Fabrication and performance of nano filtration hybrid membrane using nano cellulose from coconut coir fiber for extraction of hormone from poultry wastewater / Wan Suriatty Mazlan

Wastewater filtration by membrane application had been widely used to improve environmental water quality. Compared to the membranes that were fabricated using pure organic polymer and inorganic material, hybrid thin layer membrane has better mechanical and thermal stability. In this research, hybrid membrane as the barrier layer in the thin film composite membrane (TFC) was used for estrogen rejection. Coconut coir undergoes mechanical and chemical digestion to obtain coconut coir nano cellulose fibre (CCNC). In this research, polysulfone were casted as the porous based support layer whereas the hybrid membrane as the active barrier layer. Polymer blend of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and poly amide (PA) was chosen to be the polymer to undergo reaction with the organic cellulose of CCNC. To improve the plasticizing effect of the hybrid membrane, CCNC was added as an organic additive. The research involved seven stages of work. Analysis had been carried out to determine the polysulfone membrane water flux. Investigation on the suitability of the polymer and CCNC concentrations to fabricate the active layer were also determined. Physical and chemical characterization together with evaluation on performances on the thin film hybrid membrane was carried out. The evaluations were in order to analyse performances on the flux rate, estrogen and salt rejection. High surface hydrophilicity besides the good chemical and mechanical stability was observed on the application of hybrid membrane with the incorporation of CCNC compared to the base support polysulfone and pure polymer. The incorporation of CCNC had enhanced the membrane matrix and flexibility. Moreover, the incorporation of the cellulose had overcome brittleness of the ordinary hybrid membrane and the rigidity structure of the membrane. In the research, major findings were the suitable range of polymer (PA/PVA) which is between 8 wt. % to 10 wt. %. On the other hand, the CCNC concentrations were between 1 to 4 w/w %. Characterization of the estrogen and salt rejection were carried out at the second stage by using the hybrid membranes. Main purpose of the characterization was to obtain the pattern for estrogen and salt rejection with sufficient flux. Based on the evaluations, higher percentage of polymer formulation in the fabricated hybrid membrane leads to higher percentage of salt and estrogen rejection. However, nanostructure surface of 10 wt. % polymer which is the highest concentration of polymer suffers some aggregates and showed unsmooth nano surface layer due to incomplete reaction. Incorporation of CCNC concentration portrayed a significant impact to the salt and estrogen rejection. It can be seen that higher CCNC concentration with lower polymer concentration produce higher estrogen rejection. Therefore, the best polymer concentration for the polymer concentration and CCNC concentration in order to formulate hybrid membrane particularly for the condition in the feed solution temperature, reasonable flux, estrogen and salt rejection were justified. From the regression equation generated by using the experiment, it is accurately predicted for all the responses that the best formulation was achieved at 8 wt. % polymer, 4 w/w % CCNC and 12% polysulfone (PSF) with 75% w/w water addition. In conclusion, 82.85% estrogen rejection, 41.78% NaCl rejection and 26.43 L/m3day of flux rate were obtained. This newly fabricated membrane had the advantage of operating at low pressure and room temperature for separation.