Scopus İndeksli Yayınlar Koleksiyonu / Scopus Indexed Publications Collection
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/11147/7148
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Article Fractionation of Guaiacyl and Syringyl-Lignin Units Using Organic Solvent Nanofiltration(Elsevier, 2026) Croes, Tim; Dutta, Abhishek; Van Aelst, Korneel; Sels, Bert; Van der Bruggen, Bart; Cornet, IrisA major obstacle to employing the full potential of lignin-based aromatics is the fractionation of the monomers present in lignin, specifically the separation of guaiacyl (G) and syringyl (S) units, which possess nearly identical molecular weights (196 Da versus 166 Da) and dimensions, and identical functional groups. Such similarities make their separation highly challenging using conventional techniques and are generally considered beyond the capabilities of size-based membrane processes. This study examines the feasibility of organic solvent nano-filtration for fractionation of guaiacyl and syringyl units, and how membrane and process parameters affect separation of these two molecules. Sixteen commercially available membranes were tested with methanol and ethyl acetate as solvents. The results demonstrate that, despite the extreme similarity of the solutes, selective separation is achievable and is primarily governed by membrane material and solvent selection rather than the pore size-based molecular weight cut-off. Polyimide-based solvent-resistant membranes exhibited the highest selectivity, with a maximum observed separation factor of 3.33 obtained using a DuraMemTM 500 membrane in methanol. These findings demonstrate the potential of nanofiltration to address previously unresolved separation challenges in lignin valorization and provide a basis for further process development.Article Citation - WoS: 5Citation - Scopus: 5Flat sheet metakaolin ceramic membrane for water desalination via direct contact membrane distillation(IWA Publishing, 2022) Zewdie, Tsegahun Mekonnen; Habtu, Nigus Gabbiye; Dutta, Abhishek; Van der Bruggen, BartHydrophobic metakaolin-based flat sheet membrane was developed via phase inversion and sintering technique and modified through 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane grafting agents. The prepared membrane was characterized by different techniques such as XRD, FTIR, SEM, contact angle, porosity, and mechanical strength. Their results indicated that the wettability, structural, and mechanical properties of the prepared membrane confirm the suitability of the material for membrane distillation (MD) application. The prepared metakaolin-based flat sheet membrane acquired hydrophobic properties after surface modification with the water contact angle values of 113.2° to 143.3°. Afterward, the membrane performance was tested for different sodium chloride aqueous solutions (synthetic seawater) and various operating parameters (feed temperature, feed flow rate) using direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD). Based on the findings, the prepared membrane at metakaolin loading of 45 wt.% and sintered at 1,300 °C was achieved the best performance with >95% salt rejection and permeate flux of 6.58 + 0.3 L/m2 · h at feed temperature of 80 °C, feed concentration of 35 g/L, and feed flow rate of 60 L/h. It can be con-cluded that further optimization of membrane porosity, mechanical, and surface properties is required to maximize the permeate flux and salt rejection.Article Citation - WoS: 11Citation - Scopus: 12Numerical Modelling Assisted Design of a Compact Ultrafiltration (uf) Flat Sheet Membrane Module(MDPI, 2021) Bopape, Mokgadi F.; Van Geel, Tim; Dutta, Abhishek; Van der Bruggen, Bart; Onyango, Maurice StephenThe increasing adoption of ultra-low pressure (ULP) membrane systems for drinking water treatment in small rural communities is currently hindered by a limited number of studies on module design. Detailed knowledge on both intrinsic membrane transport properties and fluid hydrodynamics within the module is essential in understanding ULP performance prediction, mass transfer analysis for scaling-up between lab-scale and industrial scale research. In comparison to hollow fiber membranes, flat sheet membranes present certain advantages such as simple manufacture, sheet replacement for cleaning, moderate packing density and low to moderate energy usage. In the present case study, a numerical model using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of a novel custom flat sheet membrane module has been designed in 3D to predict fluid flow conditions. The permeate flux through the membrane decreased with an increase in spacer curviness from 2.81 L/m(2)h for no (0%) curviness to 2.73 L/m(2)h for full (100%) curviness. A parametric analysis on configuration variables was carried out to determine the optimum design variables and no significant influence of spacer inflow or outflow thickness on the fluid flow were observed. The numerical model provides the necessary information on the role of geometrical and operating parameters for fabricating a module prototype where access to technical expertise is limited.