• Journal of Appropriate Technology
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2021

Gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration system based on the nanofiber membrane was investigated. This system can be operated with little energy demand due to a gravitational pressure-driven filtration and biological fouling control strategy. Moreover, the optimal module configuration based on the high permeance of nanofiber membrane can provide a significantly high water productivity. In order to evaluate its applicability potential, the pilot-scale (3000-5000 L/day) systems with nanofiber membranes were operated in developing countries (Kiribati and Tuvalu). Our results showed that the 14-92 L/(m²×h) of the permeate flux was determined indicating a stabilized water productivity. In addition, the permeate water indicated a high removal rate (more than 99.99%) of turbidity and bacteria. Consequently, the system can provide a stabilized water production with safe permeate water quality during long-term operation. These findings exemplify an effective approach to decentralized drinking water treatment for developing countries.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.177-192
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• 2011

Hollow fiber membrane using CTA polymers were prepared by the phase separation method for the separation and purification of biogas and the hollow fiber gas separation membrane modules with the effective surface area of 0.17 $m^2$ were prepared. The pure gas permeation properties of membrane modules for methane, oxygen and carbon dioxide were measured. The permeance of $CO_2$ and $CH_4$were 0.46 GPU and 18.52 GPU, respectively, therefore, the high $CO_2$/$CH_4$ selectivity of 40.4 was obtained. The separation and purification test for 4 different simulated mixed gases were carried out after the pure gas test and the gas concentration and flux of the permeate at the various stage-cut were measured from the 1 stage, 2 stage, and 3 stage cascade of membrane modules. In the 1 stage test, the concentration of $CH_4$ increased as the increase of the stage-cut, while the $CH_4$ recovery efficiency ratio decreased. In the 2 stage test, the $CH_4$ recovery efficiency ratio increased compared to the 1 stage. The 3 stage test was employed to reduce the loss of $CH_4$ in biogas and the result showed less than 5% of $CH_4$ recovery loss.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.76-85
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• 2016

Fabrication of polysulfone (PSf) hollow fiber membranes was investigated for the separation of $N_2/NF_3$ gas mixtures, which are emitted from the display and the semiconductor industries. A combination of the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) and the vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) technique was applied to develop high flux hollow fiber membranes. Thin polymer layers were further coated onto the surface of the hollow fiber membranes by using polydimethylsiloxiane (PDMS) or Teflon AF1600(R), which contributes to improve the $N_2/NF_3$ selectivity. The $N_2/NF_3$ separation performances of our PSf hollow fiber membranes were determined by the intrinsic properties of coating materials. Especially, the PSf hollow fiber membrane coated with Teflon AF 1600(R) exhibited a higher $N_2/NF_3$ selectivity (> 14) with a slightly lower $N_2$ permeance (4.5 GPU), as compared to the commercial PSf counterparts. This feature provides a good potential as a membrane structure to separate $N_2/NF_3$.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.456-470
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• 2013

Hollow-fiber membranes, is one of the new technologies that is growing rapidly in the past few decades. In addition, separation membranes using polymer materials, have attracted attentions in various fields including gas separation, fuel cells, water treatment, wastewater treatment, and organic separation. Nanofiltration (NF) membranes having the separation characteristics in the intermediate range between ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes for liquid separation, with relatively low investment cost and operating pressure lower than that of RO membranes, have high permeance and rejection performance of multivalent ions as well as organic compounds of molecular weight between $200{\sim}1000gmol^{-1}$. In this paper, we would like to review the research trends on the various structure control and characterization of NF hollow fiber membranes with respect to materials and the methods of preparation (phase inversion method and interfacial polymerization method). Currently, most of NF membranes have been manufactured by plate and frame types or spiral wound types. But hollow fiber types have delayed in commercial products, because of the weak strength when to produce on the basis of the existing materials, therefore the development of new materials or improvement of existing materials will be needed. If improving manufacturing technology is available, hollow fiber types will replace spiral wound types and gradually show a higher market share.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.62-71
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• 2011

Highly enriched oxygen is used in energy-efficient combustion due to decreased non-flammable nitrogen, while high purity nitrogen is used for explosion proof in the LNG ships and keeping the freshness of green stuffs. Membrane technology can be used in these $O_2$ and $N_2$ generation with low energy consumption. In this study, PES was used as a membrane material and 1-methyl-2-pyrollidone (NMP) and acetone were employed as a good solvent and nonsolvent addictive (swelling agent to PES), respectively. Dope solutions were prepared by changing the content of acetone (0, 6.5, 15, 25, 31.5 wt%) in 37 wt% PES solutions. Hollow fiber spinning was performed at 0~10 cm of air-gap distances for each dope solution. $O_2/N_2$ selectivity and permeability were investigated by comparing of hollow fibers coated or not by silicons. $O_2/N_2$ selectivity increased and permeance of $O_2$ and $N_2$ decreased with increasing air-gap height independently of acetone addictions. Optimized PES hollow fibers were obtained with 37/6.5/56.5 wt% PES/acetone/NMP dope solution and 10 cm air-gap, which showed 7.3 of $O_2/N_2$ selectivity and 4.3 GPU of $O_2$ permeability after silicon coating.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.39 no.1 s.119
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• pp.38-47
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• 2007

This study was carried out to develop a new application field and obtain the basic data of citrus peel as waste in Jeju island and traditional Hanji for producing functional Hanji. The results measuring physical and optical properties, water vapor permeance and antibacterial activity are as follows. It was revealed that apparent density go as down but bulk raise up in the structural view of Hanji with increasing of the addition various Korean citrus peel (citrus unshiu, cheonggyun and hanrabong peel, and citrus unshiu peel powder) percentages, and that the density of Hanji added citrus unshiu peel was higher, but bulk was lower in compared with Hanji added other kinds of peel. Those Hanji added citrus unshiu peel, cheonggyun peel, hanrabong peel and citrus unshiu powder were very great not only in the strength (breaking length, burst index, tear index and folding endurance) but also in water vapor permeant rate in comparison with Hanji. The pHs of Hanji were neutrality (7 to 8). The brightness of the Hanji added various citrus peel percentages was low in compared to Hanji, and the 40% addition of hanrabong peel was the lowest. When 40% hanrabong peel was added to Hanji, it was very yellow in the color degree. When cheonggyun peel was added to Hanji manufacture, water vapor permeant rate was highly effective. It is known that vacant space of intrafiber was reduced by image analysis of Hanji and the additions of peel of citrus unshiu, cheonggyun and hanrabong were distributed equally in the interior of Hanji. The antibacterial activity of Hanji added citrus unshiu peel is more than 98%. After all, it would be able to increase utilization of Hanji, extensively. Namely, production of high quality Hanji added functional materials is expected for new valuable industry of citrus peel and Hanji.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.373-384
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• 2015

In the past few decades, polymeric membrane has played an important role in gas separation applications. For the separation of $CO_2$, one of greenhouse gases, high permselectivity, long-term stability and scale-up are needed. However, conventional polymeric membranes have shown a trade-off relation between permeability and selectivity while inorganic materials are highly permeable but expensive. Mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) combining the advantages of both polymeric and inorganic materials have become a possible breakthrough for the next-generation gas separation membranes. The MMMs could be either symmetric or asymmetric but the latter is more preferred to improve the permeance. Important factors influencing the MMM fabrication include homogeneous distribution of inorganic particles and good interfacial contact between inorganic filler and organic matrix. Recently, metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have received much attention as a new class of porous crystalline materials and a potential candidate for $CO_2$ separation. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs), a sub-branch of MOFs, are the most widely used in MMMs due to small particle size and appropriate pore size for $CO_2$ separation. One of the major issues associated with the incorporation of porous particles in a polymeric membrane is to control the microstructure of the porous particle materials such as particle size, orientation, and boundary conditions etc. In this review, major challenges surrounding MMMs and the strategies to tackle these challenges are given in detail.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.43-52
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• 2020

As the membrane gas separation technology grows, various models were developed by numerous researchers to describe the separation process. In this work, the counter-current model was compared thoroughly with experimental data. Experimentally, hollow fiber membrane using CA module was prepared for the separation of biogas. The pure gas permeation properties of membrane module for methane, nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide were measured. The permeance of CO2 and CH4 were 25.82 GPU and 0.65 GPU, respectively. The high CO2/CH4 selectivity of 39.7 was obtained. the separation test for three different simulated mixed gases were carried out after pure gas test, and the gas concentration of the permeate at various stage-cut were measured from CA membrane module. Results showed that the experimental data agreed with the numerical simulation. A mathematical model has implemented in this study for the separation of biogas using a membrane module. The finite difference method (FDM) is applied to calculate the membrane biogas separation behaviors. Futhermore, the counter-current model can be considered as a convenient model for biogas separation process.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.214-221
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• 2024

Polyether ketone (PEEK) has been widely used in membranes because of its excellent thermal stability, chemical resistance, and significant mechanical strength. However, the melting temperature is very high, making it difficult to find suitable solvents. Therefore, in this study, PEEK and benzophenone (DPK) were used as diluents to prepare a membrane with excellent mechanical strength and chemical stability using the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method to compensate for the shortcomings of PEEK membrane preparation and achieving the highest performances. The optimal membrane manufacturing conditions were confirmed through the crystallization temperature and cloud point according to the polymer content through the phase diagram. Subsequently, the morphological changes of the membrane, influenced by the polymer and diluent content, were confirmed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Additionally, the membrane thickness tended to increase with higher polymer content. Tensile strength and DI-water permeability tests were conducted to confirm the mechanical strength and permeability of the membrane. Through the previous characteristic evaluation, it was confirmed that the membrane using PEEK had excellent mechanical strength and permeability.