Elaboration of new ceramic microfiltration membranes from mineral coal fly ash applied to waste water treatment

• Published in: Journal of hazardous materials 2009-12, Vol.172 (1), p.152-158
• Main Authors: Jedidi, Ilyes, Saïdi, Sami, Khemakhem, Sabeur, Larbot, André, Elloumi-Ammar, Najwa, Fourati, Amine, Charfi, Aboulhassan, Salah, Abdelhamid Ben, Amar, Raja Ben
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Carbon - chemistry; Ceramic microfiltration membrane; Ceramics; Chemical engineering; Chemical Sciences; Coal; Coal Ash; Coal mines; Dying effluents; Equipment Design; Exact sciences and technology; Filtration; Flux; Fly ash; General purification processes; Materials Testing; Membrane separation (reverse osmosis, dialysis...); Membranes; Membranes, Artificial; Microfiltration; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning - methods; Mineral coal fly ash; Minerals; Particulate Matter - chemistry; Permeability; Pollution; Polyvinyl Alcohol - chemistry; Polyvinyl alcohols; Porosity; Sintering, pelletization, granulation; Slip-casting process; Solid-solid systems; Temperature; Time Factors; Waste Disposal, Fluid - methods; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Water Pollutants, Chemical - isolation & purification; Water Purification - methods; Water treatment and pollution
• ISSN: 0304-3894; 1873-3336
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2009.06.151

This work aims to develop a new mineral porous tubular membrane based on mineral coal fly ash. Finely ground mineral coal powder was calcinated at 700 °C for about 3 h. The elaboration of the mesoporous layer was performed by the slip-casting method using a suspension made of the mixture of fly-ash powder, water and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The obtained membrane was submitted to a thermal treatment which consists in drying at room temperature for 24 h then a sintering at 800 °C. SEM photographs indicated that the membrane surface was homogeneous and did not present any macrodefects (cracks, etc…). The average pore diameter of the active layer was 0.25 μm and the thickness was around 20 μm. The membrane permeability was 475 l/h m 2 bar. This membrane was applied to the treatment of the dying effluents generated by the washing baths in the textile industry. The performances in term of permeate flux and efficiency were determined and compared to those obtained using a commercial alumina microfiltration membrane. Almost the same stabilised permeate flux was obtained (about 100 l h −1 m −2). The quality of permeate was almost the same with the two membranes: the COD and color removal was 75% and 90% respectively.