Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Osmosis”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Synthetic Biological Membrane

The ultimate goal of the Synthetic Biological Membrane project is to develop a new type of membrane (using FOST - Forward Osmosis Secondary Treatment) that will enable the waste water treatment system required on exploration missions to operate for extended periods while requiring no maintenance, and using only available resources. Because current water treatment systems have a lifetime of less than 1 year, extending membrane life will benefit exploration missions by reducing upmass and crew time requirements associated with maintenance and resupply/replacement of membranes. The project will use synthetic biology to engineer organisms that protect and replenish the membrane, and this new technology can be easily adapted for use in terrestrial waste water treatment plants.

Biomimetic membrane↗
DOE OSTI2020

Conventional and Next Generation Treatment Technologies for PFAS - 20067

In 2016, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) established a Health Advisory Limit (HAL) for perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) (individually and the summation) of 70 nanograms per liter (ng/L) based on developing toxicological information. These two compounds are among several thousand per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Due to a multitude of commercially beneficial physical and chemical properties, the availability of PFAS-relevant and practical water treatment technologies is limited. The use of conventional adsorbents, such as activated carbon (AC) and anion exchange (AIX) resins, have become a 'de facto' interim measure to immediately address drinking water above this criterion. However, these adsorbents can have marginal long-term efficiency and are relatively unproven against the diversity of polyfluorinated compounds. Additionally, geochemical and/or co-contaminant competition can significantly impede adsorption based PFAS removal. These challenges may be addressed using engineered filtration, such as reverse osmosis or nanofiltration (RO/NF); however, for larger flow systems RO/NF may have unacceptable reject ratios as high as 35% and the capital cost may preclude these technologies. Extending these technologies to natural waters, which have various degrees of geochemical and co-contaminant competition, often requires a treatment train, combining conventional adsorbents or engineered filtration with pretreatment and more innovative and emerging remediation solutions for PFAS. Conventional and Next Generation water treatment technologies for PFAS generally employ one of three mechanisms (adsorption, separation, or destruction). These mechanisms include many types of technologies for both municipal drinking water and extracted natural water applications. The previously mentioned AC, AIX, and RO/NF are commercially available technologies that are actively being deployed for PFAS treatment. Research and development around these technologies is focused on optimization, and ultimate destruction of PFAS is achieved through incineration. Next Generation water treatment technologies include PFAS-specific flocculants, foam fractionation, novel AIX resins, new engineered adsorptive media, electrochemical treatment, sonolysis, and photolysis, radiation, and plasma (forms of advanced reductive processes [ARP]). Research and development around these technologies is focused on proof of concept and assimilation to real world applications. As the PFAS-relevant destructive technologies (such as incineration, electrochemical treatment, sonolysis, and ARP) are energy intensive, the state of the practice for PFAS water treatment is to focus adsorption/separation based technologies on reducing and concentrating the volume of water requiring destructive treatment. This enables more flexibility with respect to circulation frequency, residence time, and more control over energy usage. Water treatment for PFAS presently requires multiple technologies (i.e. a treatment train) to protect human health in a cost-conscious manner. An investment in research and development to explore new technologies is part of a key initiative for efficient protection of human health. This presentation attempts to review PFAS-relevant water treatment technologies and provide perspective as to their status with respect to applicability and commercial relevance. (authors)

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗
DOE OSTI2020

Innovations in Sustainable Passive Wastewater Treatment - 20236

Sustainable water treatment systems, engineered to mimic natural processes and utilize natural materials, yield economic and environmental benefits through reductions in long term operational inputs, including: power, chemicals, and labor. Golder is an industry leader in the development and implementation of sustainable technologies at operating and closed mines. We continue to innovate these technologies and customize solutions to meet client needs by applying past experience and focused research. Sustainable (or passive) water treatment systems include ponds, wetlands, flow-through natural media beds, and limestone drains. These systems can blend in with a natural environment, are highly cost-effective for long-term water treatment, and can outcompete traditional active treatment technologies. Application of sustainable technologies relative to active technologies can be influenced by the influent water matrix, effluent limitations, flow rate of water requiring treatment, and available land area. In this presentation, four Golder-developed systems are reviewed as case studies, demonstrating our continued progressive approach to advancing sustainable water treatment technologies to meet industry needs. These case studies focus on design innovations and operational performance from data collected from the operational systems. Resources (power, chemicals, labor) required for the operation of each case study are compared with those that would be required for operation of their active treatment technology alternatives. - Case Study 1 presents an anaerobic biochemical reactor (BCR), a technology typically implemented for metals treatment and acid neutralization, for the treatment of sulfate to low concentrations (<250 mg/L). Active treatment via reverse osmosis (RO) membrane filtration is typically required for treatment of sulfate to similar concentrations, this innovation provides potential for sustainable treatment to replace the need for energy, chemical, labor, and waste (brine) intensive RO treatment for specific applications. Magnetite waste rock materials from the site were upcycled for use in this system to provide sequestration of the sulfide generated in the BCR. - Case Study 2 examines another novel application of the conventional BCR, modified for the removal of radionuclides and metals (uranium, radium, and selenium) at a closed uranium mine. - Case Study 3 presents implementation of sustainable treatment for mine drain water from a historic mine site, now a state park with around 100,000 visitors per year. The system includes a pond, wetland, and manganese removal bed surrounded by public trails designed to maintain the character of the park. The system treats for arsenic, iron, and manganese at relatively high flows (up to 1,200 gpm), with large seasonal fluctuations in flow and quality. - Case Study 4 is a unique project for which Golder is currently designing a sustainable treatment system, with no energy input, to treat nitrate in mine water post-closure at a site near the arctic circle. In this unprecedented application, climate, management of freshet, and space availability presented substantial technical challenges. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
DOE OSTI2026

Scalable Layer-by-Layer Electrospray-Assisted Interfacial Polymerization: Enabling Large-Area Polyamide Membrane Fabrication

Layer-by-layer electrospray-assisted interfacial polymerization (LBL-EAIP) has recently been proposed as an alternative approach for fabricating polyamide membranes with precisely controlled thickness and polymerization degree, showing great potential for reverse osmosis (RO) membrane synthesis. In this article, we report a scale-up strategy for LBL-EAIP to enable its practical application in RO membrane manufacturing. A multi-jet electrospray apparatus was developed, and the device configuration and process parameters were carefully adjusted to produce polyamide-on-polyethersulfone thin film composite (TFC) membranes with consistently high salt rejection and water permeance across the membrane area. Specifically, an average 97.1% NaCl rejection from a 2000 ppm NaCl feed was achieved with an area-to-area deviation of 1%, along with a deionized water permeance of 0.90 ± 0.11 LMH/bar at 15 bar feed pressure. In addition, a Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)-based analytical method was developed for semi-quantitative assessment of membrane thickness and compositional uniformity, enabling rapid mapping of film microstructure and chemical variations. This work provides a pathway to scale up LBL-EAIP technology, bridging the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and industrial-scale manufacturing.

Feng, Yue (ORCID:0000000221343980)↗
DOE OSTI2024

Monitoring covariance in multivariate time series: Comparing machine learning and statistical approaches

Abstract In complex systems with multiple variables monitored at high‐frequency, variables are not only temporally autocorrelated, but they may also be nonlinearly related or exhibit nonstationarity as the inputs or operation changes. One approach to handling such variables is to detrend them prior to monitoring and then apply control charts that assume independence and stationarity to the residuals. Monitoring controlled systems is even more challenging because the control strategy seeks to maintain variables at prespecified mean levels, and to compensate, correlations among variables may change, making monitoring the covariance essential. In this paper, a vector autoregressive model (VAR) is compared with a multivariate random forest (MRF) and a neural network (NN) for detrending multivariate time series prior to monitoring the covariance of the residuals using a multivariate exponentially weighted moving average (MEWMA) control chart. Machine learning models have an advantage when the data's structure is unknown or may change. We design a novel simulation study with nonlinear, nonstationary, and autocorrelated data to compare the different detrending models and subsequent covariance monitoring. The machine learning models have superior performance for nonlinear and strongly autocorrelated data and similar performance for linear data. An illustration with data from a reverse osmosis process is given.

Weix, Derek↗
DOE OSTI2025

Permeate fluxes from desalination of brines and produced waters: A reactive transport modeling study

The increasing interest in the use of membrane systems to desalinate inland brackish water, agricultural drainage, and industrially produced wastewater demands improved means of predicting desalination system performance under variable feedwater compositions. The interaction among water flow, solute transport, and chemical composition in these systems impacts permeate flux evolution. Here, an established multicomponent reactive transport simulator that accounts for these coupled processes is applied to compute osmotic pressure and permeate fluxes in reverse osmosis (RO) systems. The model is first validated by predicting permeate fluxes for a set of benchtop crossflow experiments subject to a range of feed flow rates and compositions, under fouling and non-fouling conditions. Results compare favorably with measured data that show that solutions with similar total dissolved solids concentrations but different compositions result in different permeate fluxes. The model is then applied to predict permeate fluxes from the desalination of produced waters using a commercial spiral wound RO module. For NaCl-dominant brines, at total dissolved salt concentrations (TDS) below about 70 g/L, permeate fluxes are inversely proportional to water mole fraction as the latter is a reasonable approximation of water activity (i.e. ideal mixing). In the case of Ca–Cl-, Na–CO3- and Na–SO4-dominant brines below about 70 g/L TDS, this relationship does not hold as well and tends to overpredict osmotic pressure and thus underpredict permeate fluxes. However, the opposite becomes true at higher TDS values for typical produced waters. The scaling potential of these waters is also computed by allowing the precipitation of minerals above their saturation limit on the RO membrane. This work demonstrates how reactive transport models developed for the analysis of waters from geological systems can be extended to improve process design, optimization, and control in desalination systems from produced waters and beyond.

Molins, Sergi↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electrochemical reduction of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS): is it possible? Applying experimental and quantum mechanical insights from the reductive defluorination literature

Remediation of per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) in global water systems is a critical human and environmental health challenge facing society. PFAS consumption is associated with a litany of adverse health effects, and our knowledge of these dangers is still evolving. Current techniques to remove PFAS from water include adsorption to media (e.g. granular activated carbon, ion-exchange resin), nanofiltration, and reverse osmosis. However, these processes create a concentrated PFAS residual that requires further management. Destructive techniques are therefore needed to detoxify these residuals. Oxidative techniques have garnered the most attention (e.g. supercritical water oxidation, electrochemical oxidation) but are energy intensive and potentially form toxic by-products. As an alternative, several groups have researched advanced reduction processes that form aqueous electrons, but these processes are still chemical and energy intensive (e.g. ultraviolet/SO 3 2− , electron beam). This concise review therefore focuses on whether electrochemical reduction — a chemical-free, modular process — could be technically feasible for PFAS destruction.

King, Jacob F.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Modeling and experimental validation of direct contact crossflow packed beds condenser used in HDH desalination systems

Humidification and dehumidification (HDH) desalination systems are alternatives to reverse osmosis desalination systems, especially for high salinity waters. A HDH system is essentially equipped with a humidifier (also called as evaporator) for air to pick up vapor from saline water, a dehumidifier (also called as condenser) to produce freshwater, and a heating source. HDH systems based on direct contact packed beds heat exchangers have remarkably lower costs than traditional HDH systems due to their inexpensive materials and simple configurations. This paper specifically focuses on direct contact crossflow packed beds condensers, in which cooling water vertically drips through the packed beds, directly contacting the horizontal air-vapor flow. A two-dimensional mathematical model that solves for the enthalpy values of the working fluids is proposed in this paper, and the PDEs are solved using finite differences. To validate the model, an experimental condenser was built and tested. Water temperatures inside the test section at twenty-nine locations were measured, as well as the air vapor temperatures of five locations at the outlet. The measured water and air-vapor temperatures agree with the simulation results with less than 10 % error in most of the compared domain.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Fouling characterization and treatment of water reuse concentrate with membrane distillation: Do organics really matter

Membrane distillation (MD) for the treatment of concentrated brines has been limited in part by membrane fouling, resulting in subsequent flux decline and membrane wetting. This study provides new insight into the identification of fouling and scaling mechanisms and pretreatment strategies for mitigating flux decline with MD treatment of water reuse reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC). Bench-scale direct contact MD experiments were performed with untreated and pretreated ROC. Biological activated carbon (BAC), chemical water softening, or fluidized bed crystallization reactor coupled with ion exchange (FBCR-IX) were selected as pretreatment strategies to isolate the effects of organic fouling and calcium scaling. Organic and inorganic compounds were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Calcium ions were found to be the major contributor to flux decline despite the high organic content in the ROC. Minimal organic fouling is likely because the organic matter in the ROC is hydrophilic, limiting hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions between the organics and the membrane. Furthermore, the water flux declined by 63 % after removing organic compounds by BAC pretreatment, with 60 % of the calcium mass precipitating from the solution. Whereas, the water flux remained constant after removing multivalent ions with fluidized bed crystallization. Cleaning the membrane by acid washing and temperature reversal recovered 73 % and 12 % of the water flux, respectively. The analyses outlined in this study can assist in selecting appropriate fouling and scaling mitigation strategies for water reuse ROC and a wide range of feed solutions used in MD applications.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Co-treating flue gas desulfurized effluent and produced water enables novel waste management and recovery of critical minerals

Herein this study reports a novel approach of resource recovery from co-managing two geographically co-located and chemically complementary wastewaters using a pilot-scale treatment process. Designed to treat flue gas desulfurized (FGD) effluent from combustion powerplants and produced water (PW) from energy industries, the process consists of soda-ash softening, nanofiltration (NF), and reverse osmosis (RO). Recovered products are barite, calcite, and low-salinity water. Using field-collected waters, the results show that softening at pH 8.5 produces calcite (yield: 30 kg/m 3 treated water), a chemical used as SO ₂(g) scrubbers. NF treatment under an applied pressure of 3.5 MPa yields a permeate stream laden with monovalent ions (water recovery 60%) and a concentrate stream with a sulfate concentration 1.8 times of the feedwater concentration. Mixing the NF concentrate and PW at a volumetric ratio of 1.0 precipitates a high-density barite material (4.1 g/cm 3 , yield: ~7.5 kg/m 3 mixture) – a critical mineral commonly used as a weighting agent in drilling. The RO treatment recovers >64% water as the permeate, which can be readily used as cooling make-up water at the powerplants. The RO concentrate stream can be further processed in a thermal evaporative system for additional water recovery and brine production.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Modeling of multi-component precipitation and crystallization for zero-liquid-discharge desalination

This study proposes novel ZLD treatment trains that integrate multi-component chemical precipitation and multi-effect evaporative crystallization for efficient brine management. The methodology emphasizes sustainability by integrating CO₂ for chemical precipitation and reducing environmental impact, exemplified with two case studies: produced water that includes industrial waste heat utilization by adopting the emerging vacuum air-gapped membrane distillation (VAGMD) technology, and brackish groundwater that is abundant in sulphate which undergoes treatment by low-salt-rejection reverse osmosis (LSRRO) with interstage chemical precipitation. Here, this study is the first of its kind to simultaneously account for reducing risk of mineral scaling and effective recovery of valuable solids when incorporating VAGMD and LSRRO in ZLD treatment trains. Using Reaktoro and WaterTAP, both Python-based, open-source platforms, we model the recovery of high-purity magnesium, calcium, and sodium salts while optimizing energy consumption and operational efficiency in proposed ZLD pathways for case studies of produced water and brackish desalination brine management. Validation with experimental and reference data confirms the reliability of the models used. In both case studies, the optimized ZLD process achieves recovery rates of 97%, 99%, and 90% for Mg, Ca, and Na, with purities exceeding 99%, and brine volume reduced to less than 4% of the initial feed flow.

3D CT scans↗
DOE OSTI2025

Fouling behavior of zwitterionic membranes compared to polyamide membranes

Membrane fouling remains a critical bottleneck for reverse osmosis (RO) desalination, driving energy consumption and reducing membrane lifetime. Here, we employ all-atom molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the antifouling behavior of random zwitterionic amphiphilic copolymer (r-ZAC) membranes composed of sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) and allyl methacrylate (AMA), benchmarked against conventional polyamide (PA) RO membranes. Structural and dynamical analyses—including radial distribution functions, coordination numbers, tetrahedral order parameters, vector orientation, and residence-time correlation functions—reveal that r-ZAC surfaces sustain tightly bound, long-lived hydration layers with preserved tetrahedrality and anisotropic water orientation, in sharp contrast to the weak and disordered hydration of PA. Steered molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that r-ZAC membranes impose substantial free-energy barriers to foulant approach (alginate ≈ 90 kcal/mol, sucrose ≈ 35 kcal/mol, humic acid ≈ 15 kcal/mol), whereas PA membranes exhibit negligible barriers (< 1 kcal/mol) and thermodynamically favorable adsorption. Detailed foulant–surface interaction analyses show that zwitterionic hydration and electrostatic heterogeneity in r-ZAC suppress adhesion, except in the case of amphiphilic humic acid, which exploits multiple binding modes. Together, these results establish molecular-level design principles for antifouling membranes: the combination of zwitterionic hydration, structured interfacial water, and controlled amphiphilic balance in r-ZAC membranes provides superior resistance to organic fouling relative to PA.

Cross-linked polyamide↗
DOE OSTI2024

Analyzing the upscaling potential and geospatial siting of calcination-free calcium hydroxide production in the United States

This study evaluates the techno-economic feasibility and the embodied carbon dioxide intensity (eCI) of a novel process for producing nominally pure (>95 mass %) calcium hydroxide without the need for the thermal calcination of limestone. The process relies on the aqueous extraction of calcium from alkaline industrial wastes following which portlandite (Ca(OH) 2 : CH, a.k.a. slaked lime or hydrated lime) is precipitated by application of a waste-heat based thermal swing. This approach takes advantage of the temperature dependent solubility of CH at ambient pressure. We evaluated the feasibility of implementing this process in the U.S. based on the geospatial availability of waste heat and slags as a Ca-source. For the base case, the cost of production of “Low-Temperature Portlandite (LTP)” is 2-to-3 times that of traditional portlandite (~$180/tonne). The main driver of cost is the electricity demand for reverse osmosis (RO) which is used to concentrate Ca-ions in solution, and the costs of membrane replacement. Our sensitivity analysis showed that parity with the cost of production of traditional portlandite is readily achievable by selecting membranes with better durability (i.e., better pH resistance) and flux (i.e., higher permeability) without sacrificing selectivity. Significantly, LTP features an eCI that is between 40%- and - 80 % lower than its traditional counterpart when electricity is sourced from natural gas combustion or wind power, respectively. Finally, our geospatial analysis reveals that there are three areas in the U.S. with the potential for implementation of industrial-scale facilities that could produce at least 50 tonnes of pure Ca(OH) 2 per day, while achieving a production cost of ~$270 per tonne of Ca(OH) 2 , owing to the proximity between slag feedstocks and waste heat sources.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Tuning transport in graphene oxide membrane with single-site copper ($\mathrm{II}$) cations

Controlling the ion transport through graphene oxide (GO) membrane is challenging, particularly in the aqueous environment due to its strong swelling tendency. Fine-tuning the interlayer spacing and chemistry is critical to create highly selective membranes. We investigate the effect of single-site divalent cations in tuning GO membrane properties. Competitive ionic permeation test indicates that Cu 2+ cations dominate the transport through the 2D channels of GO membrane over other cations (Mg 2+ /Ca 2+ /Co 2+ ). Without/With the single-site M 2+ modifications, pristine GO, Mg-GO, Ca-GO, and Cu-GO membranes show interlayer spacings of ~13.6, 15.6, 14.5, and 12.3 Å in wet state, respectively. The Cu-GO membrane shows a two-fold decrease of NaCl (1 M) permeation rate comparing to pristine GO, Mg-GO, and Ca-GO membranes. In reverse osmosis tests using 1000 ppm NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 as feeds, Cu-GO membrane shows rejection of ~78% and ~94%, respectively, which are 5%–10% higher than its counterpart membranes.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Electrically regenerated ion-exchange technology: Leveraging faradaic reactions and assessing the effect of co-ion sorption

Capacitive deionization (CDI) technologies have the potential to become cost-competitive alternatives to reverse osmosis for the treatment of brackish waters. In this study, we describe our findings on the effect of co-ion sorption and faradaic side reactions on our ion exchange resin functionalized desalination electrodes which passively capture salt and reject it upon charging. This system, which we previously reported on and refer to as electrically regenerated ion exchange (ERI), avoids the use of expensive ion exchange membranes in an effort to save costs. Surprisingly, we find that, compared to a reference CDI system, ERI electrodes capture salt most effectively at low applied voltages (0.5 mg/cm 3 at 0.8 V). Both CDI and ERI systems also seem to suffer from co-ion sorption effects which negatively impact salt adsorption. However, Faradaic side reactions at higher voltages (1 V and 1.2 V) which we track via pH measurements, serve as a detriment to CDI but seem to facilitate the functionality of ERI.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2024

A reactive electrochemomechanical theory for growth and remodeling of polyelectrolyte hydrogels and application to dynamic polymerization of $\text{DNA}$ hydrogels

Here this study develops a framework for growth and remodeling of active polyelectrolyte hydrogels that accounts for effects of compositional changes on the mechanical response. By developing a reactive electrochemomechanical theory, thermodynamical constraints upon reactive and remodeling processes are elucidated within a general framework that allows any number of chemical reactions to evolve the response of the gel and transfer mass and charge between constituents. Fully coupled, nonlinear constitutive relations are adopted for molar fluxes, allowing exploration of effects including cross-diffusion, electrophoresis, and electro-osmosis. A robust finite element implementation is developed in the open source FEBio software (febio.org) by exploiting an equivalence between electrochemomechanics and mixture theory. The implementation is verified against analytical solutions for free swelling, and a proper reduction to a prior chemomechanical theory is demonstrated for neutral gels swollen only by a solvent with no solutes. The theory and implementation are then applied to model the tunable large swelling achieved through dynamic polymerization of DNA crosslinkers seen in our recently developed experimental hydrogel system (Cangialosi et al., 2017). A novel constitutive model for reaction-driven evolution of the locking stretch λ L in a non-Gaussian mechanical free energy was developed, where the increasing concentration of DNA crosslinkers makes further swelling energetically favorable. With a single free parameter, excellent agreement was found between measured and predicted equilibrium swelling ratios. This study demonstrated the ability to extend the electrochemomechanical framework to include chemical reactions and composition-aware constitutive models, and showed that development of reactive models allows simulation of complex dynamic polymerization phenomena not treated before. The theoretical frame here can be further expanded in scope to incorporate additional non-ideal and nonlinear phenomena.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Orientation matters: Measuring the correct surface of polyamide membranes with quartz crystal microbalance

The surface of polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membranes which regulates interface-dominated phenomena, such as partitioning and fouling, is the one facing the feed during operation. However, the opposite surface of the polyamide selective layer, the one facing the permeate and in contact with the polysulfone porous support, is commonly analyzed in quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurements due to limitations of state-of-the-art transfer methodologies. Such measurements on the back surface cannot be generalized because the polyamide layer is chemically and morphologically asymmetric. Herein, we introduce a simple method to coat QCM sensors with polyamide active layers in the correct orientation (i.e., exposing their front surface) and show that interface-dominated phenomena differ significantly between orientations. We start by describing a transfer protocol to coat any surface with a polyamide layer on its front surface orientation. We then systematically analyze the chemical and morphological differences between the two surfaces of the polyamide layer of a commercial RO membrane. Finally, we demonstrate that interface-dominated phenomena depend on the orientation by showing that NaCl partitioning at pH 6 was 1.3 to 2.3-fold higher on the front surface and that organic fouling with humic acid occurred at a lower rate on this surface. The new method presented herein enables measurements on the front surface of polyamide RO membranes, which should be the standard in any future QCM studies.

Fouling behavior↗
DOE OSTI2020

Freestanding self-assembled sulfonated pentablock terpolymer membranes for high flux pervaporation desalination

Pervaporation desalination has several advantages over competing desalination technologies, most notably an ability to select for or against volatile organic compounds and the ability to process high salinity feeds at a low transmembrane pressure. Pervaporation has not been commercialized for desalination applications because of its energy intensity. However, emerging processes such as hydraulic fracturing produce high total dissolved solids (>30-45 g/L) byproduct streams that exceed the operational limits of traditional reverse osmosis and could be treated by pervaporation. Here, we demonstrate free-standing pervaporation membranes with excellent permeance and high salt removal based on a partially sulfonated pentablock terpolymer with the tradename Nexar™. Pervaporation membranes were easily cast from this material with desalination performances comparable or superior to commercially available membranes. We found that the polymer degree of sulfonation and casting solvent polarity had a significant impact on the membranes’ water uptake but only a modest impact on the pervaporation desalination performance. Membranes with a degree of sulfonation of 52% (2.0 meq g –1 IEC) and a casting solution composed of 50 wt% n-propanol and 50 wt% toluene achieved a water flux of 3.32 kg m -2 h -1 (permeance 135 kg m -2 h -1 bar -1 ) with 99.5% salt removal in pervaporation from a 32 g/L –1 sodium chloride feed solution at room temperature. We demonstrated that dense, non-porous NexarTM pervaporation membrane permeance and salt separation performance were superior to commercial pervaporation membranes and equivalent to commercial membrane distillation membranes, which have much larger pores. Here, this study demonstrates that commercially available sulfonated pentablock terpolymers are excellent membranes for pervaporation desalination because of their ease of casting and excellent performance.

42 ENGINEERING↗