Halloysite nanotube blended nanocomposite ultrafiltration membranes for reactive dye removal

Pilot scale nanofiltration membrane fabrication containing ionic co-monomers and halloysite nanotubes for textile dye filtration

Wastewater from the textile industry contains high concentrations of pollutants, so the wastewater must be treated before it is discharged. In addition, the reuse of treated wastewater should be considered from an environmental point of view, as large volumes of wastewater are produced. Since textile wastewater mainly contains dyestuffs, it must be treated effectively using environmentally friendly technologies. Membrane processes are widely used in textile wastewater treatment as they have distinct advantages over conventional wastewater treatment methods. This study reports the pilot-scale manufacturing and characterization of three different NF membranes. Three different types of membranes were fabricated. The fabricated membranes were compared through characterization by surface properties, chemical structure and morphology. Membranes were tested for pure water flux. Then the synthetic wastewater (SWW) was tested for flux and rejection. Lastly, the textile wastewater was tested. The textile wastewater flux of pure piperazine (PIP), 60% S-DADPS and 0.04% halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) were 22.42, 79.58 and 40.06 L m^-2 h^-1. It has been proven that the 60% s-DADPS membrane provides up to four times improvement in wastewater flux and simultaneously. In addition, NF membranes produced using HNT and sDADPS on a pilot scale have brought innovation to the literature with the good results obtained.