Synthesis of Bio-Cellulose Acetate Membrane From Coconut Juice Residues for Carbon Dioxide Removal From Biogas in Membrane Unit

Abstract

The rapid growth of energy demand and consumption from fossil fuels has been of great concern since the last decade. Renewable energy, including biogas production from wastes, has been studied to ease up the energy crisis problems. This study aims to synthesize bio-cellulose acetate (CA) membranes from agricultural waste and to study its efficiency in the removal of CO2 from biogas. The bio-CA membranes were synthesized from acetylation of bacterial cellulose (BC) and obtained from coconut juice residues (CJRs). The results showed that both chemical and physical characteristics of the bio-CA membrane were compared with those of the chemical CA membranes. The CO2 removal capacity of the bio-CA membranes was tested in a membrane separation unit. The maximum CO2 selectivity of 29.53 was achieved when using the bio-CA membrane with a thickness of 0.05 mm under the feed pressure of 0.1 MPa. Thick CA membranes exhibited better CO2 selectivity performance, particularly at low operating pressure. However, the CO2/CH4 separation factor decreased in the high-pressure region, probably because of the plasticization of the gas components. Eco-efficiency was evaluated to determine the optimal process conditions. In terms of eco-efficiency, the results suggested that the optimal condition was a bio-CA membrane of 0.05-mm thickness and pressure of 0.1 MPa. The implication of this study is promoting a zero-waste environment in which the agricultural residues could be potentially used in the synthesis of high-value CA membranes for biogas purification applications in energy production.

Membrane Life Cycle Management: An Exciting Opportunity for Advancing the Sustainability Features of Membrane Separations

“…One relevant strategy for addressing the challenges regarding the sustainability of membranes is to shift from the utilization of fossil-based materials to those derived from renewable resources. ,, This not only promotes the degradability of the spent membranes but also creates extra benefits within the framework of the circular economy. This is well supported by the emergence of new trends in membrane materials research devoted to “better” and/or “novel” and/or “more sustainable” membranes.…”

Current Research on The Development of Carbon Separation and Capture with Polymeric Membrane: A State of The Art Review

“…If the rubber type polymer membrane material has the advantage of a good thermodynamic equilibrium value that can have a higher level of mobility and can more easily diffuse across the membrane, but still has the disadvantage of low permeability values (Du et al, 2019). Khamwichit et al, (2021) tried to conduct research on CO2 separation in biogas units using a membrane based on biocellulose from coconut juice. The results show that membranes with thicker bio-cellulose-based materials can increase selectivity, in low pressure operations, therefore the permeability obtained can decrease.…”