Membrane Science Commons^™

Superhydrophobic Cerium-Based Metal–Organic Frameworks/Polymer Nanofibers For Water Treatment, Samar A. Salim, Hani Nasser Abdelhamid,

Nanotechnology Research Centre

No abstract provided.

Optimization And Dft Study For Boosted Electooxidation Of Formic Acid At Niox Modified Pt Using Urea Derivatives As Blending Fuels, Aya Saada

Biochemical Engineering

This paper addresses the enhancement of formic acid electrooxidation (FAO) at Pt and Pt-NiOx nanoparticles based-catalysts assisted with urea derivatives as blending fuels. Blending formic acid with various ratios of urea derivatives showed noticeable enhancements of FAO as demonstrated by a favorable negative shift of its onset potential (Eonset) and increase of its peak current density concurrently with suppression of the amount of CO poisoning reaction intermediate. Among all the used derivatives, phenyl urea (PU) showed superior enhancing effect towards the direct FAO with a minimal CO formation together with a favorable negative shift of Eonset by 150 mV. The …

Integrating Medical Plastic Waste Pyrolysis And Circular Economy For Environmental Sustainability, Attia Attia, Mohamed Bassyouni Prof., Reem Nasser Eng., Moataz El-Bagoury Eng., Islam Shaker Eng., Yasser Elhenawy Prof., Dina Aboelela Dr.

Biochemical Engineering

A critical assessment of pyrolysis technologies and reactor designs was discussed, highlighting various reactor configurations. This study explored the influence of catalysts, temperature, heating rate, and residence time on the pyrolysis process, and addressed their effects on product distribution and composition. Safety considerations and strategies for mitigating the potential environmental impacts of pyrolysis were presented. Comparative analyses of the environmental impacts of traditional waste disposal methods versus pyrolysis-based approaches provided insights into the potential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants. The circular economy approach was explored in the context of medical plastic waste pyrolysis. The potential for closing …

Electrical Homeostasis Of The Inner Mitochondrial Membrane Potential, Peyman Fahimi, Lázaro A. M. Castanedo, P. Thomas Vernier, Cherif F. Matta

Bioelectrics Publications

The electric potential across the inner mitochondrial membrane must be maintained within certain bounds for the proper functioning of the cell. A feedback control mechanism for the homeostasis of this membrane potential is proposed whereby an increase in the electric field decreases the rate-limiting steps of the electron transport chain (ETC). An increase in trans-membrane electric field limits the rate of proton pumping to the inter-membrane gap by slowing the ETC reactions and by intrinsically induced electroporation that depolarizes the inner membrane. The proposed feedback mechanism is akin to a Le Chatelier's-type principle of trans-membrane potential feedback control.

Voltammetric Determination Of Hydrogen Peroxide At Decorated Palladium Nanoparticles/Poly 1,5- Diaminonaphthalene Modified Carbon-Paste Electrode, Ziad Khalifa, Mohamed Fathi Abo Oura, Magdi Abdelazzem, Ablah Hathoot

Chemical Engineering

In this work, palladium nanoparticles (PdNPs)/p1,5-DAN/ carbon paste electrode (CPE) and p1,5-DAN/CPE sensors have been developed for determination of hydrogen peroxide. Both sensors showed a highly sensitive and selective electrochemical behaviour, which were derived from a large specific area of poly 1,5 DAN and super excellent electroconductibility of PdNPs. PdNPs/p1,5-DAN/CPE exhibited excellent performance over p1,5-DAN/CPE. Thus, it was used for detecting hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) with linear ranges of 0.1 to 250 μM and 0.2 to 300 μM as well as detection limits (S/N= 3) of 1.0 and 5.0 nM for square wave voltammetry (SWV) and cyclic voltammetry (C.V) techniques, respectively. …

Exploring The Morphological Surface Resistance And Optical Absorption Of Thin Black Carbon Nanotube Films For Electronic And Optoelectronic Devices, Ziad Khalifa, Sameh Osama Abdellatif

Chemical Engineering

This study investigates the optical and electrical properties of thin black films of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) fabricated under various conditions to explore their potential integration as either a perfect broadband absorber or enhanced counter electrode. The study involves SEM measurements, surface resistance measurements, and UV–Vis. spectrometer analysis. The results show that the CNT thin films exhibit high electrical conductivity and strong light absorption across various wavelengths. Optically, we investigated the impact of varying the growth temperature and catalyst temperature on the absorption profile of the thin films. The fabricated and deposited CNTs showed broadband absorption spectra, reaching 92.8% of the …

Process Simulation For Converting Co2 Emissions From The Cementindustry To Dimethyl Ether, Nour Abou Seada, Dina Aboelela

Biochemical Engineering

Climate change is the leading severe problem in the twenty-first century, which is associated with greenhouse gas emissions,carbon dioxide that is the foremost cause of global warming and super greenhouse effect. In this concern, to avoid hazardousproblems, the steady stream of CO2 effluents existing in the atmosphere must be transformed to beneficial products for beingused as an abundant chemical feedstock. Implementing a new green strategy, which is known for the catalytic hydrogenationof CO2 into alternative fuels and valuable chemicals, will be a long-lasting solution to alleviate CO2 emissions. In this paper,a process simulation showing the synthesis of dimethyl ether (DME) …

Hydrogen Production From Microbial Electrolysis Cells Powered With Microbial Fuel Cells, Dina Aboelela

Biochemical Engineering

No abstract provided.

Innovative Approaches To Poultry Processing Wastewater Treatment: The Stainless Steel Ultrafiltration Membrane As A Viable Option, Saubana Olorunrola Dada, Chidambaram Thamariselvan, Mahmood Jebur, Sumith Ranil Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In pursuit of sustainability, we explored replacing conventional dissolved air floatation (DAF) in poultry processing wastewater (PPW) treatment with a precisely tuned 0.02 µm stainless-steel ultrafiltration (SSUF) membrane. SSUF is a robust, homogenously porous membrane with strong chemical resistance, ease of cleaning, and exceptional resistance to organic fouling. Unlike polymeric membranes, it can be regenerated multiple times, making it a cost-effective choice due to its compatibility with harsh chemical cleaning. The PPW used for the study was untreated wastewater from all processing units and post-initial screening. Our study revealed the SSUF membrane’s exceptional efficiency at eliminating contaminants. It achieved an …

High Flux Novel Polymeric Membrane For Renal Applications, Christa N. Hestekin, Efecan Pakkaner, Jamie Hestekin, Leticia Santos De Souza, Partha Pratim Chowdhury, Juliana Louzada Marçal, John Moore, Sarah A. Hesse, Christopher J. Takacs, Christopher J. Tassone, Soma Shekar Dachavaram, Peter A. Crooks, Kate Williams, Ira Kurtz

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Biocompatibility and the ability to mediate the appropriate flux of ions, urea, and uremic toxins between blood and dialysate components are key parameters for membranes used in dialysis. Oxone-mediated TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanomaterials have been demonstrated to be excellent additives in the production and tunability of ultrafiltration and dialysis membranes. In the present study, nanocellulose ionic liquid membranes (NC-ILMs) were tested in vitro and ex vivo. An increase in flux of up to two orders of magnitude was observed with increased rejection (about 99.6%) of key proteins compared to that of polysulfone (PSf) and other commercial membranes. NC-ILMs have a sharper …

Integrated Electrocoagulation, Ultrafiltration, Membrane Distillation, And Crystallization For Treating Produced Water, Mahmood Jebur, Yelyzaveta Bachynska, Xiaolei Hao, Sumith Ranil Wickramasinghe

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Produced water (PW) generated from hydraulic fracturing operations was treated using an integrated electrocoagulation, ultrafiltration, membrane distillation, and crystallization process (EC UF MDC). The aim was to determine the viability of this integrated process for maximizing water recovery. The results obtained here indicate that optimizing the various unit operations could lead to increased recovery of PW. Membrane fouling limits all membrane separation processes. A pretreatment step to suppress fouling is essential. Here, removal of total suspended solids (TSS) and total organic carbon (TOC) was achieved by electrocoagulation (EC) followed by ultrafiltration (UF). The hydrophobic membrane used in membrane distillation may …

Devices And Methods For Removing Perflourinated Compounds From Contaminted Water, Dibakar Bhattacharyya Phd, Anthony Saad Phd, Rollie Mills Phd, L. E. Ormsbee Phd, M Abdul Mottaleb Phd

Civil Engineering Faculty Patents

PFAS compounds have emerged as a persistent and harmful environmental pollutant that present significant challenges to health and remediation. This patent describes a new technology that employs membrane technology along with thermo-responsive adsorption-desorption processes to remove perfluorinated compounds from contaminate water.

Application Of The Core Shell Model For Strengthening Polymer Filament Interfaces, Yu-Chung Lin, Aniket Raut, Yiwei Fang, Yifan Yin, David Sprouster, Tai-De Li, Guillaume Freychet, Mikhail Zhernenkov, Steve Nitodas, Jonathan Sokolov, Yuval Shmueli, Miriam Rafailovich

Advanced Science Research Center

While surface segregation has been intensively studied in thin films, relatively little has been investigated in filament geometries. In contrast to thin films, the filament surface forms a continuum, with interactions both at the free air and internal filament interface, which makes it difficult to achieve an equilibrium configuration. This asymmetry has become particularly apparent with the increasing use of additive manufacturing where entire structures are constructed via layered deposition of filamentous layers from a moving thermal nozzle. In addition, this process is highly non-equilibrated with poor thermal retention and is responsible for insufficient filament–filament interfacial fusion and internal pore …

Mesures À Haute Sensibilité Du Passage De Contaminants Nanométriques À Travers Les Gants De Protection Par Imagerie Médicale, Mahmoud Mohamed Omar, Amélie Augé, Myriam Laprise-Pelletier, Ludovic Tuduri, Marc-André Fortin

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Les gants de polymère sont utilisés comme équipements de protection individuels dans de nombreux secteurs d’activité professionnelle où les risques chimiques sont présents. Leur efficacité à bloquer le passage de certains contaminants doit être mesurée par des méthodes d’essais précises et standardisées. Les mesures de résistance chimique sont généralement effectuées en utilisant une cellule de perméation, un petit appareil contenant deux réservoirs séparés par la membrane dont on veut mesurer le potentiel-barrière : l’un contient le contaminant, l’autre contient un milieu collectant le contaminant après que celui-ci ait passé à travers la membrane. Au fur et à mesure de l’expérience, …

Impact Of Spray Coating On The Performance Of Hydrophobic Membranes, Dominick J. Maiorano, Hamid Fattahijuybari, David Warsinger

Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship

Membrane distillation (MD) is a rapidly emerging water treatment technology used to combat the global water crisis. Membrane pore wetting is a primary barrier to widespread industrial use of MD. The primary causes of membrane wetting are membrane fouling and an exceedance of liquid entry pressure. The development of different types of polymer membranes and the use of pretreatment have led to significant movement towards the prevention of wetting in MD. We sought to take a new approach to combat membrane wetting that involves coating these membranes with hydrophilic chemical compounds, which consequently would decrease their air permeability. Pulling data …

Effective Parameters Controlling Sterol Transfer: A Time‑Resolved Small‑Angle Neutron Scattering Study, Ursula Perez-Salas, Lionel Porcar, Sumit Garg, Manuela A.A. Ayee-Leong, Irena Levitan

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Though cholesterol is the most prevalent and essential sterol in mammalian cellular membranes, its precursors, post-synthesis cholesterol products, as well as its oxidized derivatives play many other important physiological roles. Using a non-invasive in situ technique, time-resolved small angle neutron scattering, we report on the rate of membrane desorption and corresponding activation energy for this process for a series of sterol precursors and post-synthesis cholesterol products that vary from cholesterol by the number and position of double bonds in B ring of cholesterol’s steroid core. In addition, we report on sterols that have oxidation modifications in ring A and ring …

Microcystin-Lr Removal From Water Via Enzymatic Linearization And Ultrafiltration, Abelline Fionah, Cannon Hackett, Hazim Aljewari, Laura Brady, Faisal Alqhtani, Isabel C. Escobar, Audie K. Thompson

Chemical Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) is a toxin produced by cyanobacteria that can bloom in freshwater supplies. This study describes a new strategy for remediation of MC-LR that combines linearization of the toxin using microcystinase A, MlrA, enzyme with rejection of linearized byproducts using membrane filtration. The MlrA enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli (E. coli) and purified via a His-tag with 95% purity. Additionally, composite membranes made of 95% polysulfone and 5% sulfonated polyether ether ketone (SPEEK) were fabricated and used to filter a solution containing cyclic and linearized MC-LR. Tests were also performed to measure the adsorption and desorption of MC-LR …

Small-Pore Zeolite Membranes: A Review Of Gas Separation Applications And Membrane Preparation, Zishu Cao, Ninad Anjikar, Shaowei Yang

Chemical & Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

There have been significant advancements in small-pore zeolite membranes in recent years. With pore size closely related to many energy- or environment-related gas molecules, small-pore zeolite membranes have demonstrated great potential for the separation of some interested gas pairs, such as CO2/CH4, CO2/N-2 and N-2/CH4. Small-pore zeolite membranes share some characteristics but also have distinctive differences depending on their framework, structure and zeolite chemistry. Through this mini review, the separation performance of different types of zeolite membranes with respect to interested gas pairs will be compared. We aim to give readers an idea of membrane separation status. A few representative …

Lipoprotein-Induced Increases In Cholesterol And 7-Ketocholesterol Result In Opposite Molecular-Scale Biophysical Effects On Membrane Structure, Manuela A.A. Ayee, Irena Levitan

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

Under hypercholesterolemic conditions, exposure of cells to lipoproteins results in a subtle membrane increase in the levels of cholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol, as compared to normal conditions. The effect of these physiologically relevant concentration increases on multicomponent bilayer membranes was investigated using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Significant changes in the structural and dynamic properties of the bilayer membranes resulted from these subtle increases in sterol levels, with both sterol species inducing decreases in the lateral area and inhibiting lateral diffusion to varying extents. Cholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol, however, exhibited opposite effects on lipid packing and orientation. The results from this study indicate …

Abiotic Sensor For Electrochemical Determination Of Chlorpyrifos In Natural Water Based On The Inhibition Of Silver Nanoparticles Oxidation, Ziad Khalifa, Moustafa Zahran, Magdy Zahran, Magdi Abdelazzem

Chemical Engineering

Chlorpyrifos, organophosphorus pesticide, is a persistent organic pollutant that may cause serious health problems. Herein, a simple, green, and sensitive electrochemical inhibition sensor based on silver nanoparticles (AgNP)-modified glassy carbon (GC) electrode was developed for the determination of chlorpyrifos in natural water for the first time. The chemical reduction technique based on natural reducing and capping agents such as dissolved organic matter (DOM), natural latex (NL) and mucilage was employed for AgNP synthesis. DOM-AgNP, NL-AgNP, and Mucilage-AgNP were immobilized on GC by sticking technique under the same voltammetric and electrolytic conditions. The oxidation behavior of the three modified electrodes was …

Optimizing Membrane Distillation With Solar Thermal Collectors, Andrew Mason, Ben Shulders, Siamak Nejati

UCARE: Research Products

With rising human populations, the demand for freshwater is an ever-growing problem. One emerging technology to combat this problem is membrane distillation (MD). MD has several advantages for water desalination including 100% rejection of solute (salt, heavy metals, etc.) and mergeability with other affordable energy sources (solar heat, electric resistance, etc.) However, at the moment the specific energy consumption (SEC) of MD is very high due to low water production rates and large energy inputs to heat water. In a solar‐assisted design for MD, the high cost of solar collectors (~$200/m2) inhibits the low cost of water production in comparison …

Nanohybrid Membrane Synthesis With Phosphorene Nanoparticles: A Study Of The Addition, Stability And Toxicity, Joyner Eke, Philip Alexander Mills, Jacob Ryan Page, Garrison P. Wright, Olga V. Tsyusko, Isabel C. Escobar

Center of Membrane Sciences Faculty Publications

Phosphorene is a promising candidate as a membrane material additive because of its inherent photocatalytic properties and electrical conductance which can help reduce fouling and improve membrane properties. The main objective of this study was to characterize structural and morphologic changes arising from the addition of phosphorene to polymeric membranes. Here, phosphorene was physically incorporated into a blend of polysulfone (PSf) and sulfonated poly ether ether ketone (SPEEK) doping solution. Protein and dye rejection studies were carried out to determine the permeability and selectivity of the membranes. Since loss of material additives during filtration processes is a challenge, the stability …

Toxicant Disruption Of Immune Defenses Potential Implications For Fetal Membranes And Pregnancy, Sean M. Harris, Erica Boldenow, Steven E. Domino, Rita Loch-Caruso

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

In addition to providing a physical compartment for gestation, the fetal membranes (FM) are an active immunological barrier that provides defense against pathogenic microorganisms that ascend the gravid reproductive tract. Pathogenic infection of the gestational tissues (FM and placenta) is a leading known cause of preterm birth (PTB). Some environmental toxicants decrease the capacity for organisms to mount an immune defense against pathogens. For example, the immunosuppressive effects of the widespread environmental contaminant trichloroethylene (TCE) are documented for lung infection with Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Group B Streptococcus (GBS; Streptococcus agalactiae) is a bacterial pathogen that is frequently found in the female …

Pollution Prevention Via Recovery Of Cerium (Iv) Oxide In Optics Company, Eugene Park, William Gallagher, Sydor Optics, Flint Creek Resources

Articles

Pollution prevention methods were applied at an optics manufacturer in an effort to improve recovery of a valuable polishing component, cerium oxide (ceria), 77% of which was lost to dragout and sewer discharge. Centrifugation and microfiltratiion were evaluated to develop a process that would increase recovery of used ceria, which would then be sent back to the ceria supplier for reclamation and reuse. Full-scale implementation included a high-speed centrifuge that operates continuously with a microfiltration system through recirculation in a single process tank. Sydor Optics has improved ceria recovery from 23% to 48%, saving thousands of dollars annually.

Fabrication Of Composite Membranes For Solar-Thermal Desalination, Andrew Mason, Mahdi Mohammadighaleni, Siamak Nejati

UCARE: Research Products

With rising human populations, the demand for freshwater is an ever-growing problem. One emerging technology to combat this problem is membrane distillation (MD). MD has several advantages for water desalination such as:

•100% rejection of solute (salt, heavy metals, etc.) •Mergeable with other affordable energy sources (solar heat, electric resistance, etc.)

However, at the moment the specific energy consumption (SEC) of MD is very high due to low water production rates and large energy inputs to heat water. In a solar-assisted design for MD, the high cost of solar collectors (~$200/m2) inhibits low cost of water production in comparison to …

Preparation Of Ceramic Membranes From Sludge Waste, Mai H. Roushdy

Chemical Engineering

Ceramic tiles industry produces industrial waste wit large amount which become a worldwide problem. Ceramic sludge produced from ceramic tiles wastewater treatment plant is routinely discarded as a useless waste. The aim of this paper is to recycle the ceramic sludge waste to be used as raw material for ceramic membrane production. The ceramic sludge was collected, dried, and characterized by mineralogical composition (XRD), thermal analysis (DTA and TGA), and chemical composition determination (XRF). The support ceramic membrane samples were formed, pressed, dried then fired using temperatures from 1050 to 1200 °C for 1 to 3 hours. Verification parameters were …

Preparation And Characterization Of Ceramic Nanofiltration Membrane Prepared From Hazardous Industrial Waste, Shereen Kamel Amin, Mai Hassan Roushdy, Heba Mohamed Abdallah, Ahmed Mostafa, Magdi Fouad Abadir

Chemical Engineering

Kiln rollers, which are widely used in ceramic tiles production, are usually subjected to surface grinding to remove the contaminations. The resulted fine powder is considered useless waste and a hazardous source of environmental pollution particularly as it contains health‐threatening fine free silica. In the present paper, the grind waste from kiln rollers was reused as raw material in the fabrication of nanofiltration cerramic membrane. The samples of produced ceramic membranes were formed into disks by adding 15% (by weight) organic binder solution with 2% concentration, then pressed at 35 MPa, dried and fired at temperatures range from 1100°C to …

Fabrication Of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Hollow Fiber Membranes For Membrane Distillation, Abdullah Al Balushi

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Desalination technologies can help humanity tap into the most abundant source of water on earth, seawater; however, desalination is an energy-demanding process. Most of the desalination plants worldwide use conventional energy resources; therefore, desalination leaves a large carbon footprint. Solar energy is an available source of energy that can be harvested and integrated into desalination systems.

Membrane distillation (MD) is an emerging purification technology that many offers many advantages over traditional desalination systems. For starters, it can utilize low-grade thermal energy to drive the separation, therefore, it can be suitably integrated into the solar-thermal energy scheme. Additionally, MD can be …

Biomethane Production From Distillery Wastewater, Zachary Christman

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Distillery wastewater treatment is a great ecological problem, for example, India produces 2.7 billion liters of alcohol that results in 40 billion liters of wastewater. However, this material can be seen as a resource since 11 million cubic meters of biogas at 60% methane could be produced in addition to cleaning the water. The distillery has two options of what to do with the biogas. The first is to use the biogas to fuel the distillery making the production plant more energy efficient and removing some of the need to buy natural gas. The other is to upgrade the biogas …

Exergetic Relationship Between The Thermal Properties Of Direct Contact Membrane Distillation, D. Perdue, L. Chen, L. Schaefer

Publications

Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) is a process that has shown promise within the field of desalination due to its less energy intensive methods and widespread applications. DCMD is a thermally driven microfiltration separation process that operates on the principle of vapor–liquid equilibrium conditions where heat and mass transfer occur simultaneously. Fundamentally, DCMD is based on a porous hydrophobic membrane separating the hot solution (feed) from the cold solution (permeate) where desalinated water condenses. The membrane interfacial temperatures determine the vapor pressure difference across the membrane. In this work, a direct simulation Monte Carlo analysis is employed to investigate how …