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Keywords: Membrane, water treatment, nanocomposite membranes, Energy harvesting, Membrane manufacturing
Dr. Sadrzadeh researches the fundamental and applied aspects of membrane materials and process development, focusing on their applications in industrial/residential wastewater treatment and energy harvesting. The contributions made by Dr. Sadrzadeh during his academic career thus far have led to the development and application of novel composite and nanocomposite membranes for water and gas treatment. He has an h-index of 57(according to Scopus), with his 220+ refereed publications cited more than 11,000 times. He is currently directing Advanced Water Research Lab (AWRL) at the University of Alberta, which is equipped with the membrane and nanoparticle synthesis and characterization equipment as well as membrane filtration systems. In this unique membrane-specialized facility in western Canada, 10 graduate students and 3 postdoctoral fellows are working under his supervision on cutting-edge membrane technologies. He has already graduated 17 PhD and 16 MSc students. Dr. Sadrzadeh is collaborating with nine oil and gas companies through Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), IBM, National Research Council (NRC, Canada), Natural Resource Canada (NRCan, Canada), and Alberta Innovates (AI) on the synthesis of high-performance membranes. His research work will be continued on the synthesis of high-performance polymeric membranes to produce clean water and clean energy from oil sands produced water.
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A Numerical Study for Thermocapillary Induced Pattering of Thin Liquid Films University of Alberta Publication 2019-01-01 Deep learning-based energy management of a hybrid photovoltaic-reverse osmosis-pressure retarded osmosis system This paper investigates the energy management of a hybrid grid-connected reverse osmosis (RO) desalination process consisting of photovoltaic (PV), pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), and energy storage system. The developed intelligent energy management system (IEMS) aims to maximize the total water production and contaminant removal efficiency while keeping the grid’s supplied power as low as possible. To promote the performance of the IEMS, the prediction of PV solar power is performed by three deep neural networks based on convolutional neural networks and long short-term memory neural networks. These networks are designed to perform 5-hour-ahead PV power forecasting, and the model with the smallest error is selected. The IEMS employs the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to find the optimum solutions of the system for each time step. Four performance indices are defined through which the IEMS is evaluated. The results of the proposed technique are compared with two benchmark methods, one of which is similar to the IEMS; however, it does not incorporate the PV power predictions. The superiority of the IEMS over the first benchmark is demonstrated by studying three scenarios: two successive sunny days, two successive cloudy days, and 10 days of operation. Moreover, the simulations are executed for different forecast horizons to investigate the effects of this parameter on the optimization results. The impacts of the best-found forecaster errors are also explored by repeating the simulations with the actual PV power. Finally, the optimization is performed by two other stochastic algorithms: grey wolf optimizer (GWO) and genetic algorithm (GA). It is found that PSO outperforms GWO and GA for solving this optimization problem.T10-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2021-04-26 T10-P05 In-Situ Ag-MOFs Growth on Pre-Grafted Zwitterions Imparts Outstanding Antifouling Properties to Forward Osmosis Membranes In this study, a polyamide forward osmosis membrane was functionalized with zwitterions followed by the in situ growth of metal–organic frameworks with silver as a metal core (Ag-MOFs) to improve its antibacterial and antifouling activity. First, 3-bromopropionic acid was grafted onto the membrane surface after its activation with N,N-diethylethylenediamine. Then, the in situ growth of Ag-MOFs was achieved by a simple membrane immersion sequentially in a silver nitrate solution and in a ligand solution (2-methylimidazole), exploiting the underlying zwitterions as binding sites for the metal. The successful membrane functionalization and the enhanced surface wettability were verified through an array of characterization techniques. When evaluated in forward osmosis tests, the modified membranes exhibited high performance and improved permeability compared to pristine membranes. Static antibacterial experiments, evaluated by confocal microscopy and colony-forming unit plate count, resulted in a 77% increase in the bacterial inhibition rate due to the activity of the Ag-MOFs. Microscopy micrographs of the Escherichia coli bacteria suggested the deterioration of the biological cells. The antifouling properties of the functionalized membranes translated into a significantly lower flux decline in forward osmosis filtrations. These modified surfaces displayed negligible depletion of silver ions over 30 days, confirming the stable immobilization of Ag-MOFs on their surface.T10-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2020-07-17 T10-P05 Improved antifouling and antibacterial properties of forward osmosis membranes through surface modification with zwitterions and silver-based metal organic frameworks This study investigates the effect of surface functionalization of a thin-film composite forward osmosis membrane with zwitterions and silver-based metal organic frameworks (Ag-MOFs) to improve the antifouling, anti-biofouling, and antimicrobial activity of the membrane. Two types of zwitterions, namely, 3-bromopropionic acid and 1,3-propane sultone, are chemically bonded, with and without incorporation of Ag-MOFs, over the surface of a polyamide membrane. Spectroscopy measurements indicate successful grafting of the modifying agents on the membrane surface. Contact angle measurements demonstrate a notable improvement in surface wettability upon functionalization. The performance of the membranes is evaluated in terms of water and salt fluxes in forward osmosis filtrations. The transport data show demonstrably increased water flux of around 300% compared to pristine membranes, with similar or slightly reduced salt reverse flux. The antifouling and anti-biofouling properties of the modified membranes are evaluated using sodium alginate and E. coli, respectively. These experiments reveal that functionalized membranes exhibit significant antifouling and anti-biofouling behavior, with high resilience against flux decline.T10-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2020-10-01 T10-P05 An Unpowered Sensor Node for Real-Time Water Quality Assessment (Humic Acid Detection) University of Alberta Publication 2018-01-01 Rashid Mirzavand, M M Honari, Laribi B, Khorshidi B,
Sadrzadeh, M. , Pedram Mousavi
Nanodiamond-decorated thin film composite membranes with antifouling and antibacterial properties Membrane fouling is the main bottleneck that restricts the practical applications of membrane processes. In this work, we report an effective and scalable method to reduce the fouling of polyamide thin film composite (TFC) membranes by grafting amine-functionalized nanodiamond (ND) particles. The surface chemistry of ND was modified to improve the compatibility of nanoparticles with the polyamide membranes. Fouling experiments with sodium alginate (SA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) showed that the ND layer substantially reduced fouling of the membranes. The flux of the ND-modified membrane made with a solution containing 1000 ppm ND particles declined only by 15% (SA) and 9% (BSA) after 180 min of filtration, while the flux of the pristine TFC membrane declined by 42% (SA) and 21% (BSA). The ND particles increased the antibacterial activity of the membranes, increasing the inactivation and mortality rate of Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria cells. Because they are easy to make and have antifouling and antibacterial properties, these membranes can be applied in a broad range of forward osmosis water reclamation applications.T10-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2022-01-15 T10-P05 Functionalized polyamide membranes yield suppression of biofilm and planktonic bacteria while retaining flux and selectivity Biofouling is a major challenge for desalination, water treatment, and water reuse applications using polymer-based membranes. Two classes of novel silver-based metal azolate frameworks (MAF) are proposed to decorate polyamide (PA) forward osmosis membranes and to improve numerous aspects of fouling and transport. Membranes functionalized with two concentrations of each MAF are compared with a pristine control material, with results that clearly highlight their tunability and bio-inhibitory effects. We report for the first time PA membranes yielding near complete suppression of a robust biofilm-forming bacterium (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and inactivation of planktonic bacteria, while maintaining high selectivity. These features improve the long-term water flux performance of the membranes, tested during 24 h of accelerated biofouling and organic fouling conditions, and showing lower than 10% and 20% decline in water flux. These enhancements were achieved with only 0.03–0.06% mass of additives and little generation of hazardous waste products, indicating that low-cost and environmentally benign functionalization can prevent biofouling growth while maintaining selectivity and transport for high-performance desalination, water treatment and reuse.T10-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2022-02-01 T10-P05 Loose nanofiltration membranes functionalized with in situ-synthesized metal organic framework for water treatment University of Alberta Publication 2022-06-01 Novel data-driven energy management of a hybrid photovoltaic-reverse osmosis desalination system using deep reinforcement learning This paper proposes a novel deep reinforcement learning-accelerated energy management system for a hybrid grid-connected photovoltaic-reverse osmosis-pressure retarded osmosis desalination plant. The energy management problem is formulated as a partially observable Markov decision process by using historical photovoltaic (PV) power data in order to cope with uncertainties related to the generation of solar power and provide more information regarding the true state of the system. The soft actor-critic (SAC) algorithm is employed as the core of the energy management system to maximize water production rate and contaminant removal efficiency while minimizing the supplied power from the external grid. We introduce 1-dimensional convolutional neural networks (1-D CNNs) to the actor, critic, and value function networks of the SAC algorithm to address the partial observability dilemma involved in PV-powered energy systems, extract essential features from the PV power time series, and achieve immensely improved performance ultimately. Furthermore, it is assumed that the proposed CNN-SAC algorithm does not have access to the current output power data of the PV system. The development of more practical energy management systems necessitates this assumption, and we demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of forecasting the current PV power data. The superiority of the CNN-SAC model is verified by comparing its learning performance and simulation results with those of four state-of-the-art deep reinforcement learning algorithms: Deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG), proximal policy optimization (PPO), twin delayed DDPG (TD3), and vanilla SAC. The results show that the CNN-SAC model outperforms the benchmark methods in terms of effective solar energy exploitation and power scheduling, manifesting the necessity of exploiting historical PV power data and 1-D CNNs. Moreover, the CNN-SAC algorithm is benchmarked against a powerful energy management system we developed in our previous investigation by studying three scenarios, and it is demonstrated that considerable improvement in energy efficiency can be obtained without using any solar power generation forecasting algorithm. By conducting ablation studies, the critical contribution of the introduced 1-D CNN is demonstrated, and we highlight the significance of providing historical PV power data for substantial performance enhancement. The average and standard deviation of evaluation scores obtained during the last stages of training reveal that the 1-D CNN significantly improves the final performance and stability of the SAC algorithm. These results demonstrate that the modifications we detail in our investigation render deep reinforcement learning algorithms extremely powerful for the energy management of PV-powered microgrids, including PV-driven reverse osmosis desalination plants.T10-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2022-05-01 T10-P05 Effective strategy for UV-mediated grafting of biocidal Ag-MOFs on polymeric membranes aimed at enhanced water ultrafiltration Ultrafiltration membranes with antifouling and antibacterial properties are greatly beneficial for all industrial applications and to supply safe water worldwide. Improving these properties while maintaining both high productivity and high water quality remains a challenge. This work proposes the surface functionalization of an ultrafiltration membrane obtained via UV-initiated grafting polymerization of acrylic acid (AA) and silver-containing metal–organic frameworks (Ag-MOFs), with the goal to achieve combined bactericidal and hydrophilic properties. The effectiveness of different modification pathways is evaluated, including Ag-MOFs blending into the AA solution followed by grafting, as well as in-situ synthesis of Ag-MOFs over the surface of AA-grafted membranes, with in-depth characterization of the resulting materials. The steady-state water fluxes with a feed water laden with organics are improved from two to three-fold for the functionalized membranes compared to the commercial one, while the rejection of macromolecules is maintained at greater than 99%. Significantly, fouling is partly reversible with all enhanced surfaces: the flux recovery ratio following cleaning varies between 3.8% and 20% compared to near zero for the pristine membrane. Noteworthy bacterial inactivation reaches up to 90% for E. coli and 95% for S. aureus, respectively, for surface-grafted membranes. Silver leaching and surface characterization analyses indicate a strong immobilization of Ag-MOFs on membranes and imply long-lasting antimicrobial as well as antifouling activities. University of Alberta Publication 2021-12-15 Effects of Electro-Oxidation Process on Tight-Rock Wettability and Imbibition Oil Recovery Oil and gas industry has faced significant operational, economic, and environmental challenges in recycling produced water. The treatment of produced water is highly researched, but few studies have evaluated the performance of treated produced water when used for hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations. In this study, we treated various aqueous solutions, including synthetic formation brine (FB), sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium chloride (CaCl2), and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4), using an electro-oxidation (EO) process. The brine properties, including density, surface tension (ST), oil–water interfacial tension (IFT), viscosity, and pH, were compared before and after the treatment. Then, we conducted systematic contact-angle (CA) measurements and spontaneous imbibition tests using treated and untreated brine to study the effects of water treatment on rock–fluid interactions and its impact on oil recovery. The experimental results show that the effect of the EO process on ST, density, viscosity, and IFT was insignificant. However, the CA results show that the treated FB, NaCl, and Na2SO4 solutions exhibit stronger wetting characteristics compared with the untreated ones, while the treated CaCl2 solution exhibit weaker wetting characteristics compared with the untreated ones. We hypothesized that the change in the wetting characteristics was due to the generated oxidants from the EO process. We added OH–, H+, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) into untreated brine to test this hypothesis and monitored the CA variations. The results suggest that H2O2 and OH– can alter the wettability to more water-wet conditions in the NaCl solution but not in the CaCl2 solution. Furthermore, NaOCl results in wettability alteration to more oil-wet conditions in NaCl and CaCl2 solutions. The change in wettability to more water-wet conditions is mainly the result of the oxidation of dissolved organic matters, and the change to more oil-wet conditions is the result of the dissolution of high-valence cations, causing the cation bridging effect.
T07-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2022-06-01 T07-P05 Application of Electro-oxidation Technology for Water Treatment and Rock Wettability Alteration The unconventional oil and gas industry has been facing numerous operational, economic, and environmental challenges for treating produced water. Although much research has been conducted on improving the treatment of produced water, few studies evaluated the performance of treated produced water when it is reused for fracturing and EOR. In this paper, we treated sodium chloride (NaCl) solution using an electro-oxidation (EO) treatment process and evaluated how the treatment changes brine properties and how the wetting characteristics change with treated brine. The brine properties, including density, surface tension (ST), oil-water interfacial tension (IFT), viscosity, and pH values were measured and compared before and after the treatment. Then, we conducted systematic contact-angle measurements using treated and untreated brine to study the effects of water treatment on rock-fluid interactions. The results show that the EO process slightly reduces ST, density, and viscosity, and slightly increases the pH value. Also, we observed that the IFT between oil and treated brine is slightly lower than that between oil and untreated brine. However, the contact-angle results show that the treated brine provides stronger wetting characteristics than the untreated one. We hypothesized that the change in wetting characteristics is mainly due to the generated oxidants and hydroxide (OH-) from the EO process. To further investigate the mechanisms behind the change in wetting characteristics after treatment, we investigated the diffusion of OH-, H+, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) into untreated brine and monitored the contact-angle variations. The results suggest that H2O2 and OH- are responsible for the stronger brine wetting characteristics, and NaOCl and H+ are responsible for the stronger oil wetting characteristics. We also found that the EO process produces a significant amount of active chlorine. However, the stability of active chlorine is low, and it can evaporate as chlorine gas. Based on the results, we concluded that the oil-saturated rock samples in treated brine generally have a higher wetting affinity to water than those in untreated brine, and H2O2 and OH- are the main substances that cause the wettability alteration to more water-wet conditions.
T07-P05 University of Alberta Publication 2021-01-01 T07-P05 Application of Electro-oxidation Technology for Water Treatment and Rock Wettability Alteration The unconventional oil and gas industry has been facing numerous operational, economic, and environmental challenges for treating produced water. Although much research has been conducted on improving the treatment of produced water, few studies evaluated the performance of treated produced water when it is reused for fracturing and EOR. In this paper, we treated sodium chloride (NaCl) solution using an electro-oxidation (EO) treatment process and evaluated how the treatment changes brine properties and how the wetting characteristics change with treated brine. The brine properties, including density, surface tension (ST), oil-water interfacial tension (IFT), viscosity, and pH values were measured and compared before and after the treatment. Then, we conducted systematic contact-angle measurements using treated and untreated brine to study the effects of water treatment on rock-fluid interactions. The results show that the EO process slightly reduces ST, density, and viscosity, and slightly increases the pH value. Also, we observed that the IFT between oil and treated brine is slightly lower than that between oil and untreated brine. However, the contact-angle results show that the treated brine provides stronger wetting characteristics than the untreated one. We hypothesized that the change in wetting characteristics is mainly due to the generated oxidants and hydroxide (OH-) from the EO process. To further investigate the mechanisms behind the change in wetting characteristics after treatment, we investigated the diffusion of OH-, H+, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) into untreated brine and monitored the contact-angle variations. The results suggest that H2O2 and OH- are responsible for the stronger brine wetting characteristics, and NaOCl and H+ are responsible for the stronger oil wetting characteristics. We also found that the EO process produces a significant amount of active chlorine. However, the stability of active chlorine is low, and it can evaporate as chlorine gas. Based on the results, we concluded that the oil-saturated rock samples in treated brine generally have a higher wetting affinity to water than those in untreated brine, and H2O2 and OH- are the main substances that cause the wettability alteration to more water-wet conditions.
T07-P05 University of Alberta Activity 2021-12-01 T07-P05 Tailoring the solid oxide fuel cell anode support composition and microstructure for low-temperature applications T06-P04 University of Alberta Publication 2023-03-01 T06-P04 Green polycaprolactone/sulfonated kraft lignin phase inversion membrane for dye/salt separation Exploring environmentally friendly, renewable, and cost-effective raw materials is essential in sustainable membrane fabrication. This study presents a facile and scalable method for fabricating a green and biodegradable tight ultrafiltration membrane for dye/salt separation. This involves simply blending biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) with the low-cost biobased sulfonated kraft lignin (SKL) additive. Additionally, we employed acetic acid as a green alternative solvent to enhance the sustainability of the membrane fabrication process. The incorporation of hydrophilic SKL into the PCL matrix resulted in increased hydrophilicity (water contact angle changed from 72° to 56°), surface roughness (increased from 29 nm to 43.5 nm), and enhanced negative electrostatic charge of the membrane (−40 mV to −45 mV). The optimized PCL/SKL membrane (M3) exhibited excellent water flux (∼45 LMH) under 40 psi hydraulic pressure coupled with ∼98 % and ∼10 % rejection rates for reactive red (RR) dye and NaCl, respectively. Moreover, the M3 membrane maintained its exceptional dye/salt fractionation performance while separating the mixtures at low salt concentrations. However, with increasing salt concentration (1–50 g/L), the membrane's RR dye rejection declined from ∼90 % to ∼50 %, with a significant reduction in NaCl and Na2SO4 salts rejection (from ∼14 % to ∼1 % and ∼22 % to –∼1 %, respectively). The M3 membrane exhibited remarkable antifouling properties during dye and humic acid filtration with a high flux recovery ratio (>98 %) and low flux decline rate (<7 %). The PCL/SKL membrane also showed excellent stability and maintained consistent separation performance over a long period. Overall, the novel biodegradable PCL/SKL membrane prepared in this study presents a promising avenue toward sustainable membrane fabrication for wastewater treatment applications.T10-A02 University of Alberta Publication 2024-05-01 Md Mizanul Haque Mizan, Masoud Rastgar Farajzadeh, Pooria Karami,
Sadrzadeh, M. T10-A02 An Innovative Surface Modification Technique for Antifouling Polyamide Nanofiltration Membranes In this study, we developed a novel surface coating technique to modify the surface chemistry of thin film composite (TFC) nanofiltration (NF) membranes, aiming to mitigate organic fouling while maintaining the membrane’s permselectivity. We formed a spot-like polyester (PE) coating on top of a polyamide (PA) TFC membrane using mist-based interfacial polymerization. This process involved exposing the membrane surface to tiny droplets carrying different concentrations of sulfonated kraft lignin (SKL, 3, 5, and 7 wt %) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC, 0.2 wt %). The main advantages of this surface coating technique are minimal solvent consumption (less than 0.05 mL/cm2) and precise control over interfacial polymerization. Zeta potential measurements of the coated membranes exhibited enhancements in negative charge compared to the control membrane. This enhancement is attributed to the unreacted carboxyl functional groups of the SKL and TMC monomers, as well as the presence of sulfonate groups (SO3) in the structure of SKL. AFM results showed a notable decrease in membrane surface roughness after polyester coating due to the slower diffusion of SKL to the interface and a milder reaction with TMC. In terms of fouling resistance, the membrane coated with a polyester composed of 7 wt % SKL showed a 90% flux recovery ratio (FRR) during Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) filtration, showing a 15% improvement compared to the control membrane (PA). PE-coated membranes provided stable separation performance over 40 h of filtration. The sodium chloride rejection and water flux displayed minimal variations, indicating the robustness of the coating layer. The final section of the presented study focuses on assessing the feasibility of scaling up and the cost-effectiveness of the proposed technique. The demonstrated ease of scalability and a notable reduction in chemical consumption establish this method as a viable, environmentally friendly, and sustainable solution for surface modification.T10-A02 University of Alberta Publication 2024-07-03 T10-A02 pH-Fractionated lignin enables high-selectivity, chlorine-tolerant polyester thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes olyamide thin-film composite (TFC) membranes provide high permeability and strong ion rejection in nanofiltration and reverse osmosis, but oxidants like chlorine can impair their long-term performance. To overcome this, alternative chemistries are needed to improve durability while maintaining separation efficiency. Lignin-based polyester TFC membranes are promising, offering better antifouling and chlorine resistance. However, their lower salt rejection hampers wider adoption. Here, we used distinct molecular-weight fractions of lignin to fabricate polyester TFC membranes and assessed how fraction-specific physicochemical properties govern membrane structure and performance. Lignin was separated into five fractions (B1–B5) via pH fractionation. Among the resulting membranes, the B4-derived TFC (M-B4) achieved the best overall performance, delivering 98% rejection of Na2SO4 and 41% rejection of NaCl with a water flux of 45 LMH. The B4 fraction isolated at pH 3.1, with a smaller particle size and a high phenolic hydroxyl content (2.1 mmol g−1), yielded a highly crosslinked polyester with increased hydrophilicity and surface roughness. M-B4 also exhibited excellent antifouling performance, with a flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 99% after three cycles, and strong operational stability, with only a 2% reduction in Na2SO4 rejection and a 5.5% decrease in water flux after 12 h of extended filtration. Additionally, after four days of chlorine exposure, Na2SO4 rejection decreased by just 2%, while water flux increased by 9%. Finally, we performed a cost analysis for large-scale manufacturing and benchmarked the estimated production cost against reported prices for conventional polyamide TFC membranes. This innovative yet simple strategy positions lignin-based polyester membranes as sustainable and efficient alternatives to polyamide membranes.T10-A02 University of Alberta Publication 2026-04-15 T10-A02 Lignin Depolymerization: A Sustainable Strategy to Enhance the Separation Performance of Biopolymeric Polyester Membranes Membrane technology remains essential for water treatment and desalination. While polyamide thin-film composite (TFC) membranes dominate the industry, their susceptibility to fouling reduces efficiency and shortens operational lifespan. Advanced chemical modification strategies have been developed to overcome this challenge, aiming to improve membrane performance and durability. Polyester-based TFC membranes offer a promising alternative, providing a negatively charged surface. However, their lower salt rejection than polyamide membranes remains a key limitation. In this study, we investigated the application of depolymerized lignin, a naturally abundant biopolymer, as a phenolic monomer for fabricating polyester TFC membranes. The native lignin has a much larger molecular size compared to conventional monomers, which limits its diffusion and reactivity during membrane formation. We utilized a microwave-assisted depolymerization technique to fractionate lignin into smaller moieties, resulting in oligomeric/monomeric lignin with a lower molecular mass and higher reactive sites. This approach enabled faster membrane fabrication and significantly improved membrane performance. The membranes fabricated by depolymerized lignin exhibited substantially improved salt rejection, achieving up to 98.8 % for sodium sulfate and 54 % for sodium chloride removal. The developed membranes exhibited excellent antifouling properties, as demonstrated by sodium alginate fouling tests, with a flux recovery ratio of over 85 %. This research presents an innovative approach to enhancing non-polyamide TFC membranes, opening up new possibilities for eco-friendly and efficient membrane technologies in practical desalination applications.
T10-A02 University of Alberta Publication 2025-10-15 T10-A02 Innovative hybrid approach for enhanced PFAS degradation and removal: Integrating membrane distillation, cathodic electro-Fenton, and anodic oxidation Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent environmental contaminants that pose significant toxicity risks to humans and ecosystems. Traditional advanced oxidation processes using boron-doped diamond (BDD) anodes degrade PFAS in wastewater effectively but suffer from slow kinetics and high energy costs, limiting commercial application. This study introduces a hybrid process combining cathodic electro-Fenton (EF), anodic oxidation via a BDD anode, and membrane distillation (MD) to improve perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) degradation efficiency and reduce energy use. Increasing the current density from 50 to 500 A/m2 significantly raised the concentration of produced H2O2 from 0.25 mM to 2.3 mM, accelerating PFOA degradation and mineralization. At 50 A/m2, no mineralization of PFOA occurred in the EF/BDD process, while the EF/BDD-MD process achieved 45% mineralization due to increased PFOA concentration in the electrolytic cell. At 500 A/m2, the EF/BDD-MD process achieved 95% PFOA mineralization. Findings reveal that while EF-generated •OH radicals assist degradation, the BDD(•OH) anode was the primary driver, driving 80% of the reaction. This degradation was initiated by direct electron transfer at the BDD surface, followed by homogeneous and heterogeneous •OH radicals enhancing the degradation and mineralization process. The hybrid process also lowered energy consumption, making the treatment feasible for large scales.
T10-A02 University of Alberta Publication 2025-04-15 T10-A02 Hot-water desalination using thermally stable thin film nanocomposite membranes reinforced with graphitic carbon nitride nanosheets (gC3N4) There is a growing need for thermally stable membranes in water treatment, as most commercial membranes exhibit poor performance at elevated temperatures. This study explores the incorporation of hexametaphosphate-modified graphitic carbon nitride (HMP-gC3N4) nanosheets into the polyamide selective layer of thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes to enhance thermal stability, water permeability, salt rejection, and fouling resistance. The unique physicochemical properties of HMP-gC3N4, particularly its hydrophilicity and thermal and chemical robustness, significantly improved membrane performance. Various chemical and microscopy characterizations confirmed the successful integration of HMP-gC3N4 nanosheets within the polyamide matrix. Filtration tests demonstrated that HMP-gC3N4 TFN membranes exhibited higher water flux, superior organic and biofouling resistance, and enhanced thermal stability, while maintaining high salt rejection, compared to neat thin-film composite (TFC) membranes. The TFN membranes also demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against E. coli, further enhancing biofouling resistance. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that the inclusion of rigid gC3N4 nanosheets significantly enhanced the molecular packing and reduced fractional free volume in the PA layer, thereby improving thermal resistance. After five days of cyclic operation at 75 °C, the TFN membrane maintained a high NaCl rejection rate of 98.2%, confirming its excellent durability. These findings highlight the potential of gC3N4 nanosheets as a promising nanofiller for next-generation high-temperature desalination membranes, offering improved durability, efficiency, and longevity under harsh operational conditions.T10-A02 University of Alberta Publication 2026-03-01 Fatima Seyedpour Taji, Pooria Karami, Sadegh Aghapour Aktij,
Sadrzadeh, M. T10-A02
