The area around a plant’s roots hosts a complex and diverse microbial community. This environment can include a large number of bacteria that live on the surface of the root and benefit from the nutrients that the roots exude into the soil. These microbes can in turn be beneficial to the plant by protecting the roots from harmful fungi or stressful environmental conditions such as drought. In this thesis, several root-mimetic systems (RMSs) were developed for the study and growth of plant-beneficial bacteria in the laboratory environment. The RMS uses a porous hollow fiber used in hemodialysis as a surface for microbial growth. This fiber can either be draped into liquid nutrients or nutrients can be pumped through the hollow fiber with seepage through pores in the fiber to the outside. These systems are simple but well-controlled models of how a root would feed a bacterial community. The RMSs can be used to study how bacteria receiving nutrients through the RMS react to external factors, and if the bacterial response varies with nutrients received through the fiber. One such application is to study how plant colonizing microbes react to stressors like nanoparticle technology, a growing part of the fertilizer industry. Several different commercial hollow fiber membranes were explored as possible surfaces for microbe attachment. A synthetic polysulfone / polyvinylpyrrolidone hollow fiber membrane, treated with bleach to change the surface properties, was found to be a favorable surface for attachment of the beneficial root-colonizing microbe Pseudomonas chlororaphis O6 (PcO6). In addition to hollow fiber membrane chemistry, the nutrient composition delivered to the bacteria strongly influenced surface colonization and biofilm formation. Thus, using the hollow fiber root model, bacteria can be studied with respect to their responses to changes in nutrient composition as well as their response to stressors such as nanoparticles. Contrasted with studying bacteria on a living root, the model systems developed in this thesis allow microbes to be investigated without the added complexity of unknown variations in the nutrients that the roots pump into the soil.

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Membrane gas absorption technology is considered as one of the promising alternatives to conventional techniques for CO2 separation from the flue gas of fossil fuels combustion. As a hybrid approach of chemical absorption and membrane separation, it may offer a number of important features, including operational flexibility, compact structure, linear scale up and predictable performance. The main challenge is the additional membrane mass transfer resistance, especially when this resistance increases due to the absorbent intruding into the membrane pores. In this thesis, the experimental was set up to investigate how the operating parameters affect the absorption performance when using absorbent in hollow fiber contactor, and to obtain the optimal range of operation parameters for the designated membrane gas absorption system . During 20 days’ continuous experiment, we observed that the CO2 mass transfer rate decreases significantly following the operating time, which is attributed to the increase of membrane mass transfer resistance resulting from partial membrane wetting. To better understand the wetting evolution mechanism, the immersion experiments were carried out to assume that the membrane fibers immersed in the absorbents would undergo similar exposure as those used in the membrane contactor. Various membrane characterization methods were used to illustrate the wetting process before and after the membrane fibers were exposed to the absorbents. The characterization results showed that the absorbent molecules diffuse into the polypropylene (PP) polymer during the contact with the membrane, resulting in the swelling of the membrane. In addition, the effects of operating parameters such as immersion time, CO2 loading, as well as absorbent type on the membrane wetting were investigated in detail. Finally, based on the analysis results, methods to smooth the membrane wetting were discussed. It was suggested that improving the hydrophobicity of PP membrane by surface modification may be an effective way to improve the membrane long-term performance. Modification of the polypropylene membrane by depositing a rough layer of PP was carried out in order to improve the non-wettability of membrane. The comparison of long-term CO2 absorption performance by PP membranes before and after modification proves that the modified polypropylene membranes retained higher hydrophobicity than the untreated polypropylene membrane. Therefore modification is likely to be more suitable for use in membrane gas absorption contactors for CO2 separation, particularly over long operation time.

abstract: Carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in the atmosphere have reached unprecedented levels due to increasing anthropogenic emissions and increasing energy demand. CO2 capture and utilization can aid in stabilizing atmospheric CO2 levels and producing carbon-neutral fuels. Utilizing hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) for microalgal cultivation accomplishes that via bubbleless gas-transfer, preventing CO2 loss to the atmosphere. Various lengths and geometries of HFMs were used to deliver CO2 to a sodium carbonate solution. A model was developed to calculate CO2 flux, mass-transfer coefficient (KL), and volumetric mass-transfer coefficient (KLa) based on carbonate equilibrium and the alkalinity of the solution. The model was also applied to a sparging system, whose performance was compared with that of the HFMs. Typically, HFMs are operated in closed-end mode or open-end mode. The former is characterized by a high transfer efficiency, while the latter provides the advantage of a high transfer rate. HFMs were evaluated for both modes of operation and a varying inlet CO2 concentration to determine the effect of inert gas and water vapor accumulation on transfer rates. For pure CO2, a closed-end module operated as efficiently as an open-end module. Closed-end modules perform significantly worse when CO2-enriched air was supplied. This was shown by the KLa values calculated using the model. Finally, a mass-balance model was constructed for the lumen of the membranes in order to provide insight into the gas-concentration profiles inside the fiber lumen. For dilute CO2 inlet streams, accumulation of inert gases -- nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), and water vapor (H2O) -- significantly affected module performance by reducing the average CO2 partial pressure in the membrane and diminishing the amount of interfacial mass-transfer area available for CO2 transfer. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Chemical Engineering 2018

<p>Membrane gas absorption technology is considered as one of the promising alternatives to conventional techniques for CO₂ separation from the flue gas of fossil fuels combustion. As a hybrid approach of chemical absorption and membrane separation, it may offer a number of important features, including operational flexibility, compact structure, linear scale up and predictable performance. The main challenge is the additional membrane mass transfer resistance, especially when this resistance increases due to the absorbent intruding into the membrane pores.</p><p>In this thesis, the experimental was set up to investigate how the operating parameters affect the absorption performance when using absorbent in hollow fiber contactor, and to obtain the optimal range of operation parameters for the designated membrane gas absorption system . During 20 days’ continuous experiment, we observed that the CO₂ mass transfer rate decreases significantly following the operating time, which is attributed to the increase of membrane mass transfer resistance resulting from partial membrane wetting.</p><p>To better understand the wetting evolution mechanism, the immersion experiments were carried out to assume that the membrane fibers immersed in the absorbents would undergo similar exposure as those used in the membrane contactor. Various membrane characterization methods were used to illustrate the wetting process before and after the membrane fibers were exposed to the absorbents. The characterization results showed that the absorbent molecules diffuse into the polypropylene (PP) polymer during the contact with the membrane, resulting in the swelling of the membrane. In addition, the effects of operating parameters such as immersion time, CO₂ loading, as well as absorbent type on the membrane wetting were investigated in detail. Finally, based on the analysis results, methods to smooth the membrane wetting were discussed. It was suggested that improving the hydrophobicity of PP membrane by surface modification may be an effective way to improve the membrane long-term performance.</p><p>Modification of the polypropylene membrane by depositing a rough layer of PP was carried out in order to improve the non-wettability of membrane. The comparison of long-term CO₂ absorption performance by PP membranes before and after modification proves that the modified polypropylene membranes retained higher hydrophobicity than the untreated polypropylene membrane. Therefore modification is likely to be more suitable for use in membrane gas absorption contactors for CO₂ separation, particularly over long operation time.</p>

Propylene is one of the most important feedstocks of the petrochemical industry with an estimated 2015 worldwide demand of 100 million tons. Retrofitting conventional C3 splitters is highly desirable due to the huge amount of thermal energy required to separate propylene from propane. Membrane separation is among the alternatives that both academia and industry have actively studied during the past decades, however; many challenges remain to advance membrane separation as a scalable technology for energy-efficient propylene/propane separations. The overarching goal of this research is to provide a framework for development of scalable ZIF-based mixed-matrix membrane that is able to deliver attractive transport properties for advanced gas separations. Zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) were pursued instead of conventional molecular sieves (zeolites and carbon molecular sieves) to form mixed-matrix membrane due to their intrinsic compatibility with high Tg glassy polymers. A systematic study of adsorption and diffusion in zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) suggests that this material is remarkably kinetically selective for C3 and C4 hydrocarbons and therefore promising for membrane-based gas separation and adsorptive separation. As a result, ZIF-8 was used to form mixed-matrix dense film membranes with polyimide 6FDA-DAM at varied particle loadings and it was found that ZIF-8 significantly enhanced propylene/propane separation performance beyond the “permeability-selectivity” trade-off curve for polymeric materials. Eventually, this research advanced ZIF-based mixed-matrix membrane into a scalable technology by successfully forming high-loading dual-layer ZIF-8/6FDA-DAM asymmetric mixed-matrix hollow fiber membranes with attractive propylene/propane selectivity.

The spinning process of hollow fiber membranes was investigated with regards to two fundamental phenomena: flow (shear and elongation) and phase separation. Quantitative analysis of phase separation kinetics of binary (polymer/solvent) and ternary (polymer/solvent/volatile co-solvent) polymer solution was carried out with a newly developed microfluidic device. The device enables visualization of in situ phase separation and structure formation in controlled vapor and liquid environments. Results from these studies indicated that there was a weak correlation between phase separation kinetics and macroscopic defect (macrovoid) formation. In addition, the effect of shear and elongation on membrane morphology was tested by performing fiber extrusion through microfluidic channels. It was found that the membrane morphology is dominated by different factors depending on the rate of deformation. At high shear rates typical of spinning processes, shear was found to induce macrovoid formation through normal stresses, while elongation suppressed macroscopic defect formation. Furthermore, draw resonance, one of the key instabilities that can occur during fiber spinning, was investigated. It was found that draw resonance occurs at aggressive elongation condition, and could be suppressed by enhanced phase separation kinetics. These results can be used as guidelines for predicting hollow fiber membrane spinnability.

Orientador: Sergio Persio Ravagnani / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T19:00:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lavezo_AnaElisa_M.pdf: 1136570 bytes, checksum: e8e9754aa79e23bced02a8fa2d543e4c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: A separação de misturas gasosas é efetuada com o objetivo de obter um ou mais dos constituintes na forma altamente puros. Existem quatro métodos principais aplicados para a separação de gases: absorção, adsorção, destilação criogênia e membranas. A economia do processo determinará qual desses métodos é usado para alguma aplicação particular (Scott, 1995). A era moderna das membranas de separação de gases foi introduzída após 1980, quando as membranas poliméricas se tomaram economicamente viáveis (Robeson, 1999).Atualmente a separação baseada em membranas é utilizada largamente em escala industrial para produção de nitrogênio de alta pureza a partir do ar, tendo importante aplicação na inertização do ambiente para conservação de frutas e vegetais, reatores químicos e produção de NH3, assim como para segurança na operação com líquidos inflamáveis (Spillman, 1989). O objetivo deste trabalho é a otimização do custo total do processo de separação de misturas gasosas multicomponentes utilizando membrana de fibra oca. A otimização foi realizada utilizando o método "Constrained Rosenbrock (Hill AIgorithm)", para obter um produto final com alta qualidade e com um custo total minimizado. Para a otimização do custo total do processo são necessários os seguintes dados fornecidos pelo programa de Caramello (2002): pressão do permeado e da alimentação, taxa de fluxo do lado do alimentado, pureza e recuperação. A equação do custo total utilizada consiste em custo de instalação e custo operacional, ou seja, o custo total é o custo do módulo de permeação, custo de substituição da membrana (assumindo-se a vida útil da membrana a cada 3 anos), custo da energia elétrica e o custo de instalação do compressor.Otimizaram-se primeiramente dois parâmetros, número de cartuchos de membrana de fibra oca (QM) e pressão de alimentação (pt), em seguida fixou-se o número de cartuchos de membrana de fibra oca e foi otimizada a pressão de alimentação verificando se assim para cada análise o custo total otimizado para as seguintes purezas: 85%, 90%, 95% e 99% / Abstract: The separation of gas mixtures is made under the objective of obtaining one or more representatives in the highly pure form. Four methods can be used in gas separation: absorption, adsorption, distillation cryogenics and membranes. The economy of the process will determine which method will be used in a specific application (Scott, 1995). The modem era of gas-separation membrane was introduced in the early 1980s, when polymeric membranes became economically viable. (Robeson, 1999). Nowadays, membranes separation is used wide in industrial scale for the production of nitrogen in a high purity level from the air. This is an essential method for the inertization of the atmosphere air for fruits and vegetables storage, quimicos reactors and production of NH 3, as well as for safety when operating inflammable liquids (Spillman, 1989). The objective of this work is to optimization the cost related to the process of separation of multicomponents gas mixtures using membrane of hollow fiber. The optimization was made using "Constrained Rosenbrock (Hill Algorithm)", in order to obtain a high quality product with a reduced cost. For the process cost optimization the following data supplied for the program of Caramello (2002) is needed: feeding and permeated pressure, flow tax next to the feeder, purity and recovery. The equation of the cost used consists of: installation cost and operational cost. The total cost consists of the permeation module cost, the membrane substitution cost (assuming it useful life of the membrane to each 3 years), the electricity cost and finally the cost of the compressor installation. One first optimized two parameters: amount of membranes (QM) and pressure of feeding (P / Mestrado / Ciencia e Tecnologia de Materiais / Mestre em Engenharia Química

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