| Title |
Superhydrophilic Functionalization of Microfiltration Ceramic Membranes Enables Separation of Hydrocarbons from Frac and Produced Water
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Scientific Reports, September 2017
|
| DOI | 10.1038/s41598-017-12499-w |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
Samuel J. Maguire-Boyle, Joseph E. Huseman, Thomas J. Ainscough, Darren L. Oatley-Radcliffe, Abdullah A. Alabdulkarem, Sattam Fahad Al-Mojil, Andrew R. Barron |
| Abstract |
The environmental impact of shale oil and gas production by hydraulic fracturing (fracking) is of increasing concern. The biggest potential source of environmental contamination is flowback and produced water, which is highly contaminated with hydrocarbons, bacteria and particulates, meaning that traditional membranes are readily fouled. We show the chemical functionalisation of alumina ceramic microfiltration membranes (0.22 μm pore size) with cysteic acid creates a superhydrophilic surface, allowing for separation of hydrocarbons from frac and produced waters without fouling. The single pass rejection coefficients was >90% for all samples. The separation of hydrocarbons from water when the former have hydrodynamic diameters smaller than the pore size of the membrane is due to the zwitter ionically charged superhydrophilic pore surface. Membrane fouling is essentially eliminated, while a specific flux is obtained at a lower pressure (<2 bar) than that required achieving the same flux for the untreated membrane (4-8 bar). |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 7 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 5 | 71% |
| Italy | 1 | 14% |
| Unknown | 1 | 14% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Scientists | 5 | 71% |
| Members of the public | 2 | 29% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 59 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown | 59 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 11 | 19% |
| Student > Master | 7 | 12% |
| Student > Bachelor | 6 | 10% |
| Researcher | 5 | 8% |
| Student > Postgraduate | 4 | 7% |
| Other | 14 | 24% |
| Unknown | 12 | 20% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 10 | 17% |
| Chemical Engineering | 9 | 15% |
| Environmental Science | 8 | 14% |
| Chemistry | 6 | 10% |
| Materials Science | 3 | 5% |
| Other | 5 | 8% |
| Unknown | 18 | 31% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 135. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 05 May 2022.
All research outputs
#259,913
of 23,003,906 outputs
Outputs from Scientific Reports
#2,997
of 124,216 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#6,115
of 320,342 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Scientific Reports
#129
of 5,499 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 23,003,906 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 98th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 124,216 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 18.2. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 97% of its peers.
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We're also able to compare this research output to 5,499 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 97% of its contemporaries.