Waste Conversion and Resource Recovery from Wastewater by Ion Exchange Membranes: State-of-the-Art and Perspective

Suitability of Electrodialysis with Monovalent Selective Anion-Exchange Membranes for Fractionation of Aqueous Mixture Containing Reactive Dye and Mineral Salt

To fulfil the goals of the circular economy, the treatment of textile wastewater should be focused on the recovery of valuable components. Monovalent anion-selective electrodialysis (MASED) was applied for the separation of reactive dyes from mineral salts. Standard cation-exchange membranes (CM membranes) and monovalent selective anion-exchange membranes (MVA membranes) were used in the electrodialysis (ED) stack. The separation efficiency was evaluated for model solutions of various reactive dyes (varying in molecular weight and chemical reactivity) containing NaCl. In the course of MASED, the mineral salt was successfully removed from the dye solutions with an efficacy of 97.4-99.4%, irrespectively of the composition of the treated solution. The transport of dye molecules through the ion-exchange membranes (IEMs) from diluate to concentrate compartments was irrelevant. Nonetheless, a significant adsorption of dye particles on the membranes was observed. Around 11-40% of the initial dye mass was deposited in the ED stack. Dye adsorption intensity was significantly affected by dye reactivity. This study showed the potential of the MASED process for the separation of the reactive dye from the mineral salt on condition that antifouling membrane properties are improved. The obtained streams (the concentrate rich in mineral salt and the diluate containing the reactive dye) can be reused in the dye-house textile operations; however, some loss of dye mass should be included.

The stray light induced redshift of absorption peaks of inorganic anions in the far ultraviolet region-an "artifact"

In the analytical process of spectrophotometry, the prerequisite for accurate qualitative and quantitative analysis is obtaining the intrinsic spectra of the analyte. However, the intrinsic properties of spectra can sometimes be masked by easily overlooked non-intrinsic factors, such as those from measuring instruments, leading to erroneous spectral identification. In this study, we documented an unusual redshift phenomenon in the far ultraviolet spectral region. With a spectrophotometer under the nitrogen atmosphere, we selected 14 representative inorganic anions and investigated their absorption spectral behaviors at different optical pathlengths and concentrations. It was intriguing to observe that the absorption peaks with maximum absorption wavelengths below a watershed wavelength of 200 nm underwent a redshift as pathlength and concentration increased, while those above 200 nm did not exhibit a significant redshift phenomenon. In-depth formula simulations and experimental verifications demonstrated that this peculiar spectral behavior was caused by unavoidable stray light in the spectrophotometer. Some methodological and instrumental recommendations are given in the paper. Our study results may serve as a reminder to carefully identify non-intrinsic phenomena when studying absorption spectra in the far ultraviolet region, and provide guidance on spectral corrections in scientific research and practical applications.

Ultrasonication-assisted synthesis of transition metal carbide of MXene: an efficient and promising material for photocatalytic organic dyes degradation of rhodamine B and methylene blue in wastewater

Water pollutants of non-biodegradable toxic aromatic dye including Methylene blue (MB) and Rhodamine (RhB) are extremely carcinogenic thiazines used in various industries such as leather industry, paper industry, and the dyeing industry. The presence of dyes in wastewater causes severe threats to human health that are responsible for various harmful chronic or acute diseases and also shows an adverse impact on the environment as it reduces transparency and is harmful to water microorganisms. To overcome severe issues, many traditional techniques have been used to remove toxic pollutants, but these methods are insufficient to remove chemically stable dyes that remain in the treated wastewater. However, the photocatalytic degradation process is an efficient approach to degrade the dye up to the maximum extent with improved efficiency. Therefore, in this work, a new class of two-dimensional (2D) transition metal carbide of Titanium Carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene material was used for the organic dyes degradation such as MB and RhB using a photocatalytic process. A layered structure of hexagonal lattice symmetry of Ti3C2Tx MXene was successfully synthesized from the Titanium Aluminum Carbide of Ti3AlC2 bulk phase using an exfoliation process. Further, the XRD spectrum confirms the transformation of bulk MAX phase having (002) plane at 9.2° to Ti3C2Tx MXene of (002) plane at 8.88° confirms the successful removal of Al layer from MAX phase. A smooth, transparent, thin sheet-like morphology of Ti3C2Tx nanosheet size were found to be in the range of 70 to 150 nm evaluated from TEM images. Also, no holes or damages in the thin sheets were found after the treatment with strong hydrofluoric acid confirms the formation Ti3C2Tx layered sheets. The synthesized Ti3C2Tx MXene possesses excellent photocatalytic activity for the degradation of dyes MB, RhB, and mixtures of MB and RhB dyes. MB dye degraded with a degradation percentage efficiency of 99.32% in 30 min, while RhB dye was degraded upto 98.9% in 30 min. Also, experiments were conducted for degradation of mixture of MB and RhB dyes by UV light, and the degradation percentage efficiency were found to be 98.9% and 99.75% for mixture of MB and RhB dye in 45 min, respectively. Moreover, reaction rate constant (k) was determined for each dye of MB, RhB, and mixtures of MB and RhB and was found to be 0.0215 min-1 and 0.0058 min-1, and for mixtures, it was 0.0020 min-1 and 0.009 min-1, respectively.

Positively Charged Polyamine Nanofiltration Membrane for Precise Ion-Ion Separation

Positively charged nanofiltration (NF) membranes offer enormous potential for lithium-magnesium separation, hard water softening, and heavy metal removal. However, fundamental performance limitations for these applications exist in conventional polyamide-based NF membranes due to the negatively charged surface and low ion-ion selectivity. We hereby innovatively develop an advanced positively charged polyamine-based NF membrane built by the nucleophilic substitution of bromine and amine groups for precise ion-ion separation. Specifically, polyethylenimine (PEI) and 1,3,5-tris(bromomethyl)benzene (TBB) are interfacially polymerized to generate an amine-linked PEI-TBB selective layer with an ultrathin thickness of ∼95 nm, an effective pore size of 6.5 Å, and a strong positively charged surface with a zeta potential of +20.9 mV at pH 7. The PEI-TBB composite membrane achieves a water permeance of 4.2 L·m-2·h-1·bar-1, various divalent salt rejections above 90%, and separation factors above 15 for NaCl/MgCl2 and LiCl/MgCl2 mixed solutions. A three-stage NF process is implemented to achieve a Mg2+/Li+ mass ratio sharply decreasing from 50 to 0.11 with a total separation factor (SLi,Mg) of 455. Furthermore, the polyamine-based NF membrane exhibits excellent operational stability under continuous filtration and high operational pressure, demonstrating great application potential for precise ion-ion separation.

Impact of Formulation of Photocurable Precursor Mixtures on the Performance and Dimensional Stability of Hierarchical Cation Exchange Membranes

This work presents a systematic approach to formulating UV curable ionomer coatings that can be used as ion-exchange membranes when they are applied on porous substrates. Ion-exchange membranes fabricated in this way can be a cost-effective alternative to perfluorosulfonic acid membranes, such as Nafion and similar thin ionomer film membranes. Hierarchically structured coated membranes find applications for energy storage and conversion (organic redox flow batteries and artificial photosynthesis cells) and separation processes (electrodialysis). Designing the ionomer precursor for membrane formulation requires the introduction of compounds with drastically different properties into a liquid mixture. Hansen solubility theory was used to find the solvents to compatibilize main formulation components: acrylic sulfone salt (3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt) and hexafunctional polyester acrylate cross-linker (Ebecryl 830), otherwise nonmiscible or mutely soluble. Among the identified suitable solvents, acrylic acid and acetic acid allowed for optimal mixing of the components and reaching the highest levels of sulfonic group content, providing the desired ion-exchange capacity. Interestingly, they represented a case of a reactive and nonreactive solvent since acrylic acid was built into the ionomer during the UV curing step. Properties of the two membrane variants were compared. Samples fabricated with acetic acid exhibit improved handleability compared with the case of acrylic acid. Acetic acid yielded a lower area-specific resistance (6.4 ± 0.17 Ohm·cm2) compared to acrylic acid (12.1 ± 0.16 Ohm·cm2 in 0.5 M NaCl). This was achieved without severely suppressing the selectivity of the membrane, which was standing at 93.4 and 96.4% for preparation with acetic and acrylic acid, respectively.

Dielectrophoresis-assisted removal of Cd and Cu heavy metal ions by using Chlorella microalgae

A novel dielectrophoresis (DEP)-assisted device for the bioremediation of heavy metal ions by using Chlorella microalgae is presented in this paper. To generate the DEP forces, pairs of electrode mesh were inserted in the DEP-assisted device. By applying DC electric field via the electrodes, the inhomogeneous electric field gradient is induced and the strongest non-uniform electric field exists near the mesh cross-corner. After the adsorption of Cd and Cu heavy metal ions by Chlorella, the Chlorella chain were trapped along the vicinity of the electrode mesh. Then, the effects of Chlorella concentration on the adsorption of heavy metal ions, and the applied voltage and electrode mesh size on the removal of Chlorella are conducted. In the co-existing Cd and Cu solutions, the individual adsorption ratio of Cd and Cu reaches as high as approximately 96% and 98%, respectively, showing excellent bioremediation capability of multiple heavy metal ions in wastewater. By adjusting the applied electric voltage and the mesh size, the Chlorella adsorbed with Cd and Cu are captured by negative DC-DEP effects and the removal ratio of Chlorella reach an average of 97%, providing a method for the removal of multiple heavy metal ions in wastewater by using Chlorella microalgae.

Preparation and Lithium-Ion Separation Property of ZIF-8 Membrane with Excellent Flexibility

Metal-organic framework (MOF) membranes exhibit immense potential for separation applications due to their regular pore channels and scalable pore sizes. However, structuring a flexible and high-quality MOF membrane remains a challenge due to its brittleness, which severely restricts its practical application. This paper presents a simple and effective method in which continuous, uniform, defect-free ZIF-8 film layers of tunable thickness are constructed on the surface of inert microporous polypropylene membranes (MPPM). To provide heterogeneous nucleation sites for ZIF-8 growth, an extensive amount of hydroxyl and amine groups were introduced on the MPPM surface using the dopamine-assisted co-deposition technique. Subsequently, ZIF-8 crystals were grown in-situ on the MPPM surface using the solvothermal method. The resultant ZIF-8/MPPM exhibited a lithium-ion permeation flux of 0.151 mol m^-2 h^-1 and a high selectivity of Li⁺/Na⁺ = 1.93, Li⁺/Mg²⁺ = 11.50. Notably, ZIF-8/MPPM has good flexibility, and the lithium-ion permeation flux and selectivity remain unchanged at a bending curvature of 348 m^-1. These excellent mechanical characteristics are crucial for the practical applications of MOF membranes.

Is It Possible to Prepare a "Super" Anion-Exchange Membrane by a Polypyrrole-Based Modification?

In spite of wide variety of commercial ion-exchange membranes, their characteristics, in particular, electrical conductivity and counterion permselectivity, are unsatisfactory for some applications, such as electrolyte solution concentration. This study is aimed at obtaining an anion-exchange membrane (AEM) of high performance in concentrated solutions. An AEM is prepared with a polypyrrole (PPy)-based modification of a heterogeneous AEM with quaternary ammonium functional groups. Concentration dependences of the conductivity, diffusion permeability and Cl− transport number in NaCl solutions are measured and simulated using a new version of the microheterogeneous model. The model describes changes in membrane swelling with increasing concentration and the effect of these changes on the transport characteristics. It is assumed that PPy occupies macro- and mesopores of the host membrane where it replaces non-selective electroneutral solution. Increasing conductivity and selectivity are explained by the presence of positively charged PPy groups. It is found that the conductivity of a freshly prepared membrane reaches 20 mS/cm and the chloride transport number > 0.99 in 4 M NaCl. A choice of input parameters allows quantitative agreement between the experimental and simulation results. However, PPy has shown itself to be an unstable material. This article discusses what parameters a membrane can have to show such exceptional characteristics.

Valorization of wastewater to recover value-added products: A comprehensive insight and perspective on different technologies

In recent years, due to rapid globalization and urbanization, the demand for fuels, energy, water and nutrients has been continuously increasing. To meet the future need of the society, wastewater is a prominent and emerging source for resource recovery. It provides an opportunity to recover valuable resources in the form of energy, fertilizers, electricity, nutrients and other products. The aim of this review is to elaborate the scientific literature on the valorization of wastewater using wide range of treatment technologies and reduce the existing knowledge gap in the field of resource recovery and water reuse. Several versatile, resilient environmental techniques/technologies such as ion exchange, bioelectrochemical, adsorption, electrodialysis, solvent extraction, etc. are employed for the extraction of value-added products from waste matrices. Since the last two decades, valuable resources such as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), matrix or polymers, cellulosic fibers, syngas, biodiesel, electricity, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, enzymes and a wide range of platform chemicals have been recovered from wastewater. In this review, the aspects related to the persisting global water issues, the technologies used for the recovery of different products and/or by-products, economic sustainability of the technologies and the challenges encountered during the valorization of wastewater are discussed comprehensively.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Inorganic Ions and Their Selective Removal from the Reconstituted Tobacco Extract Using Electrodialysis

Many tobacco stalks, dust, and fines are discharged in the tobacco industry, rich in inorganic minerals ions and nicotine salts. The high salinity and nicotine salts are challenging to be addressed by traditional treatment and are a severe threat that ought to be overcome. Thus, proper techniques can regenerate the tobacco stalks into reconstituted tobacco flakes used as cigarette filler. The electrodialysis process has been a viable approach to removing the inorganic ingredients in wastewater. We studied concentration, pH, and co-related influences with the nicotine and sugar/nicotine contents on the desalination performance. The results show that the inorganic ions such as Cl^-, K⁺, Ca²⁺, and Mg²⁺ ions were successfully removed. When the feed concentration ranges from 3 to 15%, the removal ratio of the K⁺ ions is higher than Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions. As we reported previously, the K⁺ and Ca²⁺ ions are unfavorable for the total particulate matter emission but beneficial to decreasing the HCN delivery in mainstream cigarette smoke. Selective ED is a robust technology to reduce the harmful component delivery in cigarette smoke.

Respiratory Adsorption of Organic Pollutants in Wastewater by Superhydrophobic Phenolic Xerogels

Organogel adsorbents are widely used for the adsorption of hard-to-degrade organic pollutants in wastewater due to their natural affinity to the organic phase in water. In this study, phenolic xerogels (PF) synthesised in the ethylene glycol inorganic acid system are used as a backbone and superhydrophobic phenolic xerogels (ASO-PF) are obtained by grafting aminosilanes onto the PF backbone via the Mannich reaction. The modified ASO-PF not only retains the pore structure of the original PF (up to 90% porosity), but also has excellent superhydrophobic properties (water contact angle up to 153°). Owing to the unique pore structure, ASO-PF has excellent compression properties, cycling 50% compression deformation more than 10 times without being damaged, with a maximum compression deformation of up to 80%. A squeeze-suction-squeeze approach is proposed for selective adsorption of organic pollutants in homogeneous solutions based on the recyclable compression properties of ASO-PF. The ASO-PF is put under negative pressure by squeezing, and when the pressure is released, the adsorbed liquid enters the ASO-PF, where the organic pollutants are retained by the adsorption sites in the skeleton, and then the remaining water is discharged by squeezing. This breathing ASO-PF holds great promise for organic pollutant adsorption and recovery applications.

Sustainable Treatment and Resource Recovery of Anion Exchange Spent Brine by Pilot-Scale Electrodialysis and Ultrafiltration

The anion exchange (AIX) spent brine, generated during the NDMP-3 resin regeneration process, highly loaded with organic substances mainly humic substances (HSs) and salts (mainly NaCl) remains an environmental concern. In this study, pilot-scale electro dialysis (ED) and ultrafiltration (UF) hybrid technologies were first used to recover NaCl solution as a resin regeneration agent and HSs, which could be utilized as a vital ingredient of organic fertilizer, from the AIX spent brine. Recovered ≈ 15% w/w NaCl solution obtained by two-stage pilot-scale ED can be used to regenerate saturated NDMP-3 anion exchange resins; the regeneration−readsorption performance of NDMP-3 resins was equivalent to that of fresh ≈ 15% w/w NaCl solution. The two-stage dilute solution with low-salt content (0.49% w/w) was further concentrated by pilot-scale UF, so that the HS content in the retentate solution was >30 g/L, which meets the HS content required for water-soluble organic fertilizers. The HS liquid fertilizer could significantly stimulate the growth of green vegetables with no phytotoxicity, mainly due to special properties of HSs. These results demonstrate that ED + UF hybrid technologies can be a promising approach for the sustainable treatment and resource recovery of AIX spent brine.

Combining Experimental Data with Statistical Methods to Evaluate Hydrolyzed Reactive Dye Removal by α-Fe2O3 in a Cellulose-Based Membrane

Water contaminated with toxic dyes poses serious problems for human health and environmental ecosystems. Unfixed reactive dyes and their hydrolyzed form are soluble in water, thus, their removal is particularly challenging. Among the different methodologies, adsorption is probably the most common since it is easy to handle and has a low cost. Here, the removal by adsorption of hydrolyzed Reactive Black 5 (hydRB5) from a model wastewater through cellulose acetate/hematite membranes (CA/α-Fe2O3), designated as M1, M2 and M3, was performed. The pristine cellulose acetate membrane (CA) was designated as M0. Toward understanding the adsorption mechanism of hydRB5 on membranes, the rate of adsorption and maximum value of the adsorption capacity were evaluated using kinetic and isothermal studies, respectively. The results showed that the adsorption mechanism follows pseudo-first-order kinetics, and data are best fitted by the Langmuir isotherm method with a maximum adsorption capacity of 105.26 mg g−1 in pH~7. Furthermore, these membranes can be also regenerated by washing with NaOH and NaCl solutions, and the regeneration efficiency remains effective over five cycles. To complete the work, two statistical models were applied, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and a Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimum value found is located in the usable region, and the experimental validation shows good agreement between the predicted optimum values and the experimental data. These composite membranes are also good candidates for the adsorption of other pollutants, even at industrial scale, due to their effective regeneration process and low production costs.

Integrated loose nanofiltration-electrodialysis process for sustainable resource extraction from high-salinity textile wastewater

Effective extraction of useful resources from high-salinity textile wastewater is a critical pathway for sustainable wastewater management. In this study, an integrated loose nanofiltration-electrodialysis process was explored for simultaneous recovery of dyes, NaCl and pure water from high-salinity textile wastewater, thus closing the material loop and minimizing waste emission. Specifically, a loose nanofiltration membrane (molecular weight cutoff of ~800 Da) was proposed to fractionate the dye and NaCl in the high-salinity textile wastewater. Through a nanofiltration-diafiltration unit, including a pre-concentration stage and a constant-volume diafiltration stage, the dye could be recovered from the high-salinity textile wastewater, being enriched at a factor of ~9.0, i.e., from 2.01 to 17.9 g·L^-1 with 98.4% purity. Assisted with the subsequent implementation of electrodialysis, the NaCl concentrate and pure water were effectively reclaimed from the salt-containing permeate coming from the loose nanofiltration-diafiltration. Simultaneously, the produced pure water was further recycled to the nanofiltration-diafiltration unit. This study shows the potential of the integration of loose nanofiltation-diafiltration with electrodialysis for sufficient resource extraction from high-salinity textile wastewater.

Recycling Lithium from Waste Lithium Bromide to Produce Lithium Hydroxide

Lithium resources face risks of shortages owing to the rapid development of the lithium industry. This makes the efficient production and recycling of lithium an issue that should be addressed immediately. Lithium bromide is widely used as a water-absorbent material, a humidity regulator, and an absorption refrigerant in the industry. However, there are few studies on the recovery of lithium from lithium bromide after disposal. In this paper, a bipolar membrane electrodialysis (BMED) process is proposed to convert waste lithium bromide into lithium hydroxide, with the generation of valuable hydrobromic acid as a by-product. The effects of the current density, the feed salt concentration, and the initial salt chamber volume on the performance of the BMED process were studied. When the reaction conditions were optimized, it was concluded that an initial salt chamber volume of 200 mL and a salt concentration of 0.3 mol/L provided the maximum benefit. A high current density leads to high energy consumption but with high current efficiency; therefore, the optimum current density was identified as 30 mA/cm². Under the optimized conditions, the total economic cost of the BMED process was calculated as 2.243 USD·kg⁻¹LiOH. As well as solving the problem of recycling waste lithium bromide, the process also represents a novel production methodology for lithium hydroxide. Given the prices of lithium hydroxide and hydrobromic acid, the process is both environmentally friendly and economical.

Sustainable disposal of seawater brine by novel hybrid electrodialysis system: Fine utilization of mixed salts

Sustainable seawater brine treatment demands an essential paradigm shift for effective recovery of resources and high value utilization of mixed-salts. Here, a novel hybrid electrodialysis (ED) system was proposed that integrated an innovative hybrid selective ED (HSED) and a developed selective bipolar membrane ED (SBMED). The HSED process allowed simultaneous recovery of major divalent cations and anions from seawater brine when NaCl was selectively enriched. Then, the impure NaCl-rich stream was fed directly into the SBMED process for acid/base preparation without any purification pretreatment. Detailed analysis of the HSED process showed that increasing unit voltage from 2.33 V to 2.67 V would improve the removal ratio of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and SO₄^2- from 54.7%, 41.4% and 13.3% to 78.9%, 76.6% and 32.1%, respectively. In addition, the increment of initial concentration of product streams promoted the transport of various ions from the feed and middle compartments. The fine utilization performance, in terms of ionic removal ratio and fractionation ratio of divalent ions in the HSED process, was more limited by the initial concentration of product streams. Furthermore, the SBMED stack was found to have nearly identical performance over five cycles, indicating that the presence of a trace amount of hardness cations did not induce scaling. The current study thus provided a novel suitable strategy with a perspective of fine utilization for practical applications in sustainable disposal of seawater brine.

A Novel Rotary Dryer Filled with Alumina Ceramic Beads for the Treatment of Industrial Wastewaters: Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study

In this study, a new type of rotary dryer filled with inert alumina ceramic bead (ACB) fillers was introduced to treat the industrial wastewater, e.g., the high-salt wastewater and landfill leachate. Numerical simulations based on the Discrete Element Method (DEM) on the motion trajectory of ACB fillers in the rotary dryer were conducted, and the parameters of flight structure, rotational speed, and filling degree on the dynamic behavior of ACB fillers were optimized. Under various rotational speeds and filling degrees, the experimental results fit the numerical-simulated results very well. The optimized flight configuration was the straight flights with a length of 65 mm, and the optimized rotational speed and filling degree were 35 rpm and 15%, respectively. Under the optimized condition, both the response variables, the mass of particles in the airborne phase (MAP) and the percentage of occupied area in the airborne region (OAR), have the optimal values, in which the dryer will have a better drying performance. Besides, the lower-right area of the drum is empty which is convenient for the installation of the inlet pipe. The drying experiments of industrial wastewaters were also studied using this ACB filled rotary drum dryer under the optimized conditions. Under the optimal operational conditions, the evaporation capacities of the high-salt wastewater and landfill leachate could reach as high as 49.7 kg/h and 90 kg/h, respectively. This study highlights the integration of evaporation and drying processes of this novel ACB filled rotary dryer and provides an efficient and zero-liquid-emission strategy for the thermal treatment of industrial wastewater.

An innovative compound bed of EDI device with enhancing ion-exchange resins regeneration efficiency

Electrodeionization (EDI) technology is limited by low regeneration efficiency of ion exchange resins, requirements of high-quality influent water, fouling of the ion exchange membrane and electrode, etc. In this work, a novel bed type called a compound bed in which cation and anion exchange resins were near the cation and anion exchange membrane and placed in layers, was proposed to implement high-efficiency regeneration of ion exchange resins. The influence of different operating conditions on the regeneration efficiency of ion exchange resins was elucidated as well. The regeneration efficiency of ion exchange resins could reach 73.1%, when the device was operated for 5 h under current density of 9 mA/cm², with a cation and anion exchange resins ratio of 2: 3, influent water conductivity of 1,360 μS/cm and hardness of 400 mg/L. Therefore, the proposed compound bed structure not only widened the inlet water conditions, but also achieved the high-efficiency regeneration of ion exchange resins and anti-fouling of membranes and electrodes.

Neutralization of Industrial Water by Electrodialysis

The process of non-reagent adjustment of the pH of a NaCl solution (0.5 g/L) of different acidity was investigated by the method of bipolar electrodialysis on a device operating according to the K-system (concentration). The experiments were carried out in the range pH = 2.0–12.0 with monopolar cation-exchange MK-40 (for alkaline solutions) or anion-exchange MA-40 (for acidic solutions) and bipolar MB-2 membranes. The regularities of the change in the pH of the solution on the current density, process productivity and energy consumption for the neutralization process have been investigated. Revealed: with different productivity of the apparatus (Q = 0.5–1.5 m^3/h), in the range of pH 3.0–11.0, with an increase in the current density, a neutral pH value is achieved. It has been shown that at pH above 11.0 and below 3.0, even at high current densities (i > 20 A/m²), its value cannot be changed. This is due to the neutralization of the H⁺ or OH⁻ ions generated by the bipolar membrane by water ions, which are formed as a result of the dissociation of water molecules at the border of the monopolar membrane and the solution under conditions when the value of current exceeds the limiting value.

Electrodialytic Desalination of Tobacco Sheet Extract: Membrane Fouling Mechanism and Mitigation Strategies

In the papermaking industry (reconstituted tobacco), a large number of tobacco stems, dust, and fines are discharged in the wastewater. This high salinity wastewater rich in ionic constituents and nicotine is difficult to be degraded by conventional biological treatment and is a serious threat that needs to be overcome. Electrodialysis (ED) has proved a feasible technique to remove the inorganic components in the papermaking wastewater. However, the fouling in ion exchange membranes causes deterioration of membranes, which causes a decrease in the flux and an increase in the electrical resistance of the membranes. In this study, the fouling potential of the membranes was analyzed by comparing the properties of the pristine and fouled ion exchange membranes. The physical and chemical properties of the ion exchange membranes were investigated in terms of electrical resistance, water content, and ion exchange capacity, as well as studied by infrared spectroscopy (IR) spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses. The results indicated that the membrane fouling is caused by two different mechanisms. For the anion exchange membranes, the fouling is mainly caused by the charged organic anions. For the cation exchange membrane, the fouling is caused by minerals such as Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺. These metal ions reacted with OH⁻ ions generated by water dissociation and precipitated on the membrane surface. The chemical cleaning with alkaline and acid could mitigate the fouling potential of the ion exchange membranes.

Nutrient Capture from Aqueous Waste and Photocontrolled Fertilizer Delivery to Tomato Plants Using Fe(III)-Polysaccharide Hydrogels

Inexpensive and sustainable methods are needed to reclaim nutrients from agricultural waste solutions for use as a fertilizer while decreasing nutrient runoff. Fe(III)-polysaccharide hydrogels are able to flocculate solids and absorb nutrients in liquid animal waste from Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). Fe(III)-alginate beads absorbed 0.05 mg g-1 NH4 + and NO3 - from 100 ppm solutions at pH = 7, with > 80% phosphate uptake and ∼30% uptake of ammonium and nitrate. Ammonium uptake from a raw manure solution (1420 ppm NH4 +) showed a significant 0.7 mg g-1 uptake. Tomato plant trials carried out with Fe(III)-alginate hydrogel beads in greenhouse conditions showed controlled nutrient delivery for the plants compared to fertilizer solution with the same nutrient content. Plants showed an uptake of Fe from the gel beads, and Fe(III)-alginate hydrogel beads promoted root growth of the plants. The plants treated with nutrient-loaded Fe(III)-alginate hydrogels yielded comparable tomato harvest to plants treated with the conventional fertilizer solution.

Electrodialysis Applications in Wastewater Treatment for Environmental Protection and Resources Recovery: A Systematic Review on Progress and Perspectives

This paper presents a comprehensive review of studies on electrodialysis (ED) applications in wastewater treatment, outlining the current status and the future prospect. ED is a membrane process of separation under the action of an electric field, where ions are selectively transported across ion-exchange membranes. ED of both conventional or unconventional fashion has been tested to treat several waste or spent aqueous solutions, including effluents from various industrial processes, municipal wastewater or salt water treatment plants, and animal farms. Properties such as selectivity, high separation efficiency, and chemical-free treatment make ED methods adequate for desalination and other treatments with significant environmental benefits. ED technologies can be used in operations of concentration, dilution, desalination, regeneration, and valorisation to reclaim wastewater and recover water and/or other products, e.g., heavy metal ions, salts, acids/bases, nutrients, and organics, or electrical energy. Intense research activity has been directed towards developing enhanced or novel systems, showing that zero or minimal liquid discharge approaches can be techno-economically affordable and competitive. Despite few real plants having been installed, recent developments are opening new routes for the large-scale use of ED techniques in a plethora of treatment processes for wastewater.

Light-Emitting Multifunctional Maleic Acid-co-2-(N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamido)succinic Acid-co-N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide for Fe(III) Sensing, Removal, and Cell Imaging

The intrinsically fluorescent highly hydrophilic multifunctional aliphatic terpolymer, maleic acid (MA)-co-2-(N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamido)succinic acid (NHASA)-co-N-(hydroxymethyl)acrylamide (NHMA), that is, 1, was designed and synthesized via C-C/N-C-coupled in situ allocation of a fluorophore monomer, that is, NHASA, composed of amido and carboxylic acid functionalities in the polymerization of two nonemissive MA and NHMA. The scalable and reusable intrinsically fluorescent biocompatible 1 was suitable for sensing and high-performance adsorptive exclusion of Fe(III), along with the imaging of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells. The structure of 1, in situ fluorophore monomer, aggregation-induced enhanced emission, cell-imaging ability, and superadsorption mechanism were studied via microstructural analyses using 1H/13C NMR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, atomic absorption spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic light scattering, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, solid-state fluorescence, fluorescence lifetime, and fluorescence imaging, along with measuring kinetics, isotherms, and thermodynamic parameters. The location, electronic structures, and geometries of the fluorophore and absorption and emission properties of 1 were investigated using density functional theory and natural transition orbital analyses. The limit of detection and the maximum adsorption capacity were 2.45 × 10-7 M and 542.81 mg g-1, respectively.

Three-Dimensional Stable Cation-Exchange Membrane with Enhanced Mechanical, Electrochemical, and Antibacterial Performance by in Situ Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles

In this study, a simple and facile approach was proposed to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) loaded cation-exchange membranes (CEMs). A wide analytical study involving scanning electronic microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was accomplished to corroborate that the in situ generated AgNPs were uniformly dispersed in the polymer matrix. In addition, as a result of the proposed synthesis strategy, the cross-linking structure inside the membrane was formed. The proper particle size and dispersibility of the AgNPs improved the mechanical properties of the membranes. Besides, the optimal AgNP-loaded CEM exhibited excellent bacterial killing activities against Gram-negative bacteria and showed a controlled improvement in the electrochemical performance of the prepared membranes. These effects were caused by the obtained distribution of AgNPs near ion-exchange groups that increased the aggregation of water molecules around them, improving the efficiency of ion transport due the formation of array broad ion-transport channels. The optimized CEM [sulfonated polysulfone (60SPSF)-C3#-Ag-2] exhibited an enhanced NaCl removal ratio of 67.5% with a high current efficiency (96.9%) and a low energy consumption (5.84 kWh kg^-1). The distance of the inhibition zone from the boundary of the membrane of SPSF-C3#-Ag-2 reached 4.8 mm. These results led us to suggest that the proposed synthesis strategy may have potential applications in the field of antibacterial and desalting ion-exchange membranes.

Collagenic waste and rubber based resin-cured biocomposite adsorbent for high-performance removal(s) of Hg(II), safranine, and brilliant cresyl blue: A cost-friendly waste management approach

Goat buffing dust (GBD), an abundantly available collagenic-waste and crosslinked styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)-based scalable biocomposite showing excellent physicochemical properties and reusability was synthesized via systematic optimization of torque and time for exclusion(s) of dyes, such as safranine (SF) and brilliant cresyl blue (BCB), and Hg(II). The GBD-aided non-sulfur curing of SBR was attempted via chromane mechanism-based reaction between resin components of GBD and pendant ̶ C=C ̶ of SBR. The decrease in the relative extent of unsaturation in cured-SBRGBD, alteration of crystallinity, surface properties, elevated thermal stabilities, and ligand-selective superadsorption were inferred through extensive microstructural analyses of unadsorbed and/or adsorbed SBRGBD using ¹³C NMR, O1s-/N1s-/C1s-/Hg4f_7/2,5/2-XPS, FTIR, UV-vis, TGA, XRD, FESEM, and EDX. Interactive effects between pH_i, temperature, and concentration on adsorption capacities (ACs) were optimized through response surface methodology (RSM). The ionic interaction between SBRGBD and SF, BCB, and Hg(II) was understood through FTIR analyses, fitting of kinetics data to pseudosecond order model, and activation energies. BET and Langmuir isotherms were fitted the best to BCB and SF/Hg(II), respectively. Thermodynamically spontaneous chemisorption showed the maximum ACs of 165.63, 251.18, and 225.56 mg g^-1 for SF, BCB, and Hg(II), respectively, at 100 ppm, 303 K, and adsorbent dose = 0.015 g.

In Situ Attachment of Acrylamido Sulfonic Acid-Based Monomer in Terpolymer Hydrogel Optimized by Response Surface Methodology for Individual and/or Simultaneous Removal(s) of M(III) and Cationic Dyes

Herein, grafting of starch (STR) and in situ strategic inclusion of 2-(3-(acrylamido)propylamido)-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (APMPS) via solution polymerization of 2-(acrylamido)-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) and acrylamide (AM) have resulted in the synthesis of smart STR-grafted-AMPS-co-APMPS-co-AM (i.e., STR-g-TerPol) interpenetrating terpolymer (TerPol) network hydrogels. For fabricating the optimum hydrogel showing excellent physicochemical properties and recyclability, amounts of ingredients and temperature of synthesis have been optimized using multistage response surface methodology. STR-g-TerPol bearing the maximum swelling ability, along with the retention of network integrity, has been employed for individual and/or simultaneous removal(s) of metal ions (i.e., M(III)), such as Bi(III) and Sb(III), and dyes, such as tris(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)methylium chloride (i.e., crystal violet) and (7-amino-8-phenoxazin-3-ylidene)-diethylazanium dichlorozinc dichloride (i.e., brilliant cresyl blue). The in situ strategic protrusion of APMPS, grafting of STR into the TerPol matrix, variation of crystallinity, thermal stabilities, surface properties, mechanical properties, swellability, adsorption capacities (ACs), and ligand-selective superadsorption have been inferred via analyses of unadsorbed and/or adsorbed STR-g-TerPol using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 1H/13C NMR, UV-vis, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray, dynamic light scattering, and rheological analyses and measuring the lower critical solution temperature, % gel content, pH at point of zero charge (pHPZC), and network parameters, such as ρc and M c. The prevalence of covalent, ionic (I), and variegated interactions between STR-g-TerPol and M(III) has been understood through FTIR analyses, fitting of kinetics data to the pseudosecond-order model, and by the measurement of activation energies of adsorption. The formation of H-aggregate type dimers and hypochromic and hypsochromic shifts has been explained via UV-vis analyses during individual and/or simultaneous removal(s) of cationic dyes. Several isotherm models were fitted to the equilibrium experimental data, of which Langmuir and combined Langmuir-Freundlich models have been best fitted for individual Bi(III)/Sb(III) and simultaneous Sb(III) + Bi(III) removals, respectively. Thermodynamically spontaneous chemisorption processes have shown the maximum ACs of 1047.39/282.39 and 932.08/137.85 mg g-1 for Bi(III) and Sb(III), respectively, at 303 K, adsorbent dose = 0.01 g, and initial concentration of M(III) = 1000/30 ppm. The maximum ACs have been changed to 173.09 and 136.02 mg g-1 for Bi(III) and Sb(III), respectively, for binary Sb(III) + Bi(III) removals at 303 K, adsorbent dose = 0.01 g, and initial concentration of Bi(III)/Sb(III) at 30/5 and 5/30 ppm.

Scalable Synthesis of Collagenic-Waste and Natural Rubber-Based Biocomposite for Removal of Hg(II) and Dyes: Approach for Cost-Friendly Waste Management

For initiating a prosperous cost-friendly waste management of small-scale industries, cow buffing dust (CBD), one of the abundantly available semisynthetic collagenic solid wastes, has been used as a nonsulfur cross-linker of natural rubber (NR) for fabricating an NRCBD-biocomposite superadsorbent. The as-prepared reusable biocomposite bearing variegated collagenic and noncollagenic N-donors, along with the O-donors, has been reported for ligand-selective preferential superadsorption from waste water. Thus, a CBD and NR-based scalable biocomposite bearing optimum cross-linking, excellent physicochemical properties, and reusability has been developed via systematic optimization of the torque and reaction time for cost-friendly adsorptive exclusion of dyes, such as 2,8-dimethyl-3,7-diamino-phenazine (i.e., safranine, SF) and (7-amino-8-phenoxazin-3-ylidene)-diethylazanium dichlorozinc dichloride (i.e., brilliant cresyl blue), BCB, and Hg(II). The CBD-aided curing of NR has been achieved through the formation of a cross-linked chromane-ring originated via reaction between the methylol-phenol ring of phenol-formaldehyde resin and isoprene unit of NR. The partial disappearance of unsaturation in cured-NRCBD, relative variation of crystallinity, surface properties, elevated thermal stabilities, and ligand-selective superadsorption have been studied by advanced microstructural analyses of unadsorbed and/or adsorbed NRCBD using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 13C nuclear magnetic resonance, ultraviolet-visible, and O 1s-/N 1s-/C 1s-/Hg 4f7/2,5/2-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and pHPZC. Response surface methodology-based optimization has been employed to attain the optimum potential of NRCBD, considering the interactive effects between pHi, temperature, and concentration of the dye. H-aggregate and time-dependent hypochromic effect has been observed during individual adsorption of dyes. Moreover, the prevalence of chemisorption via ionic interaction between NRCBD and SF, BCB, and Hg(II) has been realized by FTIR, fitting of kinetics data to the pseudosecond-order model, and measurement of activation energies. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller and Langmuir isotherms fit the best to BCB and SF/Hg(II), respectively. Thermodynamically spontaneous chemisorption have shown the maximum adsorption capacities of 303.61, 46.14, and 166.46 mg g-1 for SF, BCB, and Hg(II), respectively, at low initial concentration of Hg(II)/dyes = 40 ppm, 303 K, and adsorbent dose = 0.01 g.

Mass Transfer Phenomena during Electrodialysis of Multivalent Ions: Chemical Equilibria and Overlimiting Currents

Electrodialysis is utilized for the deionization of saline streams, usually formed by strong electrolytes. Recently, interest in new applications involving the transport of weak electrolytes through ion-exchange membranes has increased. Clear examples of such applications are the recovery of valuable metal ions from industrial effluents, such as electronic wastes or mining industries. Weak electrolytes give rise to a variety of ions with different valence, charge sign and transport properties. Moreover, development of concentration polarization under the application of an electric field promotes changes in the chemical equilibrium, thus making more complex understanding of mass transfer phenomena in such systems. This investigation presents a set of experiments conducted with salts of multivalent metals with the aim to provide better understanding on the involved mass transfer phenomena. Chronopotentiometric experiments and current-voltage characteristics confirm that shifts in chemical equilibria can take place simultaneous to the activation of overlimiting mass transfer mechanisms, that is, electroconvection and water dissociation. Electroconvection has been proven to affect the type of precipitates formed at the membrane surface thus suppressing the simultaneous dissociation of water. For some electrolytes, shifts in the chemical equilibria forced by an imposed electric field generate new charge carriers at specific current regimes, thus reducing the system resistance.