Activated-Carbon-Doped Non-Solvent-Induced Phase-Inversion Membranes: A  Comprehensive Study on Synthesis, Characterisation, and Performance Evaluation

Raúl Mompó-Curell; Simbarashe Biti; Alicia Iborra-Clar; María Isabel Iborra-Clar; Esperanza M. Garcia-Castello; Claudia Fernández-Martín

doi:10.3390/su16031150

Activated-Carbon-Doped Non-Solvent-Induced Phase-Inversion Membranes: A Comprehensive Study on Synthesis, Characterisation, and Performance Evaluation

Raúl Mompó-Curell^* (Corresponding Author), Simbarashe Biti, Alicia Iborra-Clar, María Isabel Iborra-Clar, Esperanza M. Garcia-Castello, Claudia Fernández-Martín

^*Corresponding author for this work

Universitat Politècnica de València

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Wastewater treatment often enables discharge into natural water bodies, but for effective reuse, further treatment is essential. Membrane processes provide a precise solution yet face limitations due to fouling and organic material adsorption, impacting their performance. This study focuses on synthesising ultrafiltration membranes using non-solvent-induced phase separation. These membranes are produced from a Polyethersulfone/N,N′-dimethylacetanamide (PES/DMA) solution with varying concentrations of three commercial powdered activated carbons (ACs). The membranes undergo comprehensive analysis, revealing different behaviours based on AC type and concentration in the active layer. Among the membranes, Norit R with 0.5 wt.% concentration exhibits the highest polyethylene glycol (PEG) rejection, with an impressive rejection index (R) of 80.34% and permeability coefficient of 219.29 (L·m−2·h−1·bar−1). AC-enhanced membranes display superior selectivity compared to non-doped PES membranes. This work highlights the significant influence of AC textural properties, specifically specific surface area, total micropore volume, and average micropore width, on membrane performance, particularly the rejection index.

Original language	English
Article number	1150
Number of pages	20
Journal	Sustainability
Volume	16
Issue number	3
Early online date	30 Jan 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031150
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2024

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgments: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to any Author-Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission

For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission.

Keywords

powder activated carbon
non-solvent-induced phase-inversion membranes
membrane characterisation
wastewater treatment
organic fouling

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

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Mompo_etal_S_Activated_Carbon_Doped_VoR
© 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Cite this

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abstract = "Wastewater treatment often enables discharge into natural water bodies, but for effective reuse, further treatment is essential. Membrane processes provide a precise solution yet face limitations due to fouling and organic material adsorption, impacting their performance. This study focuses on synthesising ultrafiltration membranes using non-solvent-induced phase separation. These membranes are produced from a Polyethersulfone/N,N′-dimethylacetanamide (PES/DMA) solution with varying concentrations of three commercial powdered activated carbons (ACs). The membranes undergo comprehensive analysis, revealing different behaviours based on AC type and concentration in the active layer. Among the membranes, Norit R with 0.5 wt.% concentration exhibits the highest polyethylene glycol (PEG) rejection, with an impressive rejection index (R) of 80.34% and permeability coefficient of 219.29 (L·m−2·h−1·bar−1). AC-enhanced membranes display superior selectivity compared to non-doped PES membranes. This work highlights the significant influence of AC textural properties, specifically specific surface area, total micropore volume, and average micropore width, on membrane performance, particularly the rejection index.",

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note = "Acknowledgments: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to any Author-Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission For the purpose of open access, the author has applied a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) licence to any Author Accepted Manuscript version arising from this submission. ",

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AU - Iborra-Clar, María Isabel

AU - Garcia-Castello, Esperanza M.

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N2 - Wastewater treatment often enables discharge into natural water bodies, but for effective reuse, further treatment is essential. Membrane processes provide a precise solution yet face limitations due to fouling and organic material adsorption, impacting their performance. This study focuses on synthesising ultrafiltration membranes using non-solvent-induced phase separation. These membranes are produced from a Polyethersulfone/N,N′-dimethylacetanamide (PES/DMA) solution with varying concentrations of three commercial powdered activated carbons (ACs). The membranes undergo comprehensive analysis, revealing different behaviours based on AC type and concentration in the active layer. Among the membranes, Norit R with 0.5 wt.% concentration exhibits the highest polyethylene glycol (PEG) rejection, with an impressive rejection index (R) of 80.34% and permeability coefficient of 219.29 (L·m−2·h−1·bar−1). AC-enhanced membranes display superior selectivity compared to non-doped PES membranes. This work highlights the significant influence of AC textural properties, specifically specific surface area, total micropore volume, and average micropore width, on membrane performance, particularly the rejection index.

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