CBE Seminar - Innovative Technologies for Zero Liquid Discharge
Supporting the below United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:支持以下聯合國可持續發展目標：支持以下联合国可持续发展目标：
Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is an emerging brine management strategy that attracts heightened attention. The conventional ZLD process typically consists of four stages: pretreatment, reverse osmosis (RO), brine concentration, and brine crystallizer. Despite its technical maturity, the widespread implementation of ZLD is hindered by its high capital and operational costs. In this talk, we introduce several innovative technologies designed to optimize each stage of the ZLD process. First, we apply dialysis-a medical therapy technology-at the pretreatment stage, demonstrating its ability to effectively remove organic foulants from brines and ensure the stability of downstream processes. Next, we present low-salt-rejection RO (LSRRO) technology, which significantly concentrates brines and reduces the load on the following thermal stages. Additionally, we propose membrane distillation (MD) as a cost-effective method for brine concentration and introduce novel MD membranes as well as operating strategies for enhanced performance. Finally, we introduce fabric distillation (FD) for brine crystallization, which achieves efficient crystallization using low-grade thermal energy. These advancements collectively contribute to reducing the energy and cost burdens associated with ZLD, paving the way for more sustainable wastewater treatment practices.
Dr. Zhangxin Wang is currently a professor at the School of Ecology, Environment, and Resources at Guangdong University of Technology. Prior to joining Guangdong University of Technology, Dr. Wang earned his Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University and completed his postdoctoral training at Yale University. His primary research focuses on membrane-based water/wastewater treatment processes. To date, he has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles in prestigious journals, including Nature Water, Science Advances, Environmental Science & Technology, and Water Research, with more than 5,600 citations. Since 2021, he has been consistently ranked among the top 2% of global scientists by Stanford University. Dr. Wang holds one U.S. invention patent and seven Chinese invention patents, which have been applied in various engineering projects. He serves as an editorial board member for the academic journal Desalination and Water Treatment and is a youth editorial board member for journals such as Fundamental Research and Chemical Engineering Journal Advances.