Comparative study on electro-microfiltration (EMF) of water containing different carbon nanotubes (CNTs)

Disposal and penetration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into the environment have raised increasing concerns over the years. In this study, a laboratory scale electro-microfiltration (EMF) was used to treat water containing single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The goal was to examine and compare the performance during EMF of SWCNT and MWCNT. The results showed that the initial flux was increased as the applied electrical voltage increased. At an applied pressure of 49 kPa, the final flux was comparable to pure water flux when the applied electrical field strength was greater than the critical electrical field strength (Ecritical). In addition, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal efficiency increased as the electrical voltage increased. Due to high convective transport of organic matter toward the membrane at 98 kPa, a decrease in DOC removal efficiency with increasing electrical field strength was observed. Overall, the fluxes and DOC removal efficiencies for EMF of SWCNT and MWCNT were not significantly different with a 95% confidence.