Kitano Hiroki, Takeuchi Kenji, Ortiz-Medina Josue, Cruz-Silva Rodolfo, Morelos-Gomez Aaron, Fujii Moeka, Obata Michiko, Yamanaka Ayaka, Tejima Shogo, Fujishige Masatsugu, Akuzawa Noboru, Yamaguchi Akio, Endo Morinobu
Kitagawa Industries Co., Kasugai, Aichi 480-0303, Japan.
Global Aqua Innovation Center and Research Initiative for Supra-Materials, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano 380-8553, Japan.
ACS Omega. 2019 Sep 13;4(13):15496-15503. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.9b01757. eCollection 2019 Sep 24.
Spacers are widely used in membrane technologies to reduce fouling and concentration polarization. Fouling can start from the spacer surface and grow, thereby reducing flux, selectivity, and operation lifetime. Fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin was used for fouling studies and observed during cross-flow filtration operation for up to 144 h. Here, we mixed carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and polypropylene (PP) to make a spacer with better antifouling than plain PP spacers. The fouling process was observed by scanning electron microscopy and monitored in situ by fluorescence microscopy. Molecular dynamics simulations show that bovine serum albumin has a lower interaction energy with the nanocomposite CNTs/PP spacer than with the plain PP. The findings are relevant for the development of spacers to improve the operation lifetime of membranes in filtration technologies.
间隔物在膜技术中被广泛使用，以减少污垢和浓差极化。污垢可能从间隔物表面开始并生长，从而降低通量、选择性和操作寿命。异硫氰酸荧光素标记的牛血清白蛋白用于污垢研究，并在错流过滤操作过程中观察长达144小时。在这里，我们将碳纳米管（CNT）和聚丙烯（PP）混合制成一种间隔物，其防污性能优于普通PP间隔物。通过扫描电子显微镜观察污垢过程，并通过荧光显微镜进行原位监测。分子动力学模拟表明，牛血清白蛋白与纳米复合CNT/PP间隔物的相互作用能低于与普通PP间隔物的相互作用能。这些发现与开发间隔物以提高过滤技术中膜的操作寿命相关。
