The effect of thermal activation for natural zeolite on the performance of ceramic membrane as Pb2+ ion adsorption

Abstract

Zeolites known as molecular filters have the potential to adsorb heavy metals in wastewater, but zeolites in nature have many impurities, so it was activated to remove impurities and increase the effectiveness of zeolite adsorption. This work was conducted to determine the performance of thermally activated ceramic membrane as a heavy metal filter for wastewater. The ceramics made with the wet-mixing method are activated zeolite powder mixed with polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution which is useful as an adhesive as well as a pore-making agent. The fabrication was done of each with a PEG fraction (w/w) of 8.33%; 10.93%; 13.23%; 15.27%; 17.1%; and 18.75%, respectively. The flow test was performed using Pb solution as wastewater with concentration 200 ppm, and it was obtained ceramic permeability between of 1×10−11 thus 6×10−11m2, while UV-Vis spectroscopy was done to obtain the filter performance (C/C0), that is 0.13; 0.20; 0.32; 0.36; 0.45; 0.54. In conclusion zeolite membrane thermally activated can be used as heavy metals filter.