1,4-Dioxane removal from water and membrane fouling elimination using CuO-coated ceramic membrane coupled with ozone

1,4-Dioxane is a synthetic cyclic ether traditionally used as a chlorinated solvent stabilizer. It is a small molecule and recalcitrant compound that is difficult to remove by conventional processes and in this regard, there is a need for the development of new technologies. In this study, an innovative CuO-coated ceramic membrane (CM) reactor system that can be used to oxidize 1,4-dioxane dissolved in surface water by catalytic ozonation was developed. The effect of the thickness of the CuO deposited on the ceramic membrane surface on the permeability, fouling resistance, 1,4-dioxane removal, and toxicity was evaluated. The efficiency of the hybrid ozonation coupled to the use of a CuO-coated CM in 1,4-dioxane removal and the antifouling properties were assessed from TOC and 1,4-dioxane removal kinetics data. Reusability in four cycles was also tested. The performance of the CuO-coated CM remained stable during the four cycles of the reusability test. The ceramic membrane coated with CuO particles coupled with ozonation is appropriate for 1,4-dioxane degradation in the aqueous phase (45% efficiency, rate constant increased by a factor of 2.98 compared with the uncoated-hybrid process) and fouling removal (60 min to recovery the permeate flux).