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Ion-Exchange Membranes for the Fabrication of Reverse Electrodialysis Device
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Rubidium extraction from seawater brine by an integrated membrane distillation-selective sorption system
Gayathri Naidu1, Sanghyun Jeong2, Md Abu Hasan Johir1
1Faculty of Engineering, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007 Australia.
Water Research
|July 5, 2017
Summary
This study introduces an integrated membrane distillation (MD) and sorption system for efficient seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) brine management, recovering valuable rubidium (Rb+) and reducing liquid discharge.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) generates significant brine, necessitating effective management strategies.
- Resource recovery from brine is crucial for sustainable water treatment and economic viability.
- Minimizing liquid discharge from SWRO is a key environmental objective.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate an integrated membrane distillation (MD) and sorption system for rubidium (Rb+) recovery.
- To assess the simultaneous reduction of SWRO brine volume using this integrated system.
- To investigate the performance of polymer encapsulated potassium copper hexacyanoferrate (KCuFC(PAN)) as a sorbent for Rb+.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an integrated system combining membrane distillation (MD) with KCuFC(PAN) sorption.
- Investigated Rb+ sorption capacity of KCuFC(PAN) at different temperatures (25°C and 55°C).
- Evaluated the brine concentration capabilities (Volume Concentration Factor - VCF) and water recovery of the MD system.
- Assessed the regeneration and reuse of the KCuFC(PAN) sorbent and Rb+ recovery from the desorbed solution.
Main Results:
- KCuFC(PAN) demonstrated good selectivity for Rb+ sorption, with higher capacity at 55°C (Qmax = 125.11 mg/g).
- The integrated MD-KCuFC(PAN) system achieved a VCF of 2.9, corresponding to 65% water recovery from SWRO brine.
- Stable MD permeate flux was maintained with high-quality permeate (conductivity 15-20 μS/cm).
- Successfully extracted 2.26 mg of Rb+ from 12 L of brine, with potential for large-scale recovery (0.7 tonne/yr).
- KCuFC(PAN) exhibited excellent regeneration and reuse capabilities.
Conclusions:
- The integrated MD-KCuFC(PAN) system is effective for SWRO brine volume reduction and valuable rubidium (Rb+) recovery.
- KCuFC(PAN) is a promising sorbent for selective Rb+ extraction from saline solutions.
- This approach offers a sustainable solution for brine management, transforming waste into a resource.
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