Multifunctional cellulose paper-based materials and their application in complex wastewater treatment

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Green Chemistry

Background:

• Complex wastewater treatment requires efficient and sustainable methods.
• Existing materials often struggle with oil-water separation and heavy metal removal.
• Developing cost-effective, high-performance materials is crucial for environmental remediation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop green paper-based materials for efficient wastewater treatment.
• To enhance oil-water separation and heavy metal ion adsorption capabilities.
• To ensure material stability across a wide pH range.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of paper-based materials using polyethyleneimine and citric acid for covalent crosslinking.
• Introduction of amphoteric functional groups for heavy metal adsorption.
• Evaluation of wet strength, oil-water separation, underwater superoleophobicity, and heavy metal adsorption capacity.

Main Results:

• Materials demonstrated high wet strength (up to 26.0 Nm/g) and porosity.
• Achieved membrane flux up to 3515 L/(m²·h) with >98% separation efficiencies.
• High theoretical maximum adsorption capacities for Cd(II) (73.29 mg/g) and Pb(II) (93.75 mg/g).
• Maintained stable underwater superoleophobic properties across a wide pH range.

Conclusions:

• The developed green paper-based materials are effective for complex wastewater treatment.
• The materials offer a sustainable and cost-effective solution for removing oil and heavy metals.
• Integration with filtration technology enables continuous and efficient water purification.