Preparation and characterization of carbon microfiltration membrane applied to the treatment of textile industry effluents

ABSTRACT

Two tubular carbon microfiltration membranes have been prepared using mineral coal powder under similar conditions onto graphite supports made from carbon powder of 25 and 44 µm and having a porosity and mean pore diameter of 34% and 37% and 1.7 and 3.0 µm, respectively. The mean pore diameters were of 0.5 and 0.8 µm, respectively.

The performances depend on the membrane pore diameter. Particularly, the membrane presenting the largest pore size reached a stabilized permeate flux at 1 bar of 150 L/h.m² against 4.5 L/h.m² for the membrane of 0.5 µm. However, both membranes showed similar efficiency in term of pollutant removal, which was found independent of transmembrane pressure.

KEYWORDS:

• Carbon membrane
• microfiltration
• mineral coal powder
• phenolic resin
• textile effluent

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to TIMCAL group for the gift of graphite powders.

Funding

The authors thank the CNRS (France), DGRS (Tunisia), Institut Carnot (France) and ENSCM (Montpellier, France) for their financial support.

Additional information

Funding

The authors thank the CNRS (France), DGRS (Tunisia), Institut Carnot (France) and ENSCM (Montpellier, France) for their financial support.