Investigation of Filtration Performances in Eggshell Ultrafiltration Membranes with Surface Functionalized Using Graphene Oxide

Abstract

Efforts to prevent fouling are crucial in advancing ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, especially in addressing the concentration polarization of the accumulation of dissolved dye molecules in wastewater. This study explores the impact of incorporating graphene oxide (GO) onto eggshell (ES) UF membranes regarding their permeability, rejection efficiency, and permeate flow rate. The ES-GO membranes were obtained from eggshells that were modified with varied concentrations of GO (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 mg/mL) through a self-assembly method. The performance of these ES-GO membranes was evaluated under different applied pressures (15, 30, 45, and 60 psi) to enhance the filtration capabilities. The assessment focused on membrane permeability, rejection efficiency, and permeate flow rate by measuring flow discharge. The results show that the addition of GO as a surface functionalization effectively prevents fouling and enhances the membrane's performance, achieving a membrane permeability of 2.854 × 10 −3 Darcy and a stable filtration flow rate of approximately 5 mL/s. The most notable improvements in permeability and rejection efficiency were observed using ES-GO UF membranes with 0.5 mg/mL GO at a pressure of 45 psi, yielding a rejection efficiency of 36.6%, as seen in previous studies. Thus, the integration of GO into the ES membrane significantly reduces methylene blue (MB) concentration while maintaining a high flux rates, underscoring GO's role as an effective cohost for minimizing fouling in the filtration process.