Elaboration of inorganic microfiltration membranes with hydroxyapatite applied to the treatment of wastewater from sea product industry

• Published in: Journal of membrane science Vol. 247; no. 1; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Masmoudi, S., Ben Amar, R., Larbot, A., El Feki, H., Salah, A.Ben, Cot, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.02.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Ceramic; Chemical Sciences; Cuttlefish effluents; Hydroxyapatite; Inorganic membranes; Microfiltration; Tunisia, Sfax; Microfiltration; Ceramic; Hydroxyapatite; Inorganic membranes; Cuttlefish effluents
• ISSN: 0376-7388; 1873-3123
• DOI: 10.1016/j.memsci.2004.03.047

This work describes the elaboration of a new ceramic asymmetric microfiltration membranes (active layers) based on synthesized lacunary hydroxyapatite (HA). The support, with tubular configuration, was prepared from cordierite. It has a highly uniform porous structure with large pores (7 μm). Rheology of HA slips, fixed the percentage of PVA addition, was studied in order to prepare a well-dispersed suspension suitable for slip casting process used to coat the active layer. After drying at room temperature for 24 h, the membrane was sintered at 600 °C. The characteristics of obtained membranes were: membrane thickness of about 32.5 μm; mean pores diameter of 0.5 μm and porosity of 48%. The obtained membrane was used to treat cuttlefish effluents generated from the conditioning seawater products industry. These industries consume a great amount of water. In Sfax (Tunisia), about 1000 m 3/day are discharged in the littoral. Cross-flow microfiltration was carried out then, in order to reduce the turbidity and chemical oxygen demand (COD). The result showed a filtration flux of 125 l/h m 2 and a high retention of turbidity (99%), colour and COD (92%).