attributed to fact that membrane fibers were dry and it took time to dissolve into the membrane surface, but the subsequent decrease is due to the depletion of ethanol concentration in the feed. Therefore, it was confirmed that the ethanol permeation through a PDMS membrane is governed by the solution-diffusion mechanism.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.103-107
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• 2008

Membrane process has been focused as an alternative separation process because not only it exhibits a high selectivity compared with a traditional distillation process, but also it is known to be an energy saving separation process. Inorganic membrane, especially zeolite membrane, has been studied since it can be operated in severe conditions compared to the organic membranes. Recently, new zeolite materials are tested as an inorganic membrane material to overcome disadvantages of existing zeolite membranes. Kalsilite can be used as an inorganic membrane material for gas separation and selective water separation from water/organic mixtures because it is expected to be hydrophilic resulted from Si/Al ratio of 1 like zeolite 4A and has a narrow pore size of 0.36 nm. In this study, kalsilite was synthesized by a new economical hydrothermal process using Si : Al : K : $H_2O$ mole ratio of 1 : 1 : 8 : 60. The synthesized kalsilite powder was confirmed by XRD and has a mean diameter of $2.73{\mu}m$. The vapor adsorption test showed the synthesized kalsilite is hydrophilic.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2006

The NaA zeolite membrane was synthesized on the surface of a porous ${\alpha}$-alumina support from the reaction solution composed of 1Si : 1Na : 4Na $6H_{2}O$. The pervaporation performance of the synthesized NaA zeolite membrane was investigated for the iso-propyl alcohol (IPA) aqueous solution according to the different feed concentration and the different operating temperature. The total flux decreases by increasing the feed IPA concentration and increases by increasing the temperature. The total flux was about $4.0{\times}10^3g/m^2\;hr\;at\;60^{\circ}C$ and 0.6 mole fraction of IPA and the separation factor was $1.8{\times}10^7\;at\;60^{\circ}C$ and 0.8 mole fraction of IPA. The separation performance of water through the NaA membrane was found to be superior to that obtainable with a distillation process just by comparison of the vapor-liquid equilibrium data.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.185-196
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• 2010

Korea is presently the leading country in global desalination industry and has been investing a large amount of money and human resources in development of new core technologies to increase its' share of global market. In this paper, we reviewed world-wide trends of the advanced water industry and outlined various seawater desalination technologies developed so far. We also made some analysis on the directions and results of the government-lead R&D sponsorship in the field of seawater-freshening technology. Present studies showed that we need an institutional strategy to help domestic companies guarantee the credibility of the technologies developed by themselves based upon their experience of plant operation. Futhermore, strategic R&D programs to develope original technologies and localization of key components for desalination plants should be preceded in the near future.