PLASMA POLYMERIZATION OF OCTAFLUOROCYCLOBUTANE AND HYDROPHOBIC MICROPOROUS COMPOSITE MEMBRANES FOR MEMBRANE DISTILLATION

In this paper, hydrophilic microporous cellulose nitrate membranes have been surface-modified by plasma polymerization of octafluorocyclobutane (OFCB). The microporous composite membranes with a hydrophilic layer sandwiched between two hydrophobic layers have been obtained. The obtained composite membranes have been used in a membrane distillation (MD) process and have exhibited good performance. The effects of polymerization conditions, such as glow-discharge power and deposition time, on the structures and MD performances of the obtained composite membranes have been investigated by SEM, X-ray microscopical analysis, and XPS. The polymerization conditions should be as mild as possible in order to prepare the hydrophobic composite membrane with good MD performance. The typical MD behaviors of the obtained hydrophobic composite membranes are in agreement with that of hydrophobic membranes directly prepared from hydrophobic polymeric materials, like PVDF, PTFE, or PP.

AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY ON MEMBRANE DISTILLATION CRYSTALLIZATION FOR TREATING WASTE-WATER IN TAURINE PRODUCTION

The solution of non-volatile solutes can be concentrated to saturation by membrane distillation. If the solute is easy to crystalize, the membrane distillation-crystallization phenomenon will appear during the membrane distillation of saturated solutions. It is possible that crystalline products are separated from concentrated solutions by a membrane process. In this work the PVDF capillary membrane, which was improved on hydrophobicity by using LiCl instead of a water-soluble polymer as an additive, has been used for treating the waste water of taurine. The crystalline product has been obtained from the waste water by the membrane distillation-crystallization technique. The results have shown good prospects for a membrane distillation application for treatment of industrial waste water.

AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY ON MEMBRANE DISTILLATION FOR TREATMENT OF GINSENG DEW AND GINSENG WASHING WATER

Membrane distillation is a new membrane separation process which has been developed in the last few years. When a piece of microporous hydrophobic membrane separates two kinds of aqueous solutions different in temperature, the solutions cannot transport through the pores of membrane in any directions because of the hydrophobicity of membrane. However, vapor can readily penetrate through the

Characterizing a monotopic membrane enzyme. Biochemical, enzymatic and crystallization studies on Aquifex aeolicus sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase

Monotopic membrane proteins are membrane proteins that interact with only one leaflet of the lipid bilayer and do not possess transmembrane spanning segments. They are endowed with important physiological functions but until now only few of them have been studied. Here we present a detailed biochemical, enzymatic and crystallographic characterization of the monotopic membrane protein sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase. Sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase is a ubiquitous enzyme involved in sulfide detoxification, in sulfide-dependent respiration and photosynthesis, and in heavy metal tolerance. It may also play a crucial role in mammals, including humans, because sulfide acts as a neurotransmitter in these organisms. We isolated and purified sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase from the native membranes of the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus. We studied the pure and solubilized enzyme by denaturing and non-denaturing polyacrylamide electrophoresis, size-exclusion chromatography, cross-linking, analytical ultracentrifugation, visible and ultraviolet spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and electron microscopy. Additionally, we report the characterization of its enzymatic activity before and after crystallization. Finally, we discuss the crystallization of sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase in respect to its membrane topology and we propose a classification of monotopic membrane protein crystal lattices. Our data support and complement an earlier description of the three-dimensional structure of A. aeolicus sulfide:quinone oxidoreductase (M. Marcia, U. Ermler, G. Peng, H. Michel, Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 106 (2009) 9625-9630) and may serve as a reference for further studies on monotopic membrane proteins. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Investigation into the rheological properties of PES/NMP/nonsolvent membrane-forming systems

From the perspective of a polymer solution, the rheological properties of the popular polyethersulfone (PES)/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/nonsolvent (NS) membrane-forming system were investigated thoroughly with a controlled stress rheometer (HAAKE RS75, Germany). The scope of the study included measurements of the controlled-stress flow curve, creep recovery, and dynamic oscillation. H2O, 1-butanol, ethylene glycol, and diethylene glycol were used as NS additives. The effects of the polymer concentration and the quality of the solvent mixture, as characterized by the approaching ratio, on the rheological behavior of the dopes were studied. Up to 38 wt % PES and extremely adjacent to the phase separation (i.e., the approaching ratio of the dope was 0.95), the viscous property dominated all the dopes, which behaved as Newtonian fluids. Moreover, all the membrane-forming dopes investigated were in the crossover regime in the semidilute region, in which the chains were overlapping but unentangled. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Modification of nylon membrane used for affinity adsorption

Nylon membrane was modified by binding with polyhydroxyl-containing materials to increase its hydrophilicity and reduce its nonspecific interaction with proteins. The effect of binding hydrophilic materials on amount of ligand bound-Cibacron Blue F3GA (CBF) was investigated. Experimental data showed that the amount of CBF bound can be increased significantly after binding of hydrophilic materials.

Removal of endotoxin from human serum albumin solutions by hydrophobic and cationic charged membrane

A novel matrix of macropore cellulose membrane was prepared by chemical graft, and immobilized the cationic charged groups as affinity ligands. The prepared membrane Fan be used for the removal of endotoxin from human serum albumin (HSA) solutions. With a cartridge of 20 sheets affinity membrane of 47 mm diameter, the endotoxin level in HSA solution can be reduced ro 0.027 eu/mL. Recovery of HSA was over 95%.