Carbon nanotubes/carbon fiber hybrid material: a super support material for sludge biofilms

Carbon fiber (CF) is widely used as a sludge biofilm support material for wastewater treatment. Carbon nanotubes/carbon fiber (CNTs/CF) hybrid material was prepared by ultrasonically assisted electrophoretic deposition (EPD). CF supports (CF without handling, CF oxidized by nitric acid, CNTs/CF hybrid material) were evaluated by sludge immobilization tests, bacterial cell adsorption tests and Derjaguin -Landau -Verwey -Overbeek (DLVO) theory. We found that the CNTs/CF hybrid material has a high capacity for adsorbing activated sludge, nitrifying bacterial sludge and pure strains (Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus). CNTs deposited on CF surface easily wound around the curved surface of bacterial cell which resulted in capturing more bacterial cells. DLVO theory indicated the lowest total interaction energy of CNTs/CF hybrid material, which resulted in the highest bacteria cell adsorption velocity. Experiments and DLVO theory results proved that CNTs/CF hybrid material is a super support material for sludge biofilms.