Elevating the Wastewater Treatment Performance of Loose Nano-filtration Membranes using Natural Clay Functionalized with AlFe2O4 Nanocleaner

Abstract

Membranes with right recipe can potentially give exceptionally high product water flux with high rejection, recovery ratio, prolonged life with anti-fouling capabilities, low operating costs, and low operating expenses. In this regard, an innovative AlFe2O4 functionalized bentonite (AlFe2O4@BT) was prepared to be used as performance boosting agent in Polyethersulfone (PES)-based mixed matrix loose nanofiltration membrane (LNM). Herein, the fabrication PES-based mixed achieved by blending different wt.% of AlFe2O4@BT material through phase inversion technology. The effects of AlFe2O4@BT on the structure and functionality of the new material AlFe2O4 @BT-PES NLMs were thoroughly examined by scanning electron microscopy, contact angle, antifouling measurements and so on. The Separation efficiency of AlFe2O4@BT-PES based LNM was recorded up to 80%, 85% and 95% of Crystal violet (CV), Congo Red (CR), and humic acid, respectively with exceptional high product flux efficiencies and anti-fouling properties to commercial polyamide membranes. The new LMMs operate at relatively low operating pressure (1-4 bar) which makes them sustainable separation process with lower flux decline ratio and high recovery ratio making it superior membrane material combination.

Supplementary files

Transparent peer review

To support increased transparency, we offer authors the option to publish the peer review history alongside their article.

View this article’s peer review history

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 Jun 2025
Accepted
25 Jul 2025
First published
28 Jul 2025

Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2025, Accepted Manuscript

Elevating the Wastewater Treatment Performance of Loose Nano-filtration Membranes using Natural Clay Functionalized with AlFe2O4 Nanocleaner

A. Maraddi, S. Padival, G. D'Souza, S. Kamath, A. Kumar and S. K. Nataraj, Environ. Sci.: Water Res. Technol., 2025, Accepted Manuscript , DOI: 10.1039/D5EW00502G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements