Hybrid ceramic membrane microfiltration and electrolysis process for Cu-removal from aqueous solutions

Abstract

This study aims to fabricate a low-cost ceramic microfiltration membrane by mixing kaolin 4.2 wt%, silica 5.8 wt%, starch 20 wt%, graphite 30 wt%, and sodium silicate 40 wt%. The produced paste was molded into a cylinder (1.0 cm high, 5 cm diameter) and dried in an oven at 90°C for 1 h, and then sintered in a furnace at 650 °C for 2 h. The characterization of the produced ceramic membrane was performed by X-ray diffraction analysis, Fourier transformed infra-red spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. Furthermore, the contact angle of the membrane surface was measured, thus demonstrating that the surface is hydrophilic. The fabricated ceramic membrane was investigated for its chemical resistance in strongly acidic and alkaline media. The mass loss of membrane in HCl solution at pH = 2 for 200 h was not more than 0.18%, while it was 2% in alkaline NaOH solution (pH = 12). The fabricated ceramic membrane was combined with an electrolysis process for applying as a new hybrid process for copper ions removal from an aqueous solution. The effects of three operating parameters of electric voltage, initial pH, and initial copper concentration on the performance of copper removal percentage were investigated. To investigate the independent effect of the hybrid electrolysis process versus microfiltration, two experiments with and without an electric field were conducted in 100 min. The copper concentration was decreased from 350 to 160 ppm only by applying the microfiltration method, whereas hybrid electrolysis and microfiltration decreased the copper concentration from 350 to 10 ppm. The regeneration of the composite membrane was evaluated in four consecutive cycles. The percentage of copper ions removal after 4 cycles without washing is about 97%. The proposed process is effective and fast for copper ions removal from the solution, with an excellent yield of 97.4%.