ABSTRACT
The phase behavior of sorbed CO{2} in an ordered mesoporous silica sample (SBA-15) was studied by neutron diffraction. Surprisingly, upon cooling our sample below the bulk critical point, confined CO{2} molecules neither freeze nor remain liquid as expected, but escape from the pores. The phenomenon has additionally been confirmed gravimetrically. The process is reversible and during heating CO{2} refills the pores, albeit with hysteresis. This depletion was for the first time observed in an ordered mesoporous molecular sieve and provides new insight on the phase behavior of nanoconfined fluids.
ABSTRACT
The mechanism of heavy metal ion removal in processes involving multi-layered tubular ultrafiltration and nanofiltration (UF/NF) membranes was investigated by conducting retention experiments in both flow-through and cross-flow modes. The prospect of the regeneration of the membranes through an acidic process was also examined and discussed. The UF/NF membranes were functionalised with alginates to develop hybrid inorganic/organic materials for continuous, single pass, wastewater treatment applications. The challenge laid in the induction of additional metal adsorption and improved regeneration capacity. This was accomplished by stabilizing alginates either into the pores or on the top-separating layer of the membrane. The preservation of efficient water fluxes at moderate trans-membrane pressures introduced an additional parameter that was pursued in parallel to the membrane modification process. The deposition and stabilization of alginates was carried out via physical (filtration/cross-linking) and chemical (grafting) procedures. The materials developed by means of the filtration process exhibited a 25-60% enhancement of their Cd(2+) binding capacity, depending on the amount of the filtered alginate solution. The grafting process led to the development of alginate layers with adequate stability under acidic regeneration conditions and metal retention enhancement of 25-180%, depending on the silane involved as grafting agent and the solvent of silanisation.
