Advance Treatment Technologies
Focus: Innovative processes for PW treatment (membranes, photocatalysis, thermal, biological, etc.)
Chen, L., Xu, P., Zhang, Y., Betts, D., Ghurye, G.L., Wang, H.
“This study developed innovative membrane distillation with nanoparticles to enable effective treatment of produced water (PW) from the Permian Basin with salinity of ∼118 g/L. Au-TiO2 coating on ceramic membranes improved the distillate flux and rejected >99.9% of salts and >96% of dissolved organic carbon. Targeted analysis of three groups of petroleum hydrocarbons and 70 volatile organic compounds showed that only 2-butanone and acetone were detected in the distillates with removal efficiencies of 70-80%.”
Chen, L., Xu, P., Zhang, Y., Betts, D., Ghurye, G.L., Wang, H. (2024). Au-TiO2 nanoparticles enabled catalytic treatment of oil and gas produced water in slurry and vacuum membrane distillation systems, Journal of Water Process Engineering 65, 105745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.105745
Non-targeted analysis and toxicity prediction for evaluation of photocatalytic membrane distillation removing organic contaminants from hypersaline oil and gas field-produced water
Delanka-Pedige, H.M.K., Young, R.B., Abutokaikah, M.T., Chen, L., Wang, H., Imihamillage, K.A.B.I., Thimons, S., Jahne, M.A., Williams, A.J., Zhang, Y., and Xu, P.
This study evaluated a novel photocatalytic membrane distillation (PMD) process, with and without a UV light source, against a standard vacuum membrane distillation (VMD) process for treating the Permian Basin produced water, utilizing targeted analyses and a non-targeted chemical identification workflow coupled with toxicity predictions. Non-targeted analysis together with toxicity prediction provides a competent supportive tool to assess treatment efficiency and potential impacts on public health and the environment during PW reuse.
Delanka-Pedige, H.M.K., Young, R.B., Abutokaikah, M.T., Chen, L., Wang, H., Imihamillage, K.A.B.I., Thimons, S., Jahne, M.A., Williams, A.J., Zhang, Y., and Xu, P. (2024). Non-targeted Analysis and Toxicity Prediction for Evaluation of Photocatalytic Membrane Distillation Removing Organic Contaminants from Hypersaline Oil and Gas Field-Produced Water. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 471, 134436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134436
Multifunctional photocatalytic membrane distillation for treatment of hypersaline produced water using hydrophobically modified tubular ceramic membranes.
“The novel photocatalytic membrane distillation (PMD) concept provides a promising technology for hypersaline PW treatment, and TiO2 coating significantly reduced membrane fouling and scaling, improved distillate quality, and maintained stable permeate flux. The photocatalyst activation by ultraviolet-light emitting diodes (UV-LED) light further increased the permeate flux and enhanced the total organic carbon removal from 82.0% (without UV-LED) to 89.7% (with UV-LED). UV-LED irradiation did not affect ammonia and metals removal in PMD, reaching 99.4% and > 99.99% removal, respectively.”
Chen, L., Xu, P., Musale, D.A., Zhang, Y., R Asfan, Galdeano, C., Ghurye, G.L., and Wang, H. (2023). Multifunctional photocatalytic membrane distillation for treatment of hypersaline produced water using hydrophobically modified tubular ceramic membranes. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering 11 (6), 111538. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2023.111538
Photocatalytic membrane reactors for produced water treatment and reuse: fundamentals, affecting factors, rational design, and evaluation metrics.
Chen, L., Wang, H., Xu, P.
“In this study, the potential of photocatalytic membrane reactors (PMR) to treat produced water (PW) was evaluated. The mechanisms of photocatalysis and membrane processes in a PMR, factors affecting PMR performance, rational design, and evaluation metrics for PW treatment were critically reviewed.”
Chen, L., Wang, H., Xu, P. (2022). Photocatalytic membrane reactors for produced water treatment and reuse: fundamentals, affecting factors, rational design, and evaluation metrics. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 127493. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389421024614
Solar distillation of highly saline produced water using low-cost and high-performance carbon black and airlaid paper-based evaporator (CAPER).
Chen, L., Xu, P., Kota, K., Kuravi, S., Wang, H.
“This research introduces a solar-driven carbon black and airlaid paper-based evaporator (CAPER) for desalination of produced water in the Permian Basin, New Mexico. CAPER is low cost, robust, and has the capability of achieving higher removals of salts, heavy metals, Ca, Na, Mg, Mn, Ni, Se, Sr, and V.”
Chen, L., Xu, P., Kota, K., Kuravi, S., Wang, H. (2021). Solar distillation of highly saline produced water using low-cost and high-performance carbon black and airlaid paper-based evaporator (CAPER). Chemosphere, 269, 129372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129372
Biomineralization of hypersaline produced water using microbially induced calcite precipitation.
Hu, L., Wang, H., Xu, P. and Zhang, Y.
“This study demonstrates the ability of the microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) technique that utilizes ureolytic bacteria, to remove Ca2+ and toxic contaminants from high salinity produce water for the first time.”
Hu, L., Wang, H., Xu, P. and Zhang, Y. (2021) Biomineralization of hypersaline produced water using microbially induced calcite precipitation. Water Research, 190, 116753. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2020.116753
Interplay of the Factors Affecting Water Flux and Salt Rejection in Membrane Distillation: A State-of-the-Art Critical Review.
Chen, L., Xu, P., Wang, H.
“This review paper deeply examines the effects of membrane characteristics, feed solution composition, and operating conditions on water flux, mass transport, heat transfer and salt rejection in membrane distillation process.”
Chen, L., Xu, P., Wang, H. (2020) Interplay of the Factors Affecting Water Flux and Salt Rejection in Membrane Distillation: A State-of-the-Art Critical Review. Water 2020, 12(10), 2841; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12102841
Treatment of Produced Water with Photocatalysis: Recent Advances, Affecting Factors and Future Research Prospects.
Lu Lin, Wenbing Jiang, Lin Chen, Pei Xu and Huiyao Wang
“This review paper investigated the applicability of photocatalysis-based treatment for produced water (PW) treatment. Factors affecting decontamination, strategies to improve photocatalysis efficiency, recent developments, and future research prospects on photocatalysis-derived systems for PW treatment are discussed here in detail.”
Lu Lin, Wenbing Jiang, Lin Chen, Pei Xu and Huiyao Wang (2020). Treatment of Produced Water with Photocatalysis: Recent Advances, Affecting Factors and Future Research Prospects. Catalysts, 10(8), 924. https://doi.org/10.3390/catal10080924
Treatment of Produced Water in the Permian Basin for Hydraulic Fracturing: Comparison of Different Coagulation Processes and Innovative Filter Media.
Alfredo Zendejas Rodriguez, Huiyao Wang, Lei Hu, Yanyan Zhang, and Pei Xu
“In this research, chemical coagulation [using FeCl3 and Al2(SO4)3] was compared with electrocoagulation (using aluminum electrodes) for their suitability in removing suspended contaminants from produced water for reuse in hydraulic fracturing. The feasibility of several filter media was also studied for refining effluent of the coagulation”
Alfredo Zendejas Rodriguez, Huiyao Wang, Lei Hu, Yanyan Zhang, and Pei Xu. (2020). Treatment of Produced Water in the Permian Basin for Hydraulic Fracturing: Comparison of Different Coagulation Processes and Innovative Filter Media. Water, 12(3), 770. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12030770