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Calcinable Polymer Membrane with Revivability for Efficient Oily-Water Remediation
Zhigao Zhu1, Wei Wang1, Dianpeng Qi2
1State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090, P. R. China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|June 9, 2018
Summary
A novel calcinable polymer membrane effectively combats fouling in oily-water treatment. Annealing restores the membrane
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Membrane fouling severely limits the long-term efficiency of polymeric membranes in oily-water remediation.
- Existing reclamation methods often result in incomplete pollutant removal or membrane damage, hindering sustainable operation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a calcinable polymer membrane with efficient and complete reclamation capabilities after fouling.
- To investigate the membrane's performance in oil/water separation and its resistance to harsh chemical environments.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of polysulfonamide/polyacrylonitrile fibrous membranes using emulsion electrospinning.
- Hydrothermal decoration with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles to create a bonding structured fibrous membrane.
- Evaluation of membrane properties including thermal stability, acid/alkali resistance, tensile strength, and oil/water separation efficiency.
Main Results:
- The developed membrane exhibits excellent thermal stability (up to 400 °C) and broad chemical resistance (pH 1-13).
- Annealing treatment effectively reclaims chemically fouled membranes, fully restoring original separation performance and mechanical properties.
- Demonstrated high water flux (>3000 L m⁻² h⁻¹) and 99.6% oil rejection for various oil-in-water emulsions in a wastewater separation system.
Conclusions:
- The calcinable polymer membrane offers a sustainable solution to membrane fouling in oily-water treatment.
- The annealing-based reclamation strategy ensures long-term operational stability without performance degradation.
- This membrane fabrication approach holds promise for broader applications in the filtration industry.
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