Mohammad Shaiful Alam Amin
PhD Programme: Nanoscience, Materials and Chemical Engineering
Research group: PISET – Process Intensification, Simulation & Environmental Technology
Supervisor: Josep Font Capafons
Bio
Mohammad Amin obtained his bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering and Polymer Science at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology of Sylhet, Bangladesh. Concerning the increasing environmental pollution in Bangladesh triggered his interest in water and wastewater treatment processes, and he did his bachelor dissertation in “Optimum design and optimal operation of activated sludge processes” under one of the ongoing EU projects (INNOWA). In this work, a design procedure has been developed, which would ensure the minimum area (footprint) for an activated sludge plant. Later, he started a master in Membrane Engineering under the umbrella of an Erasmus Mundus scholarship program. The main focus of his master thesis at MTG group (University of Twente, Netherlands), has been the axial development of nanoparticle fouling in hollow fiber microfiltration membranes. Besides this, he has also conducted the semester thesis project on “Behavior of pharmaceuticals in water treatment using membrane filtration processes” (University Toulouse III, France) and “Silver membranes in membrane reactors” (University of Zaragoza, Spain). As he was fascinated about the environmental pollution and remediation, he has been involved in a number of research projects, such as wastewater treatment by membrane processes, microbial fuel cell to convert waste to valuable product, catalyst for reduction of CO2 to fuel etc.
Project: Carbon-Based Membrane Bioreactors for the Anaerobic Decolorization of Dyes
Textile dyeing is the second-largest water polluter, producing one-fifth of worldwide wastewater. Dye-containing effluents can be harmful to both aquatic life and the aquatic ecosystem as a whole. Carbon-based membranes integrated with anaerobic biodegradation have been demonstrated to be as a unique wastewater treatment technique for dye effluents. The carbonaceous layer in compact bioreactor performed as biofilm support, redox mediator, and nano-filter concurrently, thereby increasing the dye decolorization efficiency. In this thesis several flat and tubular carbon-based membranes were synthesized from Matrimid 5218 polyimide and graphene oxide solutions over a UF ceramic flat element. Afterward, it explores the scope of flat and tubular ceramic-supported carbon membrane bioreactors and ceramic-supported graphene oxide membrane bioreactors to decolorize various structurally different azo and non-azo dyes. Regardless of the membrane bioreactor configuration (flat and tubular), initial feed concentration and permeate flux, the results revealed that the conductive surface of the graphene oxide (GO) membrane provides higher color removal of all dye solutions than carbonized membrane. Moreover, the biofilm formed over the membrane during the anaerobic decolorization of azo dyes was analyzed and the predominant microorganisms identified. These findings demonstrate that the combined phenomena in carbon-based bioreactors result in an efficient, cost-effective, and ecofriendly dye decolorization method.
Open Access publications
- Amin, Mohammad S.A.; Stüber, Frank; Giralt, Jaume; Fortuny, Agustin; Fabregat, Azael; Font, José. Comparative Anaerobic Decolorization of Azo Dyes by Carbon-Based Membrane Bioreactor. Water 2021, Volume 13, 8, 1060. View full-text
- Mohammad Shaiful Alam Amin, Frank Stüber, Jaume Giralt, Agustí Fortuny, Azael Fabregat, Josep Font. Ceramic-supported graphene oxide membrane bioreactor for the anaerobic decolorization of azo dyes, Journal of Water Process Engineering 2022, Volume 45, 102499. View full-text
- Amin, M.S.A.; Stüber, F.; Giralt, J.; Fortuny, A.; Fabregat, A.; Font, J. Compact Carbon-Based Membrane Reactors for the Intensified Anaerobic Decolorization of Dye Effluents. Membranes 2022, 12, 174. View full-text
- PHD THESIS: Carbon-Based Membrane Bioreactors for the Anaerobic Decolorization of Dyes.
Outreach activities
- European Researchers’ Night 2020: “Chemistry to understand coronavirus”.
