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University of Arizona · Chemical Engineering
Active 2012–2025
Kerri Hickenbottom is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the University of Arizona. She completed her BS degree in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, and her MS and PhD degrees in environmental science and engineering at the Colorado School of Mines. Her research centers on the development of novel engineered systems for resource recovery and reclamation of concentrate streams. She has investigated the technical, economic, and environmental life cycle impacts of hybrid, membrane-based processes such as pressure retarded osmosis-membrane distillation for energy generation from low-grade heat, forward osmosis for advanced treatment and recovery of drilling wastewater from hydraulic fracturing, and membrane distillation for concentrate stream management. She aims to continue her interdisciplinary research by collaborating with other researchers across campus to address grand environmental challenges.
Desalination · 2025-03-23 · 8 citations
SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01
Tzahi Y. Cath
Andrea Achilli
University of Arizona
Johan Vanneste
Colorado School of Mines
Varinia Felix
University of Arizona
Luke K. Presson
University of Arizona
HER LabPI
Focus on novel membrane processes, resource recovery, and reclamation of waste streams.
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Applied Thermal Engineering · 2025-05-12 · 4 citations
SSRN Electronic Journal · 2025-01-01
npj Clean Water · 2025-08-28 · 5 citations
Pilot testing using feed water sourced from the Yuma Desalting Plant (~2 g/L) (Arizona, USA), an inland brackish water desalination facility, was conducted using either tight Dupont Filmtec Nanofiltration (NF) NF90 membranes or looser NF270 membranes as integrated, pre-treatment, or brine recovery for Reverse Osmosis (RO). The hybrid configurations that include both NF270 and RO membranes exhibited the highest RO water flux, 37– 41 Lm−2 h−1, with over 99% salt rejection. However, the cost was strongly influenced by the volume of brine produced compared to the energy consumption, resulting in the lowest cost in the NF270 brine recovery configuration. Both the pilot study and modeling data indicate that NF270 and RO membrane hybrid configurations are an economically viable treatment for water purification in inland areas where brackish water is a prevalent water source.
The Science of The Total Environment · 2025-09-26 · 1 citations
Comparative life cycle assessment of membrane distillation for inland concentrate management
Journal of Cleaner Production · 2025-05-05 · 6 citations
SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01
Desalination · 2024-03-21 · 17 citations
SSRN Electronic Journal · 2023-01-01
Leslie A. Miller
Colorado School of Mines
Mukta Hardikar
Michael B. Heeley