Abstract
Most factories discharge untreated wastewater to reduce costs, causing serious environmental problems. Low-cost, biological, environmentally friendly and highly effective materials for the separation of emulsified oil/water mixtures are thus in great demand. In this study, a simple, green method was developed for separating oil-in-water emulsions. A corn straw powder (CSP)-nylon 6,6 membrane (CSPNM) was fabricated by a phase inversion process without any further chemical modification. The CSPNM showed superhydrophilic and underwater superoleophobic properties and could be used for the separation of oil-in-water emulsion with high separation efficiency and flux. The CSPNM maintained excellent separation ability after 20 cycles of separation with an oil rejection >99.60%, and the oil rejection and flux have no obvious change with an increasing number of cycles, suggesting a good antifouling property and the structural stability of CSPNM. In addition, the CSPNM exhibited excellent thermal and chemical stability under harsh conditions of high temperature and varying pH.
Highlights
Nowadays, an increasing number of industries discharge oily wastewater without any treatment, threatening human health and the aquatic ecosystem [1,2]
The CSPNM was fabricated via the phase inversion using water as a coagulation bath
During the phase-inversion process, the water will take some of the insecure nylon particles (INP) away from the surface of the CSPNM, as shown in the top of Figure 1b
Summary
An increasing number of industries discharge oily wastewater without any treatment, threatening human health and the aquatic ecosystem [1,2]. Emulsified oil/water mixtures generated from most industrial processes, such as petrochemistry, steel production, metal finishing, textile production, food production, and leather production, have a high percentage of oily wastewater [3]. Traditional technologies such as flotation, coalescers, depth filters, centrifugation, and oil-absorbing materials are efficient technologies for separating oil/water mixtures [4,5,6,7]; these technologies are ineffective for emulsified oil/water mixtures and surfactant-stabilized emulsions, for emulsions with a droplet size of 20 μm [8]. Effective techniques to separate oil/water emulsions in wastewater are in great demand. The biggest limitation of these materials is easy fouling, caused by the pore plugging, directly leading to a quick decline in flux [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
