Rice Husk-Derived Silicon Carbide Mixed-Matrix Membranes for Enhanced Oil-Water Emulsion Separation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Oil-water separation is crucial for environmental protection and resource recovery.
• Conventional membranes face challenges like fouling and limited efficiency.
• Developing sustainable and high-performance membranes is an ongoing research priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate a silicon carbide (SiC) mixed-matrix membrane for oil-water separation using rice husk ash (RHA).
• To optimize membrane composition and operational parameters for enhanced oil rejection.
• To evaluate the performance of the developed SiC membrane against conventional membranes.

Main Methods:

• Silicon carbide (SiC) synthesized from rice husk ash (RHA) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).
• Incorporation of SiC into a mixed matrix membrane with polysulfone (PSF) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) supports.
• Characterization using SEM-EDX, XPS, TGA, and Raman spectroscopy.
• Performance testing in a dead-end filtration setup under varying pressures and oil concentrations.

Main Results:

• The SiC mixed-matrix membrane demonstrated excellent oil-water separation capabilities.
• Achieved up to 96% oil rejection at 500 mg L⁻¹ oil concentration and 2 bar pressure.
• The membrane exhibited a low contact angle of 36°, indicating good hydrophilicity.
• Performance surpassed that of conventional commercial SiC-based mixed matrix membranes.

Conclusions:

• A cost-effective and sustainable SiC mixed-matrix membrane was successfully fabricated from agricultural waste (RHA).
• The developed membrane shows high efficiency and potential for industrial applications in oil-water separation.
• This study highlights the viability of utilizing waste materials for advanced membrane fabrication.