Cement-Based Membrane Texturing for Produced Water Oil Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing membrane technologies are inadequate for efficiently and sustainably treating large volumes of produced water from oil production, which contain contaminants like silt, emulsified oil, and grease, while also being manufacturable at scale.
Innovation Solution
A hierarchically textured cement-based membrane with orthogonal wettability, featuring in situ ettringite needles and embedded solid structures, provides high flux rates and efficient separation of silt and oil, achieving 99.7% efficiency with oil concentration reduced to 1 ppb.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional membrane technologies are used for produced water treatment, then membrane manufacturing and deployment is simplified, but separation efficiency and handling capacity for large volumes of produced water are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The membrane surface is engineered with localized hierarchical texturation featuring ettringite needles and embedded solid structures that create specific wettability patterns. The nanoscale and microscale textures are concentrated at the surface layer to provide superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic properties, while the bulk membrane maintains structural integrity for high flux rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The membrane combines cement-based matrix with embedded solid impermeable structures (such as glass spheres, cubes, or other geometric shapes) to create a composite material system. This composite structure provides both the mechanical resilience needed for high flux operation and the surface texturation required for efficient oil-water separation.
2Ease of manufacture
If membrane structure is simplified for easier manufacture, then manufacturing scalability is improved, but mechanical resilience and performance retention across multiple cycles deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The ettringite needles form in situ during the cement hydration process without requiring additional manufacturing steps. The hierarchical texturation and wettability properties are self-generated through the chemical reactions and embedding of solid structures during standard cement-based membrane fabrication, enabling scale-up without complex processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The solid impermeable structures are embedded in the cement matrix during the initial mixing and casting stages. The hierarchical texturation is pre-formed through the in situ formation of ettringite needles and the arrangement of embedded structures, so that the membrane achieves its functional properties before deployment and maintains them across multiple operational cycles.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The membrane achieves outstanding mechanical resilience and maintains performance across multiple cycles, effectively reducing turbidity and oil concentration in produced water, making it suitable for agricultural reuse and enhanced oil recovery.
Implementation Method 1
hierarchically textured cement-based membrane exhibiting orthogonal wettability, specifically, superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic characteristics
Implementation Method 2
superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic characteristics
Implementation Method 3
superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic characteristics
Implementation Method 4
separation of silt and oil from produced water at high flux rates
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed invention provides a hierarchically textured cement-based membrane exhibiting orthogonal wettability, specifically, superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic characteristics. In one embodiment, in situ formation of ettringite needles accompanied by embedding of solid impermeable structures such as cubes, cuboids, prisms, pyramids, platonic solids, torus, cone, cylinder, spheres or mixtures thereof, such as glass spheres, imbues micron- and nanoscale texturation to mesh membranes, such as stainless steel mesh membranes and provides for the separation of silt and oil from produced water at high flux rates (1600 L/h·m2). Oil concentration can be reduced as low as 1 ppb with an overall separation efficiency of 99.7% in single-pass filtration.