Constructing spherical-beads-on-string structure of electrospun membrane to achieve high vapor flux in membrane distillation.
Water Res
; 256: 121605, 2024 Jun 01.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38626613
ABSTRACT
Hydrophobic membranes with a reentrant-like structure have shown high hydrophobicity and high anti-wetting properties in membrane distillation (MD). Here, PVDF spherical-beads-on-string (SBS) fibers were electrospun on nonwoven fabric and used in the MD process. Such a reentrant-like structure was featured with fine fibers, a low ratio of bead length to bead diameter, and high bead frequency. It was revealed that the SBS-structured membranes exhibited an exceptional capability for vapor flux, due to the formation of a network of more interconnected macropores than that of fibers and fusiform-beads-on-string structures, ensuring unimpeded vapor diffusion. In the desalination of formulated seawater (3.5 wt.% NaCl solution), a vapor flux of 61 ± 3 kg m-2 h-1 with a salt rejection of >99.98 % was achieved at a feed temperature of 60 °C. Furthermore, this SBS structured membrane showed satisfactory seawater desalination performance with a stable flux of 40 kg m-2 h-1 over a 27 h MD process. These findings suggest a viable approach for fabricating SBS-structured membranes that significantly enhance vapor flux in MD for desalination applications. Besides, the hydrophobic membranes with SBS structure can be prepared by single-step electrospinning, and it is facile to scale-up manufacture. This strategy holds promise for advancing the development of high-performance MD membranes tailored for efficient seawater desalination processes.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Destilación
/
Membranas Artificiales
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Water Res
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido