Electrospining Machine: Prof. Hongyang Ma, Beijing University of Chemical Technology: Highly permeable Electrospun Nanofbers polyamide membranes for multi-component wastewater treatment

Background

Multi-component wastewaters containing a variety of organic toxins, such as dyes and inorganic particles, cause serious environmental problems. Conventional chemical and physical processes are limited by purification efficiency, secondary contamination and cost-effectiveness. Therefore, innovative approaches are necessary to solve the above problems. In view of this, Prof. Hongyang Ma's team at Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCC) used multi-nozzle electrospinning to prepare ultrafine Electrospun Nanofbers microfiltration membranes for multi-component wastewater treatment. The research is entitled “Highly permeable nanofibrous polyamide membranes for multi-component wastewater treatment: Exploration of multiple separation mechanism”. The research was published in the Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering under the title of “Highly permeable nanofibrous polyamide membranes for multi-component wastewater treatment: Exploration of multiple separation mechanism”.

The main point of this paper

1. Ultrafine Electrospun Nanofbers Microfiltration Membrane (MFM) was prepared by multi nozzle electrospinning using Polyamide 66 (PA-66) as the material for simultaneous removal of 0.2 μm nanoparticles and dyes from wastewater through filtration and dynamic adsorption properties, in an attempt to establish a one-step filtration system for the simultaneous removal of dyes and nanoparticles.

2. The fiber diameter and surface morphology of Nanofiber Membrane varied with the concentration of polyamide solution, in which the ultrafine Nanofiber Membrane showed the best mechanical properties at a specific concentration of PA-66 (11 wt%).

3. The adsorption performance of Nanofiber Membrane for anionic dyes (e.g., methyl ethyl yellow) and cationic dyes (e.g., xanthohumol) was 133.3 and 204.5 mg/g, respectively.The membrane also showed selective filtration of nanoparticles with a retention rate of nearly 100%.

This study proposed a multiple separation mechanism based on electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding interactions, hydrophobic interactions and depth filtration

What are the advantages of Nanofiber Membrane for wastewater treatment?

1. High specific surface area provides more adsorption sites to remove increased metal ions, dyes and organics from water.

2. Adjustable pore size allows for selective filtration of nanoparticles in water.

3. Increased porosity within the Nanofiber Membrane provides high separation efficiency and low pressure drop, reducing energy consumption in the separation process.

4. Easy to recycle, Nanofiber Membrane does not require further filtration for removal, making the recycling process simpler and increasing reusability.

These advantages make Nanofiber Membrane a sustainable and effective method for wastewater treatment.

Originallink: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2024.111894