https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adq6329

https://english.news.cn/20241108/f0ef8ea471804355aa7f16d0747a68af/c.html

A Zhejiang University team has developed an innovative membrane system that can efficiently separate oil and water from complex fluids, a breakthrough with significant implications for environmental protection and resource recovery.

Existing membrane technology struggles with the challenges of concurrently recovering oil and water from surfactant-stabilized mixtures where oil droplets are dispersed in water. The team has designed a novel membrane system called the Janus channel, which consists of a narrow, confined channel flanked by two contrasting membranes that are water-compatible and water-repellent, respectively. As the emulsion flows through this channel, water molecules are passed through a water-compatible membrane under pressure, while oil droplets that collide into larger droplets can be captured and removed by the other membrane.

The system boasts remarkable separation efficiency, recovering around 97 percent of oil and roughly 75 percent of water with a purity above 99 percent, according to the study. The membranes can be utilized for wastewater treatment in the petroleum and metallurgy sectors, as well as for separating emulsified products in the food and biomedical industries.