Polysulfone/MMT Mixed Matrix Membranes for Hexavalent Chromium Removal from Wastewater
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RESEARCH ARTICLE-CHEMICAL ENGINEERING
Polysulfone/MMT Mixed Matrix Membranes for Hexavalent Chromium Removal from Wastewater Lovey Jacob1 · Shiny Joseph1 · Lity Alen Varghese1 Received: 6 January 2020 / Accepted: 12 June 2020 © King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals 2020
Abstract Polysulfone (psf)/nanoclay mixed matrix ultrafiltration membranes with N-methyl pyrrolidone as a solvent and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as porogen were prepared using phase inversion techniques. Unlike the other nanocomposites membranes prepared using nanoclays, the present work deals with the incorporation of montmorillonite clay (MMT) and MMT modified with methyl dihydroxy ethyl hydrogenated tallow ammonium (mMMT) to psf matrix as nanoparticle to improve the performance of the membrane. The amount of PVP is optimised by analysing porosity and equilibrium water content. The thermal, chemical and morphological characterisation is carried out using X-ray diffractometer, thermal gravimetric analyser, FTIR and scanning electron microscopy. From the studies, it is found that membrane with 0.6% PVP has higher porosity with a lower contact angle. The water flux and chromium (VI) ion rejection were studied using a crossflow filtration unit. The MMT and mMMT concentration was varied from 1 to 5% and found that polymer nanocomposite membrane (psf/mMMT) with 3% mMMT is having higher rejection and flux. Antifouling performance of the pristine membrane, psf/ MMT and psf/mMMT membrane was conducted using bovine serum albumin as organic foulant. The flux recovery ratio of psf/mMMT membrane with 3% mMMT increased to 83%, which is higher than the pristine polysulfone membrane, and the total fouling is reduced to 39%. Keywords Polymer nanocomposite · Chromium (VI) removal · Nanoclay · Membrane separation · Wastewater treatment
1 Introduction One of the major environmental issues is the pollution caused by the discharge of wastewater containing heavy metals from the industries. Although the presence of heavy metals, such as Cr, Cd, Hg, Zn and Pb, in the water bodies is toxic to all living organisms, due to extensive usage of Cr(VI) in diverse industrial applications, current research and development are focused on the removal of toxic Cr(VI). Among the industrial effluents, leather industries produce tannery effluents which are graded as the highest pollutants which contain toxic chromium VI ions along with organic foulants [1, 2]. Different techniques such as precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption and solvent extraction membrane separation process are used for the removal of Cr(VI). Nowadays, due to lower capital cost and energy consumption * Lovey Jacob [email protected] 1
Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala 673601, India
membrane separation is used for Cr(VI) ion removal from wastewater [3]. Different polymers such as polyphenylene sulfone [4], polysulfone [3] and polyethersulfone [5] can be used for the membrane preparation due to their high mechanical property and thermal st
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