Sequential combination of nanofiltration and ettringite precipitation for managing sulfate-rich brines.

The sequential combination of nanofiltration (NF) and ettringite precipitation to manage sulfate-rich brine is proposed. In this study, NF experiments clearly demonstrated that sulfate-containing wastewater was effectively concentrated by the NF process (concentrate factor, CF > 5) with insignificant membrane fouling. Ettringite precipitation was implemented as an alternative to lime precipitation to process sulfate-rich brine resulting from the NF operation. More than 93% of the sulfate ions were removed by ettringite precipitation, whereas lime precipitation removed less than 28% under the same conditions due to the difference in their solubility. However, with highly concentrated NF brine (CF > 5), the pH and sulfate concentration of the supernatant were higher than the discharge limit. Therefore, optional blending of the supernatant after ettringite precipitation with the NF permeate was proposed to satisfy the discharge limit for sulfate. The sequential operation consisting of NF and ettringite precipitation enables sulfate-rich wastewater to be treated effectively, minimizing its negative impact by reducing the brine volume and enabling the water to be reused.

Evaluation of poly (aspartic acid sodium salt) as a draw solute for forward osmosis.

Poly (aspartic acid sodium salt) (PAspNa) was evaluated for its potential as a novel draw solute in forward osmosis (FO). The inherent advantages of PAspNa, such as good water solubility, high osmotic pressure, and nontoxicity, were first examined through a series of physicochemical analyses and atomic-scale molecular dynamics simulations. Then, lab-scale FO tests were performed to evaluate its suitability in practical processes. Compared to other conventional inorganic solutes, PAspNa showed comparable water flux but significantly lower reverse solute flux, demonstrating its suitability as a draw solute. Moreover, fouling experiments using synthetic wastewater as a feed solution demonstrated that PAspNa reversely flowed to the feed side reduced inorganic scaling on the membrane active layer. The recyclability of PAspNa was studied using both nanofiltration (NF) and membrane distillation (MD) processes, and the results exhibited its ease of recovery. This research reported the feasibility and applicability of FO-NF or FO-MD processes using PAspNa for wastewater reclamation and brackish water desalination.