Influence of photothermal nanomaterials localization within the electrospun membrane structure on purification of saline oily wastewater based on photothermal vacuum membrane distillation

• Published in: Journal of environmental management Vol. 366; p. 121866
• Main Authors: Ghodsi, Ali, Fashandi, Hossein
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2024
• Subjects: Distillation - methods; Electrospinning; Graphene oxide (GO); Graphite - chemistry; Light trapping; Membranes, Artificial; Nanostructures - chemistry; Photothermal nanomaterials localization; Photothermal vacuum membrane distillation (PVMD); Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) omniphobic membrane; Vacuum; Wastewater - chemistry; Water Purification - methods; Electrospinning; Photothermal nanomaterials localization; Light trapping; Graphene oxide (GO); Photothermal vacuum membrane distillation (PVMD); Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) omniphobic membrane
• ISSN: 0301-4797; 1095-8630; 1095-8630
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121866

Today, synergistic combination of special nanomaterials (NMs) and electrospinning technique has emerged as a promising strategy to address both water scarcity and energy concerns through the development of photothermal membranes for wastewater purification and desalination. This work was organized to provide a new perspective on membrane design for photothermal vacuum membrane distillation (PVMD) through optimizing membrane performance by varying the localization of photothermal NMs. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) omniphobic photothermal membranes were prepared by localizing graphene oxide nanosheets (GO NSh) (1) on the surface (0.2 wt%), (2) within the nanofibers structure (10 wt%) or (3) in both positions. Considering the case 1, after 7 min exposure to the 1 sun intensity light, the highest temperature (∼93.5 °C) was recorded, which is assigned to the accessibility of GO NSh upon light exposure. The case 3 yielded to a small reduction in surface temperature (∼90.4 °C) compared to the case 1, indicating no need to localize NMs within the nanofibers structure when they are localized on the surface. The other extreme belonged to the case 2 with the lowest temperature of ∼71.3 °C, which is consistent with the less accessibility of GO NSh during irradiation. It was demonstrated that the accessibility of photothermal NMs plays more pronounced role in the membrane surface temperature compared to the light trapping. However, benefiting from higher surface temperature during PVMD due to enhanced accessibility of photothermal NMs is balanced out by decrease in the permeate flux (case 1: 1.51 kg/m2 h and case 2: 1.83 kg/m2 h) due to blocking some membrane surface pores by the binder. A trend similar to that for flux was also followed by the efficiency. Additionally, no change in rejection was observed for different GO NSh localizations. [Display omitted] •Localization of photothermal nanomaterials significantly affects PVMD efficiency.•Accessibility of photothermal nanomaterials during irradiation is very important.•Photothermal nanomaterial localization on the surface yields to higher temperature.•Light trapping controls PVMD when nanomaterials are localized within nanofibers.