Laminar Structured Cellulose/Graphene Membranes Constructed from Electrostatic Attraction for Efficient Emulsion...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Improperly treated water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions pose environmental risks.
• Membrane separation is an effective technology for W/O emulsion treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel, high-performance hydrophobic oil-water separation membrane.
• To utilize electrostatic attraction between micro-fibrillated cellulose (MFC) and modified graphene oxide (GO) for membrane fabrication.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a composite membrane (CGZP) using positively charged modified GO (GZP) and negatively charged MFC via electrostatic attraction.
• Modification of GO with polyethyleneimine (PEI) and in-situ growth of zinc hydroxide nanoparticles (Zn(OH)2 NPs) to create GZP.
• Characterization of membrane properties including thickness, tensile strength, permeability, and separation efficiency.

Main Results:

• The 150 µm thick CGZP membrane showed a tensile strength of 178 kPa.
• Achieved high separation permeability (5000-18000 L m-2 h-1 bar-1) and efficiency (>99.5%) for various W/O emulsions.
• Demonstrated good recycling stability and effective oil-water purification.

Conclusions:

• The developed CGZP membrane offers an eco-friendly and cost-effective solution for W/O emulsion separation.
• The electrostatic self-assembly strategy provides enhanced mechanical properties and efficient separation.
• The scalable method is suitable for industrial oil-water purification and functional membrane applications.