Electronic Effect-Modulated Enhancements of Proton Conductivity in Porous Organic Polymers.

We proposed a new strategy to maximize the density of acidic groups by modulating the electronic effects of the substituents for high-performance proton conductors. The conductivity of the sulfonated 1-MeL40-S with methyl group corresponds to 2.29×10-1  S cm-1 at 80 °C and 90 % relative humidity, remarkably an 22100-fold enhancement over the nonsulfonated 1-MeL40. 1-MeL40-S maintains long-term conductivity for one month. We confirm that this synthetic method is generalized to the extended version POPs, 2-MeL40-S and 3-MeL40-S. In particular, the conductivities of the POPs compete with those of top-level porous organic conductors. Moreover, the activation energy of the POPs is lower than that of the top-performing materials. This study demonstrates that systematic alteration of the electronic effects of substituents is a useful route to improve the conductivity and long-term durability of proton-conducting materials.

A comprehensive review on the long-term performance of stormwater biofiltration systems (SBS): Operational challenges and future directions.

Stormwater biofiltration systems (SBS) are a popular technology for mitigating the negative effects of urbanization on the hydrological processes and water quality in urban areas. However, little is known about SBS's long-term performance in actual field conditions. The findings of a review of the scientific literature on the long-term performance of SBS are presented in this paper. The findings show that only a few studies have investigated the performance of SBS and its change over time, and that the results of laboratory and field experiments differed due to the presence of plants, regular maintenance, and some uncertain environmental factors. Based on the existing knowledge gaps in this field, the main challenges observed was the lack of long-term field data series, and the existing mathematical models are not able to accurately forecast the long-term performance of SBS. This could be owing to the difficulties in monitoring activities, the high costs involved and the unpredictability around the operational timeframe. Future study should concentrate on the implementation of simulation and modeling-based research in pilot and full-scale SBS, and the inclusion of new performance indicators should be considered as a priority.

Hybrid capacitive deionization of NaCl and toxic heavy metal ions using faradic electrodes of silver nanospheres decorated pomegranate peel-derived activated carbon.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an evolving technology for eradicating salt and toxic heavy metal ions from brackish wastewater. However, traditional CDI electrodes have lower salt adsorption capacity and inadequate adsorption of selective metal ions for long-term operations. Herein, Ag nanospheres incorporated pomegranate peel-derived activated carbon (Ag/P-AC) was prepared and implied to the CDI process for removing NaCl, toxic mono-, di-, and trivalent metal ions. Morphological analysis revealed that the 80-100 nm-sized Ag nanospheres were uniformly decorated on the surfaces of P-AC nanosheets. The Ag/P-AC has a higher specific surface area (640 m2 g-1), superior specific capacitance (180 F g-1 at 50 mV s-1) and a lower charge transfer resistance (0.5 Ω cm2). CDI device was fabricated by Ag/P-AC as an anode, which adsorbed anions and P-AC as cathode for adsorption of positively charged ions at 1.2 V in an initial salt concentration of 1000 mg L-1. An asymmetric Ag/P-AC//P-AC exhibited a maximum NaCl adsorption capacity of 36 mg g-1 than symmetric P-AC//P-AC electrodes (22.7 mg g-1). Furthermore, Pb(II), Cd(II), F-, and As(III) ions were successfully removed from simulated wastewater by using Ag/P-AC//P-AC based CDI system. These asymmetric CDI-electrodes have an excellent prospect for the removal of salt and toxic contaminants in industrial wastewater.

Ten years of proficiency testing reveals an improvement in the analytical performance of EU National Reference Laboratories for genetically modified food and feed.

National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) in the Member States of the European Union (EU) monitor the implementation of the EU legislation on the presence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed. The EU Reference Laboratory for GM Food and Feed (EURL GMFF) supports the harmonisation of measurement procedures and the improvement of the analytical performance of these laboratories, among others through the organisation of a proficiency testing (PT) scheme. The PT results reported over 10 years have been analysed using common criteria applied to the reported data. The outcome revealed a gradual decrease of the relative standard deviation within the sets of the reported data with time. The extent of the deviation of the results from the assigned value also diminished between 2010 and 2019. The average deviation from the assigned value was independent of the GM content in the later PT rounds but it was affected by the complexity of the test item matrix. Performance scores were calculated for all results reported by the 62 NRLs. The number of unsatisfactory performance scores obtained decreased with time. The trends observed indicate an improvement in the analytical performance and an increased harmonisation of GMO testing within the EU enforcement laboratories.

The Medtronic Sprint Fidelis® lead history revisited-Extended follow-up of passive leads.

BACKGROUND: Due to high failure rates, Medtronic withdrew the Sprint Fidelis lead (SFL) from the market. Passive fixation lead models exhibited better survival than active models, but most studies have limited follow-up. Aim of this study was to give insights into passive lead survival with a follow-up of 10 years. METHODS: In two large Swiss centers, patients with passive SFLs were identified and data from routine implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) follow-ups were collected. Patients were censored at time of death, last device interrogation (if lost to follow-up), time of lead revision (in non-SFL-related problems), or at database closure (31th December 2017). We defined lead failure as any of the following: lead fracture with inappropriate discharge; sudden increase in low-voltage impedance to >1500 or high-voltage impedance to >100 Ω; >300 nonphysiological short VV-intervals. RESULTS: We identified 145 patients. Age at implant was 60 ± 12 years with a median follow-up of 10.2 (interquartile range [IQR]: 5.0-11.2) years. Thirty-five percent of patients died after 5.4 ± 2.7 years. A total of 19 leads (13%) failed after 6.7 ± 3.2 years (range: 1.2-12.0). Overt malfunction with shocks existed in four patients (3%). Cumulative lead survival was 93.1% at 6, 88.2% at 8, 83.8% at 10, and 77.6% at 11 years, respectively, with 35% of implanted leads under monitoring at 10 years. Lead survival fits best a Weibull distribution with accelerating failure rates (k = 1.95, 95% CI 1.32-2.87, P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: During very long-term follow-up, failure rate of the passive SFL shows an increase resulting in an impaired lead survival of 84% at 10 years.

A systems-based assessment of Palestine's current and future infrastructure requirements.

The occupied Palestinian territories of West Bank and Gaza Strip are currently experiencing many challenges in the provision of infrastructure services for their inhabitants. This includes an undersupply of infrastructure services across multiple sectors - an issue exacerbated by population growth, increasing urbanisation, economic growth and climate change. We address this challenge by providing a systems-based assessment of Palestine's infrastructure requirements and identifying broad strategies for how those needs might be met. This assessment involved four key components including: 1) defining and assessing the current system and planned infrastructure investments; 2) assessing potential future demand for infrastructure services; 3) identifying alternative strategies for future infrastructure provision beyond planned investments; and 4) analysing the performance of each strategy against a series of key performance indicators. Results from the assessment highlight the magnitude of the current and future need for urgent infrastructure investment in Palestine. The most immediate need is to alleviate the water crises in Gaza Strip, which will require at least twice as much water infrastructure investment over the coming decade than is currently in the pipeline, even if the goal is only to achieve the most basic World Health Organisation water availability requirements. To move beyond this protracted state of crises will then require a doubling of investments across all sectors to bring Palestine up to the standards of services already enjoyed by its neighbours. Such investments can have even greater impact on delivery of infrastructure services through the strategic use of interdependencies between infrastructure sectors, such as water re-use and energy-from-waste. In the pursuit of global sustainable development, the systems-based approach presented here provides an important first step in the assessment of infrastructure needs and opportunities for any country. It is particularly important for states like Palestine where key resources, such as water and energy, are so acutely constrained.

Six-year follow-up of the initial Dutch subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator cohort: Long-term complications, replacements, and battery longevity.

INTRODUCTION: Experience with the subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) is expanding rapidly. However, data on long-term performance or complications related to elective generator replacement are lacking. METHODS: Follow-up (FU) data of all patients implanted between December 2008 and April 2011 were collected. Complications were defined as those requiring surgical intervention. Kaplan-Meier estimates for complication and shock rates, with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI), were calculated. RESULTS: One hundred and eighteen patients were included. Median FU was 6.1 years (IQR 5.6-6.5 years). Short-term complication rate (0-30 days) was 3% (CI 0-6%). Long-term complication rate at 6 years was 19% (CI 12-26%), corresponding with an annual complication rate of 3%. One patient in this cohort developed a need for a transvenous ICD (TV-ICD) in order to provide pacing for bradycardia (1%). Six patients were implanted with a TV-ICD after experiencing an S-ICD complication for which extraction was necessary. In total, 10 S-ICDs were extracted; none resulted in a complication. Eight patients had a nonsystemic ICD-related infection and no lead failures were observed. The majority, 68 (58%) patients, received an elective generator replacement. Two patients had a complication related to generator replacement (3%). Battery longevity was 5.6 years (IQR 5.2-6.1). Appropriate and inappropriate shock rates of 6-year estimates were 17% (CI 9-25%) and 21% (CI 15-27%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This cohort represents the longest follow-up to date and shows a low annual complication rate without lead failures or systemic infections. Battery longevity of the first S-ICD generation results in relative early generator replacement procedures.

Cost-Effective, High-Performance Porous-Organic-Polymer Conductors Functionalized with Sulfonic Acid Groups by Direct Postsynthetic Substitution.

We demonstrate the facile microwave-assisted synthesis of a porous organic framework 1 and the sulfonated solid (1S) through postsubstitution. Remarkably, the conductivity of 1S showed an approximately 300-fold enhancement at 30 °C as compared to that of 1, and reached 7.72×10-2  S cm-1 at 80 °C and 90 % relative humidity. The superprotonic conductivity exceeds that observed for any conductive porous organic polymer reported to date. This material, which is cost-effective and scalable for mass production, also revealed long-term performance over more than 3 months without conductivity decay.

Very late follow-up of a passive defibrillator lead under recall: do failure rates increase during long-term observation.

BACKGROUND: The Medtronic Sprint Fidelis lead (SFL; Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) has a significantly impaired long-term survival, and active fixation leads fare worse than passive leads. The goal of this study was to present data of a series of passive SFL only with very long mean follow-up of more than 6 years. METHODS: Patients in whom a passive SFL was implanted in two large Swiss centers were followed. We excluded eight (5.5%) patients with a follow-up of <6 months. Patients who died or were lost during follow-up were censored at death or last device check, all others on January 31, 2014. We employed two different definitions of failure: strict = fracture with inappropriate discharge; sudden increase in impedance >1,500 or high-voltage impedance >100 Ohm; >300 nonphysiological short interventricular-intervals. Lenient = any of the above plus a linear increase in impedance >1,500 Ohm or a linear decrease in sensing to a level that treating cardiologists considered inappropriate. RESULTS: We included 137 patients. Age was 60 ± 12 years. Mean and median follow-up were 6.2 ± 2.1 and 6.8 (interquartile range 4.8-7.8) years. Applying the strict definition, 12 leads (8.8%) were replaced after 4.9 ± 2.4 years (range 1.2-8.1). Applying the lenient definition, 14 leads (10.2%) failed. Cumulative lead survival was 98.5% at 3, 96.9% at 4, 94.2% at 5, and 93.1% at 6 years. Leads "at risk" were: n = 122 (89%), 115 (84%), 101 (74%), and 88 (64%). CONCLUSIONS: In this population with passive SFLs, 5-year lead survival is impaired with 94.2% based on 74% of leads "at risk" at this time point.

Pollutant transport behavior through polymer cutoff wall: Laboratory test and analytical model investigation.

Polymer cutoff wall has emerged as a new and promising technology for anti-seepage and anti-pollution in geotechnical engineering. With notable advantages such as rapid sealing, high efficiency, and environmental friendliness, this technology has garnered significant attention. This study presents a systematic investigation into the transport characteristics of pollutants in polymer materials, with a specific focus on the transport mechanisms through polymer cutoff wall. The research investigates various factors that influence the pollutant transport characteristics in polymer materials. The objective is to analyze the pollutant transport behavior and obtain the transport parameters. Moreover, the study develops and solves a one-dimensional transport model incorporating partition-diffusion-partition mechanisms, aiming to determines the long-term service performance of polymer wall. These findings contribute to a better understanding of pollutant transport through polymer walls, which is crucial for the future advancement and utilization of this technology.

Investigation of waste alkali-activated cementing material using municipal solid waste incineration fly ash and dravite as precursors: Mechanisms, performance, and on-site application.

The proper treatment of municipal solid waste incineration fly ash (MSWIFA) is a crucial concern due to its hazardous nature and potential environmental harm. To address this issue, this study innovatively utilized dravite and black liquor to solidify MSWIFA. The semi-dry pressing method was employed, resulting in the production of waste alkali-activated cementing material (WACM). This material demonstrated impressive compressive and flexural strength, reaching 45.89 MPa and 6.55 MPa respectively, and effectively solidified heavy metal ions (Pb, Cr, Cu, Cd, and Zn). The leaching concentrations of these ions decreased from 27.15, 10.36, 8.94, 7.00, and 104.4 mg/L to 0.13, 1.05, 0.29, 0.06, and 12.28 mg/L, respectively. The strength of WACM increased by 3 times compared to conventionally produced materials. Furthermore, WACM exhibited excellent long-term performance, with acceptable heavy metal leaching and minimal mechanical degradation. Experimental and theoretical analyses revealed the heavy metal solidification mechanisms, including chemical binding, ion substitution and physical encapsulation. Finally, the on-site application of WACM confirmed its feasibility in meeting both environmental and strength requirements.

Brackish groundwater desalination by constant current membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI): Results of a long-term field trial in Central Australia.

A long-term field trial of membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI) was conducted in a remote community in the Northern Territory of Australia, with the aim of producing safe palatable drinking water from groundwater that contains high concentrations of salt and hardness ions and other contaminants. This trial lasted for 1.5 years, which, to our knowledge, is one of the longest reported studies of pilot-scale MCDI field trials. The 8-module MCDI pilot unit reduced salt concentration to below the Australian Drinking Water Guideline value of 600 mg/L total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration with a relatively high water recovery of 71.6 ± 8.7 %. During continuous constant current operation and electrode discharging at near zero volts, a rapid performance deterioration occurred that was primarily attributed to insufficient desorption of multivalent ions from the porous carbon electrodes. Performance could be temporarily recovered using chemical cleaning and modified operating procedures however these approaches could not fundamentally resolve the issue of insufficient electrode performance regeneration. Constant current discharging of the electrodes to a negative cell cut-off voltage was hence employed to enhance the stability and overall performance of the MCDI unit during the continuous operation. An increase in selectivity of monovalent ions over divalent ions was also attained by implementing negative voltage discharging. The energy consumption of an MCDI system with a capacity of 1000 m3/day was projected to be 0.40∼0.53 kWh/m3, which is comparable to the energy consumption of electrodialysis reversal (EDR) and brackish water reverse osmosis (BWRO) systems of the same capacity. The relatively low maintenance requirements of the MCDI system rendered it the most cost-efficient water treatment technology for deployment in remote locations. The LCOW of an MCDI system with a capacity of 1000 m3/day was projected to be AU$1.059/m3 and AU$1.146/m3 under two operational modes, respectively. Further investigation of particular water-energy trade-offs amongst MCDI performance metrics is required to facilitate broader application of this promising water treatment technology.

New insight into the irreversible membrane fouling in different pore-sized ultrafiltration ceramic membrane bioreactors (UCMBRs) for high-strength textile wastewater treatment.

Despite great achievements in ceramic membrane bioreactor applications, membrane fouling, which decreases the permeability and separation performance of bioreactors and is associated with increased operational costs and energy consumption, remains a problem. The aim of this study was to expand our understanding of the fouling behavior in the long-term performance of ultrafiltration ceramic membrane bioreactors (UCMBRs) for high-strength textile wastewater reclamation. Using real textile wastewater effluent, the effects of ultrafiltration (UF) membrane pore sizes, cleaning strategies, and foulant distribution were systematically evaluated over more than three months of continuous operation. The results showed that UCMBR system achieved chemical oxygen demand and total nitrogen removal efficiencies as high as 91-95% and 39-43%, respectively. The high PN concentration can easily increase the viscosity of mixed liquor samples, contributing to a fouling layer on the membrane surface. In addition, the fouling layer formed on the surface of small-pore-sized ceramic UF membranes was not completely reversible but was difficult to eliminate by simple physical cleaning. Soluble extracellular polymeric substances, especially proteins and low molecular weight neutrals, remained, resulting in irreversible fouling on the UF membrane. However, saturated CO2 backwash showed great potential for enhancing the system through efficient fouling control without using environmentally unfriendly cleaning chemicals. The cake-intermediate and complete-standard models were suitable for explaining the fouling mechanism in the large- and small-pore-sized UF membranes, respectively.

Performance of wetland applied to ecological remediation of abandoned fish ponds: A case study in Gonghu Bay, Tai lake.

To restore the abandoned fish ponds to "near natural" state, the wetland restoration was carried out in Gonghu Bay lakeside, and its long-term performance of controlling external load was studied for 5 years. The findings showed that water quality and biodiversity had been improved dramatically after the preliminary transformation. The concentrations of permanganate index (CODMn), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) obviously decreased from 12.91 mg L-1 to 4.32 mg L-1, from 3.46 mg L-1 to 1.42 mg L-1, and from 0.27 mg L-1 to 0.04 mg L-1, respectively. The proportion of Cyanophyta was effectively reduced from 31.82% to 18.89%, and favored the growth of diatoms (31.82%-37.78%) to be the dominant algae species. Aquatic plant species and coverage gradually increased from 16 to 56 and from 5% to 60%, respectively. An in-deep monitoring done for 5 years (2013-2017) showed that the wetland achieved a satisfactory removal efficiency of 58.95% for TN, 64.60% for TP, and up to 77.83% for chlorophyll-a. Besides, three pollution scenarios, such as stormwater runoff, algal bloom, and continuous water transfer, were selected to explore the tolerance of the wetland to the suddenly increased pollution loads. The results dedicated that even if the inlet load was up to 1.0 × 105 m3 d-1, the removal rate coefficients of wetland for chlorophyll-a, TP, and TN were 0.135-0.239 d-1, 0.041-0.112 d-1, and 0.030-0.109 d-1, respectively, which were equivalent to the well-running wetlands. This study confirmed that the wetland was not only a promising ecological remediation technique to contaminated abandoned fish ponds, but also could withstand high pollution load, which had the prospect of sustainable utilization.

Mergers and acquisitions: does performance depend on managerial ability?

Companies in difficult financial situations may seek to survive through mergers and acquisitions. Managers must be able to use company resources efficiently to maintain and improve competitiveness and sustainable advantages. Managers' ability to make strategic decisions may determine whether a merger and acquisition is successful. This study aims to reveal the role of the acquirer's managerial ability in mergers and acquisitions based on short- and long-term performance as well as the type of M&A. Two metrics are used to assess short- and long-term performance: the market-to-book ratio (MTBR) as an indicator of operating performance and the buy-and-hold abnormal return (BHAR) as an indicator of stock return performance. The research sample consists of 153 M&A cases conducted by companies registered with the Business Competition Supervisory Commission in Indonesia between 2010 and 2017, and the performance till 2020. We used regression and difference analysis to analyze the data. We find that managerial ability has a positive impact on MTBR operating and BHAR stock performance. This result confirms that the higher ability of the acquirer's manager will ensure a successful M&A in the long run. Investors and potential investors might consider managerial ability in choosing investments in companies after an M&A. This study contributes to the M&A literature by examining the role of MA in the short- and long-term performance of acquiring firms following M&As in Indonesia.

Participation in the International Judo Federation World Tour competitions and performance in Tokyo Olympic Games.

Introduction: The International Judo Federation introduced a ranking system in 2009 that determines top athletes for the Olympic Games and seeds them in competitions. Previous research indicated that this ranking list and past performances predicted 19%-27% of performance in the Olympic Games and World Championships. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the relationship between Judo World Tour competitions and Olympic Games performance may have been affected. This study aimed to examine the relationship between athletes' performance in Judo World Tour competitions and their competitive performance at the Olympic Games. Methods: Data from 393 athletes who participated in the Tokyo Olympics were analyzed considering both long and short-term performance measures. Pearson correlation was used to determine the relationship between variables and multiple linear regressions were used to predict performance for each sex and the entire sample. Results: The results revealed a range of magnitudes in the correlation between variables, varying from small to large. In terms of regression analyses, it was observed that, for females, the percentage of matches won during the classification period and competition in the year prior to the Olympic Games predicted 37% of their performance. For males, the percentage of matches won during the classification period and competition in the six months before the Olympic Games predicted 36% of their performance. Discussion: Thus, athletes' quality and reduced exposure to competition near the Olympic Games appear to be important factors in their performance at the event.

Development and Promotion of Concrete Strength at Initial 24 Hours.

Knowing and promoting the strength development of concrete at an earlier age is essential for accelerating formwork circulation of the on-site construction and precast product manufacture. The strength development rate at earlier ages of less than the initial 24 h was investigated. The effect of measures of adding silica fume, calcium sulfoaluminate cement, and early strength agent on the strength development of earlier concrete at ambient temperatures of 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C was studied. The microstructure and long-term properties were further tested. It is shown that the strength increases exponentially first and then logarithmically, different from what is commonly recognized. Increasing cement content exhibited a certain effect only above 25 °C. When the cement content increased from 420 to 460 kg/m3, the strength only increased from 6.2 to 6.7 MPa after 12 h at 25 °C. The early strength agent could increase the strength significantly, the strength could be increased from 6.4 to 10.8 MPa after 20 h at 10 °C and from 7.2 to 20.6 MPa after 14 h at 20 °C. All measures for promoting earlier strength did not have an evident negative effect. The results could be potentially referred for the formwork removal at a suitable moment.

Durability Enhancement Effect of Silica Fume on the Bond Behavior of Concrete-PCM Composites under Environmental Conditions.

The long-term performance of the concrete-polymer cement mortar (PCM) interface under environmental exposure is crucial to the safety of the PCM overlaying method as the environmental exposure of the repaired structures caused further degradation of the interface, leading to a significant reduction in intended service life. This study investigates the durability enhancement effect of silica fume of the concrete-PCM interface, considering an individual action of elevated temperature (e.g., 60 °C) [constant (short and moderate duration) and cyclic conditions] and moisture content [continuous immersion and wetting/drying (W/D) cycle]. Our previous research confirmed that the use of silica fume forms more C-S-H with strong binding force and enhances the interfacial bonding strength due to the denser microstructure at the interface, and it is expected to be utilized for durability purposes under the aforementioned exposure conditions. Under all elevated temperature exposure conditions, the reduction percentage of the interfacial performance corresponding to the respective reference specimens reduced significantly with the inclusion of silica fume with overlay material. The occurrence of interface fracture at lower load and a greater number of pure interface fracture modes observed in normal PCM specimens compared to modified PCM specimens indicates a positive influence of higher adhesion with better durability of modified PCM overlay with substrate concrete. Under both conditions of moisture content, significant reduction in interfacial strength was observed in normal PCM specimens. In all cases, the reducing ratio of interfacial strength was higher in normal PCM compared to modified PCM, indicating a positive influence of silica fume under moisture content. Furthermore, silica fume inclusion shifts the fracture mode from pure interfacial fracture to composite fracture mode, indicating a positive response of silica fume to improve the resistance of interface fracture under moisture content. Conclusively, the use of silica fume improves concrete-overlay layer adhesion and enhances the bonding durability under environmental exposure.

Evaluating the Residual Stress and Its Effect on the Quasi-Static Stress in Polyethylene Pipes.

Residual stress is generated during the production process. It can significantly affect the mechanical performance of pressurized polymer pipes. In this paper, six polyethylene (PE) pipes, including three high-density PEs (HDPE) and three medium-density PEs (MDPE) provided by different suppliers, were tested using a one-slit-ring method to measure the residual stress distribution along the hoop direction. Finite element (FE) simulation and mechanical testing were also employed in an iteration process to obtain the mechanical parameters of the six PE pipes. For the same PE pipe code from different suppliers, the results show that the magnitude of the residual hoop stress can be very different, resulting in different mechanical behaviors. In addition, the results are proposed to explain the scenario that was reported previously, i.e., the different critical quasi-static stress (the time-independent stress) levels of the PE pipes with the same pipe code. Since the quasi-static stress is expected to dominate the long-term behavior of the PE pipes, it is of great importance to carefully consider the effect of the residual stress on the determination of the quasi-static stress.

Enhanced oil removal from a real polymer production plant by cellulose nanocrystals-serine incorporated polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane.

As discharging oily wastewater from industries to the environment is a potential threat for the aquatic ecosystem, in this research, oil removal from a real case of Kermanshah polymer production plant wastewater was investigated. The focus of this study was on improving the oil rejection performance of polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membrane due to adding cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and modified CNC with serine amino acid (CNC-Ser) in PES mix matrix. From the results, the membranes embedded with CNC-Ser showed better performance in terms of water flux, flux recovery ratio, and oil rejection (higher than 97%) compared to the modified membranes with CNC. The lowest water contact angle (41.37°), smoother surface, and higher negative surface potential (- 24 mV) were achieved for the optimum loading of CNC-Ser. Besides, long-term performance of the membranes with optimum loading of CNC and CNC-Ser were compared in both dead-end and cross-flow setups.