TY - JOUR
T1 - Harnessing plastic waste for sustainable membrane filtration with trimodal structure through acid-catalyzed oxidation
AU - Saleem, Junaid
AU - Moghal, Zubair Khalid Baig
AU - McKay, Gordon
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s)
PY - 2024/4/15
Y1 - 2024/4/15
N2 - Polyolefin waste is among the most generated yet least recycled. Despite its potential as a feedstock of superhydrophobic membranes for organic solvent filtration, it remains a challenge to achieve high selectivity and permeability for viscous oils. In this study, we valorized polyolefin waste into trimodal water filtration membranes through acid-catalyzed oxidation and a void inducer. This approach enabled the creation of membranes with exceptional wettability and strength, characterized by a combination of micropores, macrovoids (30-70 mu m), and cavities (150-200 mu m). The acid-catalyzed oxidation introduced oxygen moieties into the membrane structure, resulting in a reduced water contact angle, improved hydrophilicity, and increased permeability. The micropores facilitated capillary action, macrovoids enabled efficient water passage, and cavities acted as oil reservoirs, for optimal oil-water separation. Various membranes were synthesized using low-density and highdensity polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and their blend. The obtained results were compared with commercial membranes, revealing a flow rate of 43 ml/min, a retention capacity of 261 mg, and an oil removal efficiency ranging from 84-94 %. Furthermore, the membranes exhibited recyclability, demonstrating stability over at least 10 cycles. This hybrid process transforms plastic waste into trimodal water filtration membranes, achieving a balance between superoleophilicity and hydrophilicity.
AB - Polyolefin waste is among the most generated yet least recycled. Despite its potential as a feedstock of superhydrophobic membranes for organic solvent filtration, it remains a challenge to achieve high selectivity and permeability for viscous oils. In this study, we valorized polyolefin waste into trimodal water filtration membranes through acid-catalyzed oxidation and a void inducer. This approach enabled the creation of membranes with exceptional wettability and strength, characterized by a combination of micropores, macrovoids (30-70 mu m), and cavities (150-200 mu m). The acid-catalyzed oxidation introduced oxygen moieties into the membrane structure, resulting in a reduced water contact angle, improved hydrophilicity, and increased permeability. The micropores facilitated capillary action, macrovoids enabled efficient water passage, and cavities acted as oil reservoirs, for optimal oil-water separation. Various membranes were synthesized using low-density and highdensity polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and their blend. The obtained results were compared with commercial membranes, revealing a flow rate of 43 ml/min, a retention capacity of 261 mg, and an oil removal efficiency ranging from 84-94 %. Furthermore, the membranes exhibited recyclability, demonstrating stability over at least 10 cycles. This hybrid process transforms plastic waste into trimodal water filtration membranes, achieving a balance between superoleophilicity and hydrophilicity.
KW - Acid -catalyzed oxidation
KW - Cavities
KW - Filtration
KW - Macrovoids
KW - Membrane
KW - Micropores
KW - Plastic upcycling
KW - Polyolefin
KW - Trimodal
UR - https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=hbku_researchportal&SrcAuth=WosAPI&KeyUT=WOS:001205566400001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=WOS_CPL
U2 - 10.1016/j.cej.2024.150230
DO - 10.1016/j.cej.2024.150230
M3 - Article
SN - 1385-8947
VL - 486
JO - Chemical Engineering Journal
JF - Chemical Engineering Journal
M1 - 150230
ER -