Towards sustainable production of minerals and chemicals through seawater brine treatment using Eutectic freeze crystallization and Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes

Acid/Base Production via Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis: Brine Feed Streams to Reduce Fresh Water Consumption

“…The saline solution was prepared with NaCl (>99.5% purity, Saline di Volterra s.r.l., Italy), while the acidic and alkaline solutions were prepared using HCl (ACS Reagent 37%, Honeywell, Fluka) and NaOH (ACS grade, Carlo Erba, Germany) at concentrations of 0.05 mol L –1 , respectively. Two distinct ERS were selected, according to previous studies, for the tests: , (i) 0.25 mol L –1 Na 2 SO 4 (ACS grade, Honeywell, USA) for the SUEZ stack and (ii) 0.5 mol L –1 FeCl 2 /FeCl 3 (ACS grade, Chemsolute, Germany) combined with 0.6 mol L –1 HCl for the Fumatech stack.…”

“…29 The EDBM process aimed at desalinating the Na 2 SO 4 hybrid tight ultrafiltration permeate from initial concentration between 5 g L −1 and 25 g L −1 up to a final conductivity of 0.5 mS cm −1 , by simultaneously producing H 2 SO 4 and NaOH solutions. In a previous study, 30 EDBM was proposed to be coupled with eutectic freeze crystallization (EFC) for synergistic integration with the aim of selectively recovering high-purity products rather than producing a mixture of solid wastes, thus bringing the concept of a zerowaste process closer to reality. One of the most prominent applications of EDBM is the recovery of acids and bases from waste streams as seawater RO (SWRO) desalination brines or saltworks bitterns.…”

Analysis of Operational Parameters in Acid and Base Production Using an Electrodialysis with Bipolar Membranes Pilot Plant

“… Scheme of the treatment chain evaluated in Case Study 1 (Lampedusa, Italy) within the WATER-MINING project (adapted from Culcasi et al [ 18 ]). …”

“…The remaining solution (Na 2 SO 4 and NaCl mixture) will be treated in the Eutectic Freeze Crystallization unit to precipitate Na 2 SO 4 (s). Finally, the residual brine (mainly NaCl) will be fed to the electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) unit to produce NaOH and HCl that can be reused internally in the process [ 18 ]. The proposed treatment scheme would allow a more competitive desalination process due to the higher freshwater production and water recovery, the lower energy consumption and the production of high-purity salts (NaCl(s) and Na 2 SO 4 (s)) and chemicals (Mg(OH) 2 (s) Ca(OH) 2 (s), securing sustainable access to Mg (listed as a Critical Raw Material) within the European Union.…”

Upcycling rust and plastic waste into an Fe MOF for effective energy storage applications: transformation of trash to treasure

“…Additionally, researchers and industries have recently been able to generate sustainable NaOH from seawater and renewable electricity. 29,30 Therefore, using such renewable NaOH for upcycling PET has much less impact on the environment, as well mitigating the negative impact of plastic waste on the environment and human health. In a recent report, Al-Sabagh et al described a greener route for PET recycling, where no metals or additives are used.…”