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Clean water resources are dwindling due to the rapid development of industrialization, population growth and long-term drought has become an issue worldwide. With this growing demand, various practical strategies and solutions have been adopted to yield more viable water resources. Over the last decades, a great deal of interest has been focused on the membrane and photocatalytic process of organic compounds present in water and wastewaters by using a catalyst in the form of nanoparticles or nanofibers. The paper presents an overview of the photocatalytic process and the application of using nanofibers in the process. Different modifications of photocatalyst are described. Advantages of the nanofiber application for photocatalytic process are discussed. Moreover a short introduction of producing the nanofibers using an electrospinning process is given.

This article is about the reuse of waste corrugated, blended with coir fibers and used as a packaging material in the form of papers. It started from explaining about the motivation of using coir as the reinforced fiber for waste corrugated. Several researchers have started their initial experiments with different composition, analysis, properties and formulation in utilizing coir as packaging material. Then, this article describes the procedure of paper making by using the waste corrugated with coir fiber. Trial formulation was performed to find the correct mixing component from these two materials. Subsequently, the mechanical test associated with packaging material illustrated in the process flow, followed by treatment required and the properties obtained from this blend. Common mechanical properties of papers generally measured through tensile and tear strength, controlled by beating time. The orientation of fibers and colors based on coir fiber/waste corrugated percentage was also being discussed. The findings were clarified by providing significant composition of waste corrugated/coir fiber that could be utilized according to its function and economical factor as paper. Finally, a further research that might be useful to mark coir/wasted corrugated paper as a commercially viable packaging material had been stated at the end of this article.

No abstract is provided for this article.

Self-supporting polymeric hollow fiber membranes prepared using non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) often suffer deterioration in mechanical properties due to asymmetric fingerlike and spongelike morphology giving a porous and fragile structure. Hollow braided fibers of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) have been used as substrate to increase the strength of hollow fiber membranes. However, problems arise from poor interfacial bonding between the braid and coating polymer resulting in peeling off or delamination at the interface. In this work, we report a method of braid treatment and selection with two alkali treatment steps (NaOH and KOH) to study their effect on pure water flux, water contact angle, tensile strength as well as braid morphology of three different braid samples (B1, B2 and B3). B2 sample treated in KOH demonstrated the highest water flux of 1388 L/m2h. Examination of surface morphology of the braids revealed a washing effect and enlargement of braid interspaces making them more porous and hence increased permeability, with a contact angle of 0° with water. The sample also exhibited zero weight loss as well as a remarkable tolerance for high temperature with negligible reduction in tensile strength of only about 0.9%. Membrane fabricated with B2-K was demonstrated to have better adhesion between polymer-braid interface in comparison to the control. The pre-treatment step provides a good braid selection basis for onward membrane development with KOH showing the most favorable outcome without losing braid quality.

Airborne Microplastics (MPs), an emerging environmental issue, have gained recent attention due to their newfound presence in indoor environments. Utilizing the Web of Science database for literature collection, the paper presents a comprehensive review of airborne MPs including emission sources, assessment methods, exposure risks, and mitigation strategies. This review delves into the diverse sources and mechanisms influencing indoor airborne MP pollution, underscoring the complex interplay between human activities, ventilation systems, and the characteristics of indoor environments. Major sources include the abrasion of synthetic textiles and the deterioration of flooring materials, with factors like carpeting, airflow, and ventilation significantly impacting MP levels. Human activities, such as increased movement in indoor spaces and the intensive use of plastic-based personal protective equipment (PPE) post-pandemic, notably elevate indoor MP concentrations. The potential health impacts of airborne MPs are increasingly concerning, with evidence suggesting their role in respiratory, immune, and nervous system diseases. Despite this, there is a scarcity of information on MPs in diverse indoor environments and the inhalation risks associated with the frequent use of PPE. This review also stresses the importance of developing effective strategies to reduce MP emissions, such as employing HEPA-filtered vacuums, minimizing the use of synthetic textiles, and enhancing indoor ventilation. Several future research directions were proposed, including detailed temporal analyses of indoor MP levels, interactions of MP with other atmospheric pollutants, the transport dynamics of inhalable MPs (≤10 μm), and comprehensive human exposure risk assessments.

Water purification from various sources is crucial in mitigating global water shortage and ensuring universal access to clean and safe drinking water. Incorporation of nanoparticles, such as titania (TiO2) or zirconia (ZrO2) into/onto ceramic membranes (nanocomposite ceramic membranes) is a promising modified version of conventional ceramic membranes and has emerged as a highly viable solution for enhancing water purification processes due to their outstanding properties in improving membrane properties compared to conventional ceramic membranes. However, nanocomposite ceramic membranes encounter significant obstacles, including poor dispersion of nanoparticles within the membrane matrix, the potential for nanoparticle leaching during the purification process, and the accumulation of fouling agents. Despite the limited number of reviews on nanocomposite ceramic membranes in water purification applications, the uniqueness of this review is addressing these limitations and examines recent technical solutions, developments, and strategies to overcome these challenges and enhance their performance. By effectively addressing these limitations through improved nanoparticle dispersion and attachment in the membrane matrix and enhanced fouling resistance properties, cutting-edge strategies can be developed to optimize nanocomposite ceramic membranes and significantly improve their performance across various water purification applications. This review also discusses the research outlook of incorporating nanomaterials with ceramic membranes, modification techniques and the effect of nanomaterials on ceramic membrane properties. Although recent advancements in nanocomposite ceramic membranes for water purification, significant limitations persist. Therefore, this review also highlights the future research direction to enhance the properties and performance of nanocomposite ceramic membranes in water purification applications.

Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) system has tremendous potential to be developed as energy converters due to the simplicity and low temperature of its operation. However, the weaknesses of commercial polymer electrolyte membrane of the cell, perfluorinated ionomer (PFI) membrane, such as methanol crossover, limited operating temperature, susceptibility to osmotic swelling and high costs are among the factors hindering the commercialization of DMFC. This paper reviews a number of studies that have been recently performed in order to overcome the weaknesses. This review has classified the membrane development into three different branches, namely the modification of PFI membranes, the development of other fluoropolymer membranes, and the development of non-fluorinated polymers membranes.

No abstract is provided for this article.

A silane coupling agent is an organosilicon compound with special structure possessing organic functional groups and hydrolysable groups. In this study, a superhydrophobic-superoleophilic nano-silica film on ceramic membrane was constructed by a modified Stöber technique by using tetraethoxy-silane (TEOS) and fluoroalkyl silane (FAS). The colloidal nano-silica based silane sol coating solution was synthesized via co-hydrolysis and co-condensation of TEOS and FAS. Particle size distribution of the colloidal nano-silica based silane sol was evaluated using particle size analyzer as depicted. The contents of the relative elements of the colloidal nano-silica based silane sol were examined using energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectra. Extent of superhydrophobicity-superoleophilicity was determined using the contact angle measurements. The surface wettability of superhydrophobicity-superoleophilicity was determined using the contact angle measurements. Also, the effects of grafting times and coating cycles on the wettability of the modified kaolin-based hollow fiber membrane were determined. The results revealed that the modified kaolin-based hollow fiber membrane exhibited oil contact of 0o and water contact angle of 160o and, demonstrating its considerable antiwetting applications like in oil-water filtration process. While, with an increase in grafting times and coating cycles, the wettability of the superhydrophobic-superoleophilic nano-silica film was enhanced due to increase in surface roughness provided by the hydrolysable groups on the surface of the ceramic membrane. In conclusion, this study presents a feasible route to the surface superhydrophobicity-superoleophilicity testing of ceramic membranes

To date, the stability of the dual layer hollow fiber (DLHF) membranes at the heart of a photocatalytic membrane reactor has not been extensively studied. The lifespan of membranes should be evaluated in order to implement this technology for long-term operation. In this paper, the stability of titanium dioxide/polyvinylidene flouride (TiO2/PVDF) DLHF membranes was evaluated by irradiating DLHFs for 30 days with a UV lamp in a photocatalytic membrane reactor, where the degradation of nonylphenol in the aqueous solution was taking place. In order to know the effect of TiO2 loading, DLHFs of three different ratios (0, 0.2, and 1) were spun using a triple orifice spinneret. The results revealed that the degree of degradation increased with increasing exposure time. A cracked layer of white color formed at the outer surface and as a result, the surface roughness of irradiated membranes increased. The tensile strength of irradiated membranes was in the order of TiO2/PVDF ratios 0.0 > 0.2>1.0, indicating that TiO2 nanoparticles enhanced the stability of the DLHF membranes, by reducing embrittlement. Overall, the findings of this work led us to the conclusion that UV irradiation has some effect on the stability of the TiO2/PVDF membrane within 30 days' exposure.