• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.97-109
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• 2020

Membrane fouling is the main drawback of membrane technology. Frequent membrane cleaning and membrane replacement are, therefore, required to reduce membrane fouling that causes permeate flux reduction, lower rejection, or higher operating pressure. Studies have proved that the alteration of membrane properties is the key controlling factor in lessening membrane fouling. Among stimuli-responsive membranes, thermo-responsive membrane is the most popular, with a drastic phase transition and swelling-shrinking behavior caused by the temperature change. In this study, the thermo-responsive ability of two commercial membranes, PolyCera® Titan membrane and PolyCera® Hydro membrane, at different temperatures was studied on the antifouling function of the membrane in palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment. The evaluation of the membrane's thermo-responsive ability was done through three cycles of adsorption (fouling) and desorption (defouling) processes in a membrane filtration process. The experimental result depicted that PolyCera® Hydro membrane had a higher membrane permeability of 67.869 L/㎡.h.bar than PolyCera® Titan membrane at 46.011 L/㎡.h.bar. However, the high membrane permeability of PolyCera® Hydro membrane was compensated with low removal efficiency. PolyCera® Titan membrane with a smaller mean pore size had better rejection performance than PolyCera® Hydro membrane for all tested parameters. On the other hand, PolyCera® Titan membrane had a better hydrodynamic cleaning efficiency than PolyCera® Hydro membrane regardless of the hydrodynamic cleaning temperature. The best hydrodynamic cleaning performed by PolyCera® Titan membrane was at 35℃ with the flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 99.17 ± 1.43%. The excellent thermo-responsive properties of the PolyCera® Titan membrane could eventually reduce the frequency of membrane replacement and lessen the use of chemicals for membrane cleaning. This outstanding exploration helps to provide a solution to the chemical industry and membrane technology bottleneck, which is the membrane fouling, thus reducing the operating cost incurred by the membrane fouling.

• BMB Reports
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.184-190
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• 1995

Functional study of the gap junction channel has been hindered by its inaccessibility in situ. Identification of forms of this channel in artificial membrane has been elusive because of the lack of identifying channel physiology. Connexin32 forms gap junction channels between neighboring cells in rat liver. Connexin32 was affinity-purified using a monoclonal antibody and reconstituted into artificial phospholipid vesicles. The reconstituted connexin32 formed channels through the vesicle membrane that were permeable to sucrose (Stokes radius: $5{\AA}$). The permeability to sucrose was reversibly reduced by acidic pH. In addition, the pH effect on the permeability to sucrose fit well with by the Hill's equation (where, n=2.7 and pK=6.7).

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.200-205
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• 2013

The separation of hydrogen depends on porosity, diffusivity and solubility in permeation membrane. Dense membrane is always showing a solution diffusion mechanism but porous membrane is not showing. Therefore, porous membrane has a good hydrogen flux due to pore is carried out transferred media. This mechanism is named as the Knudsen diffusion. Hydrogen molecules or hydrogen atoms are diffused along pore that is a mean free path. In this study, complex layer hydrogen permeation membrane was fabricated by hot press process. And then, it was evaluated and calculated to relationship between hydrogen permeability and membrane porosity.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.438-442
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• 2006

The degradation of Nafion membrane by hydrogen peroxide was investigated in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Degradation tests were carried out in a solution of $10{\sim}30%$ hydrogen peroxide containing 4ppm $Fe^{2+}$ ion which is well known as Fenton's reagent at $80^{\circ}C$ for 48hr. Characterization of degraded membranes were examined through the IR, Water-uptake, Ion exchange capacity, mechanical strength and $H_2$ permeability. After degradation, C-F, S-O and C-O chemical bonds of membrane were broken by radical formed by $H_2O_2$ decomposition. Breaking of C-F bond which is the membrane backbone reduced the mechanical strength of Nafion membrane and hence induced pinholes, resulting in increase of $H_2$ crossover through the membrane. Also the decomposition of C-O and S-O, side chain and terminal bond of membrane, decreased the ion exchange capacity of the membrane.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.11-15
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• 2008

The composite membrane for direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) was developed using $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ powder and perfluorosulfonylfluroride copolymer (Nafion) resin. The perfluorosulfonylfluroride copolymer (Nafion) resin was mixed with $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ powder and it was made to sheet form by hot pressing. The electrodes were prepared with 60 wt% PtRu/C and 60wt% Pt/C catalysts for anode and cathode, respectively. The morphology and the chemical composition of the composite membrane have been investigated by using SEM and EDXA, respectively. The composite membrane and $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$ were analyzed by using FT-IR and XRD. The methanol permeability of the composite membranes was also measured by gas chromatography (GC). The performance of the MEA containing the composite membrane (2wt% $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$) was higher than that of normal pure Nafion membrane at high operating temperature (e.g. $110^{\circ}C$), due to the homogenous distribution of $H_3O^+-{\beta}"-Al_2O_3$, which decreased the methanol permeability through the membrane and enhanced the water contents in the composite membrane.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.22-32
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• 2001

The numerical investigation of obliquely incident wave interactions with fully submerged dual buoy/porous-membrane floating breakwaters placed in parallel with spacing is studied based on linear potential theory and Darcy's law. The numerical solutions are obtained by using a discrete-membrane dynamic model and second-kind modified Bessel function distribution over the entire boundaries of fluid regions. First, numerical solutions for an idealized dual submerged system without buoys are obtained. Second, a more practical dual submerged system with membrane tension provided by buoys at its tops is investigated by the multi-domain boundary element method particularly devised for dual buoy/porous-membrane problems with gaps. The velocity potentials of wave motion are coupled with porous-membrane deformation, and solved simultaneously since the boundary condition on porous-membrane is not known in advance. The effects of varying permeability on membranes and wave characteristics are discussed for the optimum design parameters of systems previously studied. The inclusion of permeability on membrane eliminates the resonances that aggravate the breakwater performance. The system is highly efficient when waves generated by the buoys and membranes were mutually canceled and its energy at resonance frequency dissipates through fine pores on membranes.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 2023

This work addresses the development of microfiltration ceramic membrane from alumina using extrusion method. The membranes were sintered at different temperatures ranging between 1000 and 1300℃. The alumina was characterized with thermogravimetric analysis, particle size distribution, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer and scanning electron microscope analysis. Subsequently, the effect of sintering temperature on the membrane properties such as porosity, flexural strength, and pure water permeability was investigated and optimized for the sintering temperature. It is observed that with increasing sintering temperature, the porosity of the membranes decreases and the flexural strength, and pure water permeability of the membranes increase. The uncoated and coated membranes were compared at constant flux mode of filtration. Under the turbidity solution recirculation alone at 100 NTU, trans-membrane pressure (TMP) of uncoated membrane remained constant when the filtration flux was below 121 Lm^-2 h ^-1 , while the coated membrane was 111 Lm_-2 h ^-1 . Although suction pressure increased more rapidly at higher turbidity, coated membrane filtration showed better removal efficiency of the turbidity.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.135-141
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• 2010

Various asymmetric Polysulfone membranes were prepared for a MBR process. Ether-typed alcohols (co-solvent) were added into a dope solution in order to control the pore size of membrane, whose effect on water permeability were investigated. Pore size of the prepared membranes were more affected by molecular-structure of co-solvent than by boiling point of theirs. With the increasing order of methoxy ($CH_3$-O-) < secondary propanol ($-CH_2$-CH(OH)$-CH_3$) < ethoxy ($CH_3-CH_2$-O-), water permeability of the prepared membrane increased. The phenomenon might attribute to the difference of molecularly steric hinderance of co-solvent (eg, Methoxy propanol, Ethoxy ethanol, Methoxy ethanol) in dope solution during the phase inversion. By the addition of ether typed alcohol into a dope solution, the pore size of MF (microfiltration) could be controlled. Also, Membrane prepared was applied to a MBR process and the system was stably operated for 2 months.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.395-404
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• 2017

Fungal cell walls and cell membranes are the main targets of antifungals. In this study, we report on the antifungal activity of an ethanol extract from Paeonia lactiflora against Candida albicans, showing that the antifungal activity is associated with the synergistic actions of preventing cell wall synthesis, enabling membrane depolarization, and compromising permeability. First, it was shown that the ethanol extract from P. lactiflora was involved in damaging the integrity of cell walls in C. albicans. In isotonic media, cell bursts of C. albicans by the P. lactiflora ethanol extract could be restored, and the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the P. lactiflora ethanol extract against C. albicans cells increased 4-fold. In addition, synthesis of $(1,3)-{\beta}-{\small{D}}-glucan$ polymer was inhibited by 87% and 83% following treatment of C. albicans microsomes with the P. lactiflora ethanol extract at their $1{\times}MIC$ and $2{\times}MIC$, respectively. Second, the ethanol extract from P. lactiflora influenced the function of C. albicans cell membranes. C. albicans cells treated with the P. lactiflora ethanol extract formed red aggregates by staining with a membrane-impermeable dye, propidium iodide. Membrane depolarization manifested as increased fluorescence intensity by staining P. lactiflora-treated C. albicans cells with a membrane-potential marker, $DiBAC_4(3)$ ((bis-1,3-dibutylbarbituric acid) trimethine oxonol). Membrane permeability was assessed by crystal violet assay, and C. albicans cells treated with the P. lactiflora ethanol extract exhibited significant uptake of crystal violet in a concentration-dependent manner. The findings suggest that P. lactiflora ethanol extract is a viable and effective candidate for the development of new antifungal agents to treat Candida-associated diseases.

• YAKHAK HOEJI
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.440-450
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• 1994

Due to the limited bioavailability of $[D-Ala^6]$LHRH from nonparenteral transmucosal sites of administration, enhancement of mucosal permeability by coadministration of several protease inhibitors and/or penetration enhancers were studied in rabbit mucosa. As a reliable bioassay method for $[D-Ala^6]$LHRH, ovulation-inducing effect were measured after vaginal administration in the rat. The permeation of $[D-Ala^6]$LHRH through the mucosal membrane of rabbit mounted on George-Grass diffusion cells were examined in the presence of polyoxyethylene 9-lauryl ether (POE), ${\beta}$-cyclodextrin$({\beta}-CyD)$ or ethylene diamine tetra acetate disodium salt(EDTA). The vaginal membrane showed higher permeability of $[D-Ala^6]$LHRH than the rectal and nasal membrane. POE and ${\beta}-CyD$ showed a small promoting effect on the membrane permeation of $[D-Ala^6]$LHRH, but EDTA showed significant enhancement. Ovaluation was enhanced by the coadministration of sodium laurate(0.5%), a protease inhibitor but was not enhanced by EDTA, a penetration enhancer. On the other hands, coadministration of sodium tauro 24,25 dihydrofusidate(1%) and EDTA(2%) enhanced the ovulation inducing-effect 2.8 times. These results suggest that the vaginal administration of $[D-Ala^6]$LHRH with STDHF or sodium laurate as a protease inhibitor, and EDTA as a penetration enhancer, may become an elective method for transmucosal delivery of $[D-Ala^6]$ LHRH.