TiO2 ceramic membrane decorated with Fe3O4-Ag composite nanoparticles for produced water treatment

Ahmed Mamdouh Aboulella; Vijay S Wadi; Vincenzo Naddeo; Ahmed F Yousef; Fawzi Banat; Shadi W Hasan

doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136470

TiO₂ ceramic membrane decorated with Fe₃O₄-Ag composite nanoparticles for produced water treatment

Chemosphere. 2022 Dec;308(Pt 3):136470. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136470. Epub 2022 Sep 16.

Authors

Ahmed Mamdouh Aboulella¹, Vijay S Wadi², Vincenzo Naddeo³, Ahmed F Yousef⁴, Fawzi Banat², Shadi W Hasan⁵

Affiliations

¹ Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Civil and Infrastructural Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
² Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
³ Sanitary Environmental Engineering Division (SEED), Department of Civil Engineering, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II #132, 84084 Fisciano, SA, Italy.
⁴ Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Biology, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu 17, Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
⁵ Center for Membranes and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT), Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Chemical Engineering, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, PO Box 127788, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Electronic address: shadi.hasan@ku.ac.ae.

PMID: 36122741
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136470

Abstract

This study focused on the surface modification of commercial TiO₂ membranes with Fe₃O₄ decorated silver (Ag) nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄-Ag) via chemical attachment. Firstly, the Ag concentration on Fe₃O₄ was optimized, and different composites were prepared and characterized. Secondly, the optimal composite was used to prepare novel TiO₂/Fe₃O₄-Ag ceramic membranes via surface coating through tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) crosslinking. The membranes were characterized using SEM, EDX, FTIR, XRD, and contact angle. Biofouling resistance of the membranes was investigated using the Coomassie Blue dye method. The coated membranes were tested for water flux, chemical oxygen demand (COD) rejection, and biofouling resistance. Results showed that all coated membranes exhibited higher water flux. For example, the membrane with a 1.25 wt% Fe₃O₄-Ag coating showed the highest filtration flux of 1445 L/m²h (LMH) compared to the pristine membrane (379 LMH) without compromising the COD rejection. The resistance of the membrane to biofouling increased with the increase of Fe₃O₄-Ag nanoparticle concentration. The obtained results demonstrate the great potential of TiO₂/Fe₃O₄-Ag ceramic membranes for the treatment of produced water.

Keywords: Fouling; Membranes; Produced water; Surface coating.

MeSH terms

Ceramics
Membranes, Artificial
Metal Nanoparticles* / chemistry
Silver / chemistry
Titanium
Water Purification* / methods

Substances

Membranes, Artificial
titanium dioxide
Silver
Titanium