Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation
Pore wetting is a major constraint to the performance of membrane distillation (MD) for hypersaline brine treatment. Despite the existence of surfactants with diverse properties, an explicit relationship between the properties of surfactants and their capabilities of inducing pore wetting has yet to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Membrane Science Letters |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772421224000114 |
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| author | Connor Coolidge Azal Mohammed Hassan Alhadidi Wei Wang Tiezheng Tong |
| author_facet | Connor Coolidge Azal Mohammed Hassan Alhadidi Wei Wang Tiezheng Tong |
| author_sort | Connor Coolidge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Pore wetting is a major constraint to the performance of membrane distillation (MD) for hypersaline brine treatment. Despite the existence of surfactants with diverse properties, an explicit relationship between the properties of surfactants and their capabilities of inducing pore wetting has yet to be established. In this study, we perform a comparative analysis of the wetting behaviors of various surfactants with different charges and molecular weights in MD desalination. The induction time of surfactants to initiate pore wetting was correlated to the apparent contact angle and surface tension of the feedwater. Our results show that different surfactants resulting in similar feedwater surface tensions can lead to drastically different wetting potential, suggesting that both charge of the head group and molecular weight of surfactants have a significant influence on membrane pore wetting. Further, we demonstrate that parameters that have been commonly used to indicate wetting potential, including apparent contact angle and solution surface tension, are not reliable in predicting the wetting behavior of MD membranes, which is intricately linked with surfactant properties such as charge and molecular size. We envision that our results not only improve our fundamental understanding of surfactant-induced wetting but also provide valuable insights that necessitate thorough consideration of surfactant properties in evaluating wetting potential and membrane wetting resistance for MD desalination. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a23fa79b4a484f13b736ae1ab5a54274 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2772-4212 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Membrane Science Letters |
| spelling | doaj-art-a23fa79b4a484f13b736ae1ab5a542742025-08-20T02:31:16ZengElsevierJournal of Membrane Science Letters2772-42122024-12-014210007710.1016/j.memlet.2024.100077Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillationConnor Coolidge0Azal Mohammed Hassan Alhadidi1Wei Wang2Tiezheng Tong3Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United StatesDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United StatesDepartment of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States; Corresponding authors.Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States; Corresponding authors.Pore wetting is a major constraint to the performance of membrane distillation (MD) for hypersaline brine treatment. Despite the existence of surfactants with diverse properties, an explicit relationship between the properties of surfactants and their capabilities of inducing pore wetting has yet to be established. In this study, we perform a comparative analysis of the wetting behaviors of various surfactants with different charges and molecular weights in MD desalination. The induction time of surfactants to initiate pore wetting was correlated to the apparent contact angle and surface tension of the feedwater. Our results show that different surfactants resulting in similar feedwater surface tensions can lead to drastically different wetting potential, suggesting that both charge of the head group and molecular weight of surfactants have a significant influence on membrane pore wetting. Further, we demonstrate that parameters that have been commonly used to indicate wetting potential, including apparent contact angle and solution surface tension, are not reliable in predicting the wetting behavior of MD membranes, which is intricately linked with surfactant properties such as charge and molecular size. We envision that our results not only improve our fundamental understanding of surfactant-induced wetting but also provide valuable insights that necessitate thorough consideration of surfactant properties in evaluating wetting potential and membrane wetting resistance for MD desalination.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772421224000114Membrane distillationSurfactantsPore wettingSurface tensionApparent contact angle |
| spellingShingle | Connor Coolidge Azal Mohammed Hassan Alhadidi Wei Wang Tiezheng Tong Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation Journal of Membrane Science Letters Membrane distillation Surfactants Pore wetting Surface tension Apparent contact angle |
| title | Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation |
| title_full | Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation |
| title_fullStr | Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation |
| title_short | Effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation |
| title_sort | effects of surfactant properties on pore wetting of membrane distillation |
| topic | Membrane distillation Surfactants Pore wetting Surface tension Apparent contact angle |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772421224000114 |
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