Chelation-directed interface engineering of in-place self-cleaning membranes

Water-energy sustainability will depend upon the rapid development of advanced pressure-driven separation membranes. Although energy-efficient, water-treatment membranes are constrained by ubiquitous fouling, which may be alleviated by engineering self-cleaning membrane interfaces. In this study, a metal-polyphenol network was designed to direct the armorization of catalytic nanofilms (ca. 18 nm) on inert polymeric membranes. The chelation-directed mineralized coating exhibits high polarity, superhydrophilicity, and ultralow adhesion to crude oil, enabling cyclable crude oil-in-water emulsion separation. The in-place flux recovery rate exceeded 99.9%, alleviating the need for traditional ex situ cleaning. The chelation-directed nanoarmored membrane exhibited 48-fold and 6.8-fold figures of merit for in-place self-cleaning regeneration compared to the control membrane and simple hydraulic cleaning, respectively. Precursor interaction mechanisms were identified by density functional theory calculations. Chelation-directed armorization offers promise for sustainable applications in catalysis, biomedicine, environmental remediation, and beyond.

Fabrication of Ti(2)SnC-MAX Phase Blended PES Membranes with Improved Hydrophilicity and Antifouling Properties for Oil/Water Separation

In this research work, the Ti₂SnC MAX phase (MP) was synthesized via the reactive sintering procedure. The layered and crystalline structure of this MP was verified by SEM, HRTEM, and XRD analyses. This nano-additive was used for improvement of different features of the polyethersulfone (PES) polymeric membranes. The blended membranes containing diverse quantities of the MP (0-1 wt%) were fabricated by a non-solvent-induced phase inversion method. The asymmetric structure of the membranes with small holes in the top layer and coarse finger-like holes and macro-voids in the sublayer was observed by applying SEM analysis. The improvement of the membrane's hydrophilicity was verified via reducing the contact angle of the membranes from 63.38° to 49.77° (for bare and optimum membranes, respectively). Additionally, in the presence of 0.5 wt% MP, the pure water flux increased from 286 h to 355 L/m² h. The average roughness of this membrane increased in comparison with the bare membrane, which shows the increase in the filtration-available area. The high separation efficiency of the oil/water emulsion (80%) with an improved flux recovery ratio of 65% was illustrated by the optimum blended membrane.

Fabrication and optimisation of cashew nut butter from different vegetable oils

BACKGROUND

One of the significant problems with peanut butter is oil separation when the product is opened after some time. The selection of vegetable oil, which acts as a stabiliser, plays a significant role in nut butter's textural and sensory quality.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to optimise the formulation of cashew nut butter using response surface methodology (RSM). Four different vegetable oils, namely olive oil, virgin coconut oil, soybean oil and palm oil, were used to select efficient vegetable oil based on its effect on the physicochemical characteristics and sensory evaluation of cashew nut butter.

METHOD

Thirteen formulations of cashew nut butter from RSM were produced to determine the optimum amount of selected oil (olive oil) and honey.

RESULTS

Cashew nut butter stabilised with olive oil showed the best and similar values to commercial peanut butter with the lowest oil separation 3.91% and lower values of texture data of firmness (85.8 g), shear work (87.8 g.sec), stickiness (-27.44 g) and work of adhesion (-36.07 g.sec). The recommended volumes of olive oil and honey for cashew nut butter production were 1.29% and 6.16%, respectively. Consumers favor cashew nut butter, according to sensory analysis' overall acceptance. In terms of nutritional quality, cashew nut butter contains a high amount of fat (47.25%), followed by carbohydrates (24.51%) and protein (16.4%).

CONCLUSION

The type of oil showed significant effects on the stability and spreadability of the produced cashew nut butter.

Optimization and Evaluation of Hydration Method for Cold Recovery of Oils and Defatted Meal from Pinus armandi Seed Kernels

Large quantities of oils and proteins are demanded per year while their production needs environmentally friendly (green), safe, low cost, efficient and sustainable methods. Hydration method for producing Pinus armandi seed kernel oil and defatted meal rich in proteins was therefore developed, which had the following optimal conditions: baking kernels at 130 ℃ for 10 min, grinding them to pass through a 80-mesh sieve, mixing the ground kernel (10.00 g) with 1.00 mL of 8% brine or water and agitating at room temperature for 30 min. This method recovered 96.71% edible oil with vitamin E and K, phytosterols, carotenoids and squalene concentrated and de-oiled meal containing 57.98% proteins and 4.17% oils with ascorbic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, folate, total phenolic and flavonoids concentrated. It had higher recovery rate and other physicochemical indices of edible oil and was found to be more sustainable as compared with cold pressing, enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction and solvent extraction.

3D Natural Mesoporous Biosilica-Embedded Polysulfone Made Ultrafiltration Membranes for Application in Separation Technology

Diatoms are the most abundant photosynthetic microalgae found in all aquatic habitats. In the extant study, the spent biomass (after lipid extraction) of the centric marine diatom Thalassiosira lundiana CSIRCSMCRI 001 was subjected to acid digestion for the extraction of micro composite inorganic biosilica. Then, the resulting three-dimensional mesoporous biosilica material (diatomite) was used as a filler in polysulfone (PSF) membrane preparation by phase inversion. The fabricated PSF/diatomite composite membranes were characterized by SEM-EDX, TGA, and ATR-IR, and their performances were evaluated. The number of pores and pore size were increased on the membrane surface with increased diatomite in the composite membranes as compared to the control. The diatomite composite membranes had high hydrophilicity and thermal stability, lower surface roughness, and excellent water permeability. Membranes with high % diatomite, i.e., PSF/Dia_0.5, had a maximum water flux of 806.8 LMH (Liter/m²/h) at 20 psi operating pressure. High-diatomite content membranes also exhibited the highest rejection of BSA protein (98.5%) and rhodamine 6G (94.8%). Similarly, in biomedical rejection tests, the PSF/Dia_0.5 membrane exhibited a maximum rejection of ampicillin (75.84%) and neomycin (85.88%) at 20 Psi pressure. In conclusion, the mesoporous inorganic biosilica material was extracted from spent biomass of diatom and successfully used in filtration techniques. The results of this study could enhance the application of natural biogenic porous silica materials in wastewater treatment for water recycling.

Reducing Oil Separation in Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is a shelf-stable, low moisture, energy dense medicinal food composed of peanut butter, vegetable oils, milk powder, a multiple micronutrient premix and sugar. RUTF is used by millions of children annually to treat malnutrition. After mixing, RUTF is a semisolid covered with oil. To produce a homogenous RUTF, hydrogenated vegetable oils are incorporated in small quantities. This study utilized a benchtop methodology to test the effect of RUTF ingredients on oil separation. An acceptable oil separation was <4%. This method compared 15 different vegetable oil stabilizers with respect to oil separation. The dynamic progression of oil separation followed a Michaelis–Menten pattern, reaching a maximum after 60 days when stored at 30 °C. Hydrogenated vegetable oils with triglyceride or 50% monoglycerides reduced the oil separation to acceptable levels. The additive showing the largest reduction in oil separation was used in an industrial trial, where it also performed acceptably. In conclusion, fully hydrogenated soybean and rapeseed oil added as 1.5% controlled oil separation in RUTF.

Beyond the Recycle of Raw Chicken Fat

The wasted raw fat of chicken was extracted and recrystallized with slowly stir at various cooling temperature to get a clear out-looking and liquid chicken oil. The recovery percentage of liquid chicken oil is about 100, 87, 78, 49 and 0% at 25, 21, 17, 13 and 9°C. The chicken liquid oil has a new composition of fatty acids than the original oil (p < 0.05) and has a safety range in acid value and peroxide value. The fatty acid ratio of the liquid chicken oil obtained at 13°C to be 1:1.6:0.9 (SFA: MUFA: PUFA) is believed to be good dietary oil. The concept of ideal fatty acid ratio comes from Hayes' report (1:1.5:1, SFA: MUFA: PUFA) which is also found to mimic to human lipid fatty acid ratio. Statistically evaluation on Hayes' basis, it showed that the liquid chicken oil scored even better than the extra virgin olive oil. In conclusion, this study not only first open a new gate for the recycle of global raw chicken fat to a dietary oil but also give an evidence that the chicken oil seems more compatible to human lipid on the hypothetic basis of biocompatibility.

The Colloidal and Oxidative Stability of the Sesame Pastes during Storage

The storage stability of the commercial sesame pastes was evaluated for changes in colloidal stability and oxidative stability. The study was conducted for 180 days at storage temperature of 4°C, room temperature (average 20.5°C) and 40°C. The particle sizes of sesame pastes grew with the rising storage temperatures. The oil separations were highest at room temperature, which might be ascribed to the temperature fluctuation. With the elongation of storage time, the acid values of the sesame pastes rose most obviously at 40°C and slightly at 4°C, respectively. The peroxide value is a more sensitive index, and according to set limit for the 19.7 meq O₂/kg peroxide values, the sesame pastes are recommended to be stored no more than 30 days at 40°C, 60 days at room temperature, or 120 days at 4°C, respectively.

A Review on Membrane Technology and Chemical Surface Modification for the Oily Wastewater Treatment

Cleaning of wastewater for the environment is an emerging issue for the living organism. The separation of oily wastewater, especially emulsified mixtures, is quite challenged due to a large amount of wastewater produced in daily life. In this review, the membrane technology for oily wastewater treatment is presented. In the first part, the global membrane market, the oil spill accidents and their results are discussed. In the second and third parts, the source of oily wastewater and conventional treatment methods are represented. Among all methods, membrane technology is considered the most efficient method in terms of high separation performance and easy to operation process. In the fourth part, we provide an overview of membrane technology, fouling problem, and how to improve the self-cleaning surface using functional groups for effectively treating oily wastewater. The recent development of surface-modified membranes for oily wastewater separation is investigated. It is believed that this review will promote understanding of membrane technology and the development of surface modification strategies for anti-fouling membranes.

Effect of Graphene Oxide Synthesis Method on Properties and Performance of Polysulfone-Graphene Oxide Mixed Matrix Membranes

Graphene oxide (GO) has shown great promise as a nanofiller to enhance the performance of mixed matrix composite membranes (MMMs) for water treatment applications. However, GO can be prepared by various synthesis routes, leading to different concentrations of the attached oxygen functional groups. In this research, GO produced by the Hummers', Tour, and Staudenmaier methods were characterized and embedded at various fractions into the matrix of polysulfone (PSf) and used to prepare microfiltration membranes via the phase inversion process. The effects of the GO preparation method and loading on the membrane characteristics, as well as performance for oil removal from an oil-water emulsion, are analyzed. Our results reveal that GO prepared by the Staudenmaier method has a higher concentration of the more polar carbonyl group, increasing the membrane hydrophilicity and porosity compared to GO prepared by the Hummers' and Tour methods. On the other hand, the Hummers' and Tour methods produce GO with larger sheet size, and are more effective in enhancing the mechanical properties of the PSf membrane. Finally, all MMMs exhibited improved water flux (up to 2.7 times) and oil rejection, than those for the control PSf sample, with the optimum GO loading ranged between 0.1-0.2 wt%.

Analysis of cutting-oil emulsion destabilization by aluminum sulfate

The destabilization mechanism of the high stable cutting-oil emulsion by aluminum sulfate (Al₂(SO₄)₃) was investigated since it can affect properties of aggregates and following separation units. Al₂(SO₄)₃ dosage and pH were key factors in the destabilization. The effective separation occurred when precipitated Al(OH)₃ is dominated at the neutral pH of 6.5-7.0. The best separation can be achieved when solid flocs were formed at 1.0 mM, which exceeded the dosage from the critical coagulation concentration (CCC) of 0.75 mM. Two different mechanisms were proved for the emulsion destabilization depending upon the Al³⁺ concentration under this pH range. The first mechanism was the adsorption of Al(OH)₃ on surface of oil droplets, which led to the droplet coalescence. By increasing the Al³⁺ dosage, the sweep flocculation by Al(OH)₃ precipitates occurred. Al³⁺ dosage for effective destabilization was increased in accordance with oil concentration. The formation of aluminum hydroxide precipitates in bayerite structure was affirmed by analyzing elemental composition and crystalline structure of flocs from the destablization.