Porous Al2O3-CNT Nanocomposite Membrane Produced by Spark Plasma Sintering with Tailored Microstructure and Properties for Water Treatment

Abstract

Ceramic-based nanocomposite membranes are gaining great attention in various applications, such as water treatment; gas separation; oil and gas, amid their superior fouling resistance and remarkable chemical/thermal stability. Here, we report for the first time the use of spark plasma sintering (SPS) process to fabricate a porous alumina–carbon nanotubes (Al2O3–CNT) nanocomposite membrane for water treatment. The challenge is this work is to achieve a balance between the amount of porosity, desired for a high water flux, and the membrane strength level, required to resist the applied pressure during a water flow experiment. The effect of SPS process parameters (pressure, temperature, heating rate, and holding time) on the microstructure and properties of the developed membrane was investigated and correlated. A powder mixture composed of Al2O3 and 5 wt % CNT was prepared with the addition of starch as a pore former and gum Arabic and sodium dodecyl sulfate as dispersants. The powder mixture was then sintered using SPS to produce a solid but porous nanocomposite membrane. The structure and microstructure of the developed membrane were characterized using X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The performance of the membrane was assessed in terms of porosity, permeability, and mechanical properties. Moreover, the adsorption capability of the membrane was performed by evaluating its removal efficacy for cadmium (II) from water. The microstructural analysis revealed that CNT were distributed within the alumina matrix and located mainly along the grain boundaries. The permeability and strength were highly influenced by the sintering pressure and temperature, respectively. The results indicated that the membrane sintered at a pressure of 10 MPa, temperature of 1100 °C, holding time of 5 min, and heating rate of 200 °C/min exhibited the best combination of permeability and strength. This developed membrane showed a significant removal efficiency of 97% for cadmium (II) in an aqueous solution.

Optimization of isotropic MoS2/PES membranes for efficient treatment of industrial oily wastewater

“…Other parameters of fouling resistance, such as the reversible fouling ratio ( R r , given by eqn (4)), irreversible fouling ratio ( R ir , calculated using eqn (5)) and total fouling ratio ( R t , given by eqn (6)), were obtained. 29,52,53 …”

Advances in Biomass and Nature‐Derived Ceramic Membranes and Their Environmental Applications in Wastewater Treatment

“…Starch biopolymer can serve as a pore former in the production of ceramic‐based nanocomposite membranes. Employing starch (as pore former) and gum arabic (as dispersant) to prepare alumina‐carbon nanotubes (Al 2 O 3 ‐CNT) nanocomposite membrane via spark plasma sintering method for water purification applications was reported by Hussein et al [ 86 ] The membrane's permeability and strength were significantly influenced by the sintering pressure and temperature, respectively. The best result was obtained at a pressure of 10 MPa and a temperature of 1100 °C.…”

Spark Plasma Sintering of SiAlON Ceramics Synthesized via Various Cations Charge Stabilizers and Their Effect on Thermal and Mechanical Characteristics

“…Synthesis of a variety of new ceramic materials such as WC-Co, C 3 N 4 -ZrB 2 -SiC, TiC-Si 3 N 4 , TiC-ZrN-C, TiB 2 -hBN, and TiC-SiC w -WC n via SPS technology have been reported in literature [32][33][34][35][36][37]. Furthermore, synthesis of porous Al 2 O 3 -CNT membranes using SPS technology has also been reported in [38].…”