Improving performance of electrospun nylon 6 nanofiber membrane by zeolite nanoparticles for wastewater treatment of herbal essence industries

• Published in: International journal of environmental science and technology (Tehran) Vol. 21; no. 2; pp. 1493 - 1508
• Main Authors: Hosseini, M., Soleimani, M., Mirghaffari, N., Borhani, S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2024
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Science and Engineering; Original Paper; Soil Science & Conservation; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Industrial wastewater; Clinoptilolite; Water pollution; Nanotechnology
• ISSN: 1735-1472; 1735-2630
• DOI: 10.1007/s13762-023-05339-0

Nanofibers have great potential to use in industrial wastewater treatment and ultra-pure water production compared to conventional commercial membranes. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of nylon 6 nanofiber membranes reinforced with an efficient adsorbent, zeolite (clinoptilolite) nanoparticles, for wastewater treatment in herbal essence industries. Nylon 6/zeolite nanofiber was synthesized using various zeolite contents (0, 1, 3, 5 wt.%) through the electrospinning method. The results indicated that nylon 6 nanofiber membranes exhibited significant differences in surface and mechanical properties due to the addition of zeolite nanoparticles, with an increase in air permeability, thickness, and diameter of zeolite-reinforced membranes. The membrane with 5 wt.% zeolite synthesized over 5 h of electrospinning which showed the highest specific surface area (45.7 m 2 g −1 ) was selected for wastewater treatment. The results showed that the average removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand, biochemical oxygen demand, total organic carbon, turbidity, ammonium, and phenol by the membrane were approximately 11%, 16%, 8%, 50%, 29%, and > 99%, respectively. Nylon 6 nanofiber membranes reinforced with zeolite nanoparticles showed high potential for use in wastewater treatment of herbal essence industries.