PVDF/Fe2O3 mixed matrix membrane for oily wastewater treatment

Abstract

Oily wastewater has been recognized as one of the most concerned environmental pollutions that come from a variety of sources. The increasing of these uncontrollable oily wastewater discharges consequently leads to environmental problems. The current barrier in this situation is when dealing with finely emulsified oily wastewater streams with small droplet size (< 20 μm in diameter). To tackle this issue, it is found that the utilization of the membrane technology is most effective due to its highly effective separation process and simplicity. Nevertheless, traditional filtration membranes are mostly afflicted with low flux and rejection rate as a consequence of easy fouling caused by the plugging of oil and surfactant. Thus, the wettability and antifouling properties of the membrane play an important role in dealing with this issue. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance and operation of the membrane when treating oily wastewater. PVDF was chosen as the host polymer based on its outstanding properties and 0.2 wt% of Fe2O3 loading was utilized to enhance the hydrophilicity of the membrane. The effects of mixed matrix membrane (MMM) and neat poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membrane relating to their differences in the SEM images, water flux and oil rejection were studied. The presence of additive in the polymeric composition has helped to achieve 40% higher flux increment with an oil removal efficacy of ~97 %, as compared to the unmodified PVDF membrane.