Topic Review
Membrane Fabrication Using Recycled Waste
Polymeric membranes are generally manufactured using a variety of monomers/polymers, including polystyrene, polysulfone (PSF), polyether sulfone (PES), polyaniline, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and others. The industrial manufacturing of these chemical compounds causes significant greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the application of these monomer/polymer compounds in daily necessities has been posing a massive burden for their post-utilization disposal. The emergence of waste and its recycling potential has attracted attention to its application in membrane fabrication. The utilization of recycled waste for fabricating the membranes can help in reducing the environmental impact by 2× amount (i.e., eliminate the use of polymer for membrane fabrication and its associated environmental impact and mitigating the effect of waste on the environment via its utilization), thus helping in maintaining environmental sustainability.
  • 462
  • 19 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Membrane-Based Direct Air Capture Application
Direct air capture (DAC) is an emerging negative CO2 emission technology that aims to introduce a feasible method for CO2 capture from the atmosphere. Unlike carbon capture from point sources, which deals with flue gas at high CO2 concentrations, carbon capture directly from the atmosphere has proved difficult due to the low CO2 concentration in ambient air. Current DAC technologies mainly consider sorbent-based systems; however, membrane technology can be considered a promising DAC approach since it provides several advantages, e.g., lower energy and operational costs, less environmental footprint, and more potential for small-scale ubiquitous installations. Several recent advancements in validating the feasibility of highly permeable gas separation membrane fabrication and system design show that membrane-based direct air capture (m-DAC) could be a complementary approach to sorbent-based DAC, e.g., as part of a hybrid system design that incorporates other DAC technologies (e.g., solvent or sorbent-based DAC). 
  • 155
  • 05 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Membrane-Based Environmental Remediation
During the last century, industrialization has grown very fast and as a result heavy metals have contaminated many water sources. Due to their high toxicity, these pollutants are hazardous for humans, fish, and aquatic flora. Traditional techniques for their removal are adsorption, electro-dialysis, precipitation, and ion exchange, but they all present various drawbacks. Membrane technology represents an exciting alternative to the traditional ones characterized by high efficiency, low energy consumption and waste production, mild operating conditions, and easy scale-up. In this review, the attention has been focused on applying driven-pressure membrane processes for heavy metal removal, highlighting each of the positive and negative aspects. Advantages and disadvantages, and recent progress on the production of nanocomposite membranes and electrospun nanofiber membranes for the adsorption of heavy metal ions have also been reported and critically discussed. Finally, future prospective research activities and the key steps required to make their use effective on an industrial scale have been presented
  • 630
  • 02 Jul 2021
Topic Review
Metal Complexes of the Porphyrin-Functionalized Polybenzoxazine
Porphyrin is a molecular material with many potential applications. New porphyrin-functionalized benzoxazine (Por-BZ) in high purity and yield was synthesized in this study based on 1H and 13C NMR and FTIR spectroscopic analyses through the reduction of Schiff base formed from tetrakis(4-aminophenyl)porphyrin (TAPP) and salicylaldehyde and the subsequent reaction with CH2O. Thermal properties of the product formed through ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of Por-BZ were measured using DSC, TGA and FTIR spectroscopy. Because of the rigid structure of the porphyrin moiety appended to the benzoxazine unit, the temperature required for ROP (314 °C) was higher than the typical Pa-type benzoxazine monomer (ca. 260 °C); furthermore, poly(Por-BZ) possessed a high thermal decomposition temperature (Td10 = 478 °C) and char yield (66 wt%) after thermal polymerization at 240 °C. An investigation of the thermal and luminescence properties of metal–porphyrin complexes revealed that the insertion of Ni and Zn ions decreased the thermal ROP temperatures of the Por-BZ/Ni and Por-BZ/Zn complexes significantly, to 241 and 231 °C, respectively. The metal ions acted as the effective promoter and catalyst for the thermal polymerization of the Por-BZ monomer, and also improved the thermal stabilities after thermal polymerization. 
  • 788
  • 24 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Methods for Reducing Water Absorption of Composite Materials
Plant fiber reinforced polymer matrix composites have attracted much attention in many industries due to their abundant resources, low cost, biodegradability, and lightweight properties. Compared with synthetic fibers, various plant fibers are easy to obtain and have different characteristics, making them a substitute for synthetic fiber composite materials. In order to address the adverse effects of natural fiber moisture absorption on the mechanical properties and dimensional stability of composite materials, researchers have modified fibers through various chemical and physical methods. The various methods to reduce the water absorption of composite materials such as fiber surface chemical treatment, the use of compatibilizers, fiber mixing, nanofillers, and polymer coatings.
  • 706
  • 27 Oct 2023
Topic Review
Methods of Making Lithium-Ion Batteries Membrane
Due to the growing demand for eco-friendly products, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have gained widespread attention as an energy storage solution. With the global demand for clean and sustainable energy, the social, economic, and environmental significance of LIBs is becoming more widely recognized. LIBs are composed of cathode and anode electrodes, electrolytes, and separators. Notably, the separator, a pivotal and indispensable component in LIBs that primarily consists of a porous membrane material, warrants significant research attention. 
  • 581
  • 22 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Methods of Preparation of UHMWPE Membranes
One of the materials that attracts attention as a potential material for membrane formation is ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). The methods used to prepare membranes from semicrystalline (SC) polymers, including UHMWPE, can be divided into two main groups: solvent-free and solvent-based methods.
  • 931
  • 30 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Microalgae/Cyanobacteria in Biodegradation of Plastics
Cyanobacteria (e.g., Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, and Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942), which are photosynthetic prokaryotes and were previously identified as blue-green algae, are currently under close attention for their abilities to capture solar energy and the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide for the production of high-value products. In the last few decades, these microorganisms have been exploited for different purposes (e.g., biofuels, antioxidants, fertilizers, and ‘superfood’ production). Microalgae (e.g., Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and Phaeodactylum tricornutum) are also suitable for environmental and biotechnological applications based on the exploitation of solar light. In recent years, several studies have been targeting the utilization of microorganisms for plastic bioremediation. Among the different phyla, the employment of wild-type or engineered cyanobacteria may represent an interesting, environmentally friendly, and sustainable option (e.g., mismanaged plastics as source of carbons for their cultivation: the connection between their simultaneous utilization for biofuels or chemicals production and microplastics consumption on the surface of basins).
  • 4.7K
  • 05 Jan 2021
Topic Review
Microbial Degradation of Rubber: Actinobacteria
Rubber is an essential part of our daily lives with thousands of rubber-based products being made and used. Natural rubber undergoes chemical processes and structural modifications, while synthetic rubber, mainly synthetized from petroleum by-products are difficult to degrade safely and sustainably. The most prominent group of biological rubber degraders are Actinobacteria. Rubber degrading Actinobacteria contain rubber degrading genes or rubber oxygenase known as latex clearing protein (lcp). Rubber is a polymer consisting of isoprene, each containing one double bond. The degradation of rubber first takes place when lcp enzyme cleaves the isoprene double bond, breaking them down into the sole carbon and energy source to be utilized by the bacteria. Actinobacteria grow in diverse environments, and lcp gene containing strains have been detected from various sources including soil, water, human, animal, and plant samples. 
  • 1.4K
  • 23 Jun 2021
Topic Review
Microcellular Injection Moulding
Microcellular injection moulding (MuCell®) is a polymer processing technology that uses a supercritical fluid inert gas, CO2 or N2, to produce light-weight products. Due to environmental pressures and the requirement of light-weight parts with good mechanical properties, this technology recently gained significant attention. However, poor surface appearance and limited mechanical properties still prevent the wide applications of this technique.
  • 780
  • 16 Aug 2021
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