Micellar Enhanced Ultrafiltration (MEUF) and Activated Carbon Fiber (ACF) Hybrid Processes for the Removal of Cadmium from an Aqueous Solution

Abstract

Micellar enhanced ultrafiltration (MEUF) was used to remove cadmium from an aqueous solution using sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) as a surfactant. Operational parameters such as initial permeate flux, retentate pressure, initial cadmium concentration, pH solution, molecular weight cut-off (MWCO), and molar ratio of cadmium to SDS were investigated. Removal efficiency of cadmium from an aqueous solution increased with an increase of retentate pressure, pH solution and molar ratio of cadmium to SDS, and decreased with an increase of initial permeate flux. Higher removal efficiency of cadmium from the aqueous solution was achieved using lower MWCO (smaller membrane pore size). Under optimized experimental condition, cadmium removal efficiency reached 74.6 % within an hour. Using MEUF-ACF hybrid process the removal efficiency of both cadmium and SDS was found to be over 90%.