Capacitive deionization as an electrochemical means of saving energy and delivering clean water. Comparison to present desalination practices: Will it compete?

https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/36489/5/Adsorptive%20removal%20of%20antibiotics%20from%20water%20and%20wastewater%20%28Accepted%20version%29.pdf

Adsorptive removal of antibiotics from water and wastewater: Progress and challenges.

Energy-efficient desalination and water treatment technologies play a critical role in augmenting freshwater resources without placing an excessive strain on limited energy supplies. By desalinating high-salinity waters using low-grade or waste heat, membrane distillation (MD) has the potential to increase sustainable water production, a key facet of the water-energy nexus. However, despite advances in membrane technology and the development of novel process configurations, the viability of MD as an energy-efficient desalination process remains uncertain. In this review, we examine the key challenges facing MD and explore the opportunities for improving MD membranes and system design. We begin by exploring how the energy efficiency of MD is limited by the thermal separation of water and dissolved solutes. We then assess the performance of MD relative to other desalination processes, including reverse osmosis and multi-effect distillation, comparing various metrics including energy efficiency, energy quality, and susceptibility to fouling. By analyzing the impact of membrane properties on the energy efficiency of an MD desalination system, we demonstrate the importance of maximizing porosity and optimizing thickness to minimize energy consumption. We also show how ineffective heat recovery and temperature polarization can limit the energetic performance of MD and how novel process variants seek to reduce these inefficiencies. Fouling, scaling, and wetting can have a significant detrimental impact on MD performance. We outline how novel membrane designs with special surface wettability and process-based fouling control strategies may bolster membrane and process robustness. Finally, we explore applications where MD may be able to outperform established desalination technologies, increasing water production without consuming large amounts of electrical or high-grade thermal energy. We conclude by discussing the outlook for MD desalination, highlighting challenges and key areas for future research and development.

https://par.nsf.gov/servlets/purl/10058665

Membrane distillation at the water-energy nexus: limits, opportunities, and challenges

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD)—a wastewater management strategy that eliminates liquid waste and maximizes water usage efficiency — has attracted renewed interest worldwide in recent years. Although implementation of ZLD reduces water pollution and augments water supply, the technology is constrained by high cost and intensive energy consumption. In this critical review, we discuss the drivers, incentives, technologies, and environmental impacts of ZLD. Within this framework, the global applications of ZLD in the United States and emerging economies such as China and India are examined. We highlight the evolution of ZLD from thermal- to membrane-based processes, and analyze the advantages and limitations of existing and emerging ZLD technologies. The potential environmental impacts of ZLD, notably greenhouse gas emission and generation of solid waste, are discussed and the prospects of ZLD technologies and research needs are highlighted.

http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acs.est.6b01000

The Global Rise of Zero Liquid Discharge for Wastewater Management: Drivers, Technologies, and Future Directions

Ion exchange membranes: New developments and applications

Application of electrodialysis to the production of organic acids: State-of-the-art and recent developments

To support a sustainable industrial growth, chemical engineering today faces a cru-cial challenge of meeting the increasing demand for materials and energy. One possi-ble solution is to decrease the equipment size/productivity ratio, energy consumption,and waste generation via process integration and optimization. This review focuses onthe integration of electrodialysis with traditional unit operations and other membraneseparations. Such integrations, due to their diversity and practicability, can be versa-tile tools to meet speciﬁc needs from chemical, biochemical, food, and pharmaceuticalindustries.

Electrodialysis‐based separation technologies: A critical review

Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) is a kind of technology that integrates solvent and salt dissociation. It can realize salt conversion without second salt pollution or provide H+ and OH-/alkoxide ions in situ without salt introduction. Thus, it inherently possesses economical and environmental benefits. Moreover, its technological compatibility gives rise to new functions when it couples with other technologies, such as complexion, ion exchange, extraction, and adsorption. In view of the above peculiarities, EDBM has found many interesting applications in chemistry, food processing, biochemical industries, and environmental protection. However, its development has been restricted by such factors as lack of recognition of its contribution to industrial ecology, high membrane cost, insufficient research investment, and scarce operation experience. This paper compiles an introduction to this technology from the perspective of industrial ecology and conducts an extensive examination into EDBM app...

Chuanhui Huang

Papers

Application of electrodialysis to the production of organic acids: State-of-the-art and recent developments

Electrodialysis‐based separation technologies: A critical review

Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes for sustainable development.

Production of monoprotic, diprotic, and triprotic organic acids by using electrodialysis with bipolar membranes: Effect of cell configurations

Which is more competitive for production of organic acids, ion-exchange or electrodialysis with bipolar membranes?