In-situ revitalizing end-of-life MBR membranes via a curtain-type dynamic membrane process
- Yuxiang Liang
- Yanqing Zhang
- Fangfang Ye
- Huan Feng
- Pingli Li
- Dongqing Zhan
- Chenxuan Lou
- Yangcheng Ding
- Hai Xiang
- Xiang Zhang
- Baojing Gu
- Fang Liu
- Guosheng Shi
- Fengchang Wu
- Huajun Feng
2026-03-25
Membrane bioreactors (MBR), an industrial mainstay with over 15,000 installations worldwide, face severe sustainability challenges from frequent membrane replacement, generating over 500,000 tons of waste annually. Dynamic membranes, a promising alternative, are impeded in large-scale implementation by inherent issues of conventional flat-sheet designs, such as uneven flow distribution and performance instability. Herein, we propose a strategy that directly upcycles end-of-life hollow-fiber MBR membranes as substrates for curtain-type dynamic membranes (CTDMs). The curtain-type substrate layer rapidly forms a biofilm and attains stable effluent quality (turbidity <5 NTU) within 10 minutes. Exposing only 5% of the internal substrate surface for CTDM fabrication restores performance comparable to that of new MBR membranes while meeting discharge standards. Life-cycle assessment reveals a 1,070-fold reduction in carbon emissions (0.0025 vs. 2.67 kg CO 2 m -2 ) and 99.9% lower environmental costs (0.0072 vs. 7.81 USD m -2 ) compared to traditional membrane replacement. Scaling up this approach could mitigate 441 kt of CO 2 in China alone by 2035. This approach concurrently addresses two global crises, accumulating plastic waste from spent membranes and escalating energy costs of water treatment.