New Surface Modification Method To Develop a PET-Based Membrane with Enhanced Ion Permeability and Organic Fouling Resistance for Efficient Production of Marine Microalgae

Abstract

This paper presents a new surface modification strategy to develop a poly­(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-based membrane having a hydrophilic surface, high nutrient ion permeability, sufficient mechanical strength, and organic fouling resistance, using an anthracene (ANT)-attached polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface modification agent (SMA) synthesized in this work. During the modification process, the ANT parts of the SMAs poke through and anchor to the surface of a commercial PET woven fabric via physical interactions and mechanical locking. The PEG chain parts coat the surface in the brush and arch forms, which generates a hydration layer on the fabric surface. The consequently obtained surface property and unique structure of the modified PET-based membrane result in higher nitrate ion permeability, organic fouling resistance, and microalgae production compared to those of the unmodified one. These are also affected by the molecular weight of the PEG and the number density of the anchored SMAs. The study demonstrates that this new surface modification method has the potential to allow the development of a desirable PET-based membrane for the efficient massive production of marine microalgae.

Membrane Fouling in Algal Separation Processes: A Review of Influencing Factors and Mechanisms

“…Membrane materials used in algal biotechnologies can be classified into organic and inorganic (Zhang Y. et al, 2019). Polymeric organic materials used in membranes include polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (Marbelia et al, 2018), polyacrylonitrile (PAN) (Marbelia et al, 2016), polyethersulfone (PES) (Yogarathinam et al, 2018), cellulose acetate (CA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (Kim et al, 2020;Kusumocahyo et al, 2020;Wu and Sancaktar, 2020), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), regenerated cellulose (RC), polysulfone (PS) (Ma et al, 2020;Zhao et al, 2021a,b), polyamide (PA), and cellulose ester (CE) (Zhang M. et al, 2019). Inorganic materials, such as ZrO 2 -TiO 2 , are commonly used in ceramic membranes (Low et al, 2016;Hua et al, 2020).…”

“…Recent studies have explored the use of PET-based membranes due to their commercial availability, low price, and stability (Kusumocahyo et al, 2020;Wu and Sancaktar, 2020). Kim et al (2020) used an anthracene (ANT)-attached polyethylene glycol (PEG) surface-modification agent to create a hydration layer by coating the surface with brush and arch forms. The resulting hydrolyzed membrane exhibited an improved antifouling effect and microalgal productivity compared with the unmodified one.…”

Anti(-bio)fouling Nanostructured Membranes Based on the Cross-Linked Assembly of Stimuli-Responsive Zwitterionic Microgels

“…The FR values were found to be 90, 93.3, and 94% for MGVS-50, 100, and 150 membranes, respectively, which is much greater than that of the neat PET membrane (∼51%). 87 This study shows that the BSA molecules adhere weakly to the MGVS-X membrane and can be removed easily by simple washing. To demonstrate the effect of cleaning, the FR data were further evaluated in terms of reversible fouling (R r ) and irreversible fouling (R ir ).…”

“…A larger Stoke’s radius of BSA than the pore size of MGVS- X membranes resulted in more than ∼96% rejection for all MGVS- X . The FR values were found to be 90, 93.3, and 94% for MGVS-50, 100, and 150 membranes, respectively, which is much greater than that of the neat PET membrane (∼51%) . This study shows that the BSA molecules adhere weakly to the MGVS- X membrane and can be removed easily by simple washing.…”

Thermodynamic Barrier for Nanoparticle Penetration into Nanotubes

“…In order to separate two components more quickly and effectively, adjusting the surface wettability is one of common available methods. Surface modifications of nanoporous materials are usually carried to boost flux. , We can quantitatively model the surface wettability through the energy parameter between the fluid and the nanotube. When the energy strength is smaller, the surface becomes more solvophobic, conversely, solvophilic.…”