PVDF hollow fiber and nanofiber membranes for fresh water reclamation using membrane distillation

Lijo Francis, NorEddine Ghaffour, Ahmad Salem Alsaadi, Suzana Pereira Nunes, Gary L. Amy

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fiber and nanofibrous membranes are engineered and successfully fabricated using dry-jet wet spinning and electrospinning techniques, respectively. Fabricated membranes are characterized for their morphology, average pore size, pore size distribution, nanofiber diameter distribution, thickness, and water contact angle. Direct contact membrane distillation (DCMD) performances of the fabricated membranes have been investigated using a locally designed and fabricated, fully automated MD bench scale unit and DCMD module. Electrospun nanofibrous membranes showed a water flux as high as 36 L m-2 h-1 whereas hollow fiber membranes showed a water flux of 31.6 L m-2 h-1, at a feed inlet temperature of 80 °C and at a permeate inlet temperature of 20 °C.
Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)2045-2053
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of Materials Science
Volume49
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 26 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanics of Materials
  • General Materials Science
  • Mechanical Engineering

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