@article{ef5588c315a24472b54ee9727fdd3c4e,
title = "Molecular thermodynamics for scaling prediction: Case of membrane distillation",
abstract = "Membrane distillation (MD) for water treatment is significantly impaired by the scaling of dissolved minerals. The type and content of minerals generally measured as total dissolved solids (TDS) in hypersaline brines not only reduce the MD flux but also control the scaling behavior on the membrane surface. The scaling-induced pore blockage further reduces water flux and eventually leads to membrane wetting. The scaling problem is even more pronounced in the treatment of produced water (PW) as it contains 3–7 times higher TDS concentrations, compared to seawater. Theoretically, the necessary conditions for a salt to precipitate can be traced from its solubility product constant and activity of the constituents within the solution. Therefore, a comprehensive thermodynamic model is necessary to represent the electrolyte behavior and to predict the precipitation of different salts in a complex solution like PW. We pursued electrolyte Nonrandom Two Liquid Theory (eNRTL), a state-of-the-art electrolyte model, to address the PW fluid phase equilibria. With a fully parameterized eNRTL model, we predicted salt precipitations in two different PW samples and compared the results against the experimental findings. Furthermore, we forecast the precipitation of salts in response to the change in PW concentration and temperature in the MD operation.",
keywords = "Membrane Distillation, Phase Equilibria, Produced Water, Scaling, Thermodynamics, eNRTL",
author = "Islam, {Md Rashedul} and Hsieh, {I. Min} and Bosong Lin and Thakur, {Amit K.} and Chen, {Chau Chyun} and Mahdi Malmali",
note = "Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the RAPID Manufacturing Institute, a public-private partnership between the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) of the US Department of Energy and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) under the subaward DE-EE0007888-08-08. C.-C.C. gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Jack Maddox Distinguished Engineering Chair Professorship in Sustainable Energy, sponsored by the J.F Maddox Foundation. This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Funding Information: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the RAPID Manufacturing Institute, a public-private partnership between the Advanced Manufacturing Office (AMO) of the US Department of Energy and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) under the subaward DE-EE0007888-08-08. C.-C.C. gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Jack Maddox Distinguished Engineering Chair Professorship in Sustainable Energy, sponsored by the J.F Maddox Foundation. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier B.V.",
year = "2021",
month = dec,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1016/j.seppur.2021.119231",
language = "English",
volume = "276",
journal = "Separation and Purification Technology",
issn = "1383-5866",
}