Nanofiltration Membranes with Enhanced Separation Performance for Zero Discharge of Textile Wastewater

Promovendus/a: Rui Zhao

Promotor(en): Prof. dr. ir. Bart Van der Bruggen

In response to the escalating global water scarcity and pollution issues, advanced nanofiltration (NF) membrane technology has shown great potential for treating and recovering textile wastewater. This study focused on overcoming challenges such as the trade-off between permeance and selectivity, and membrane fouling, by employing innovative monomers and fabrication methods. Notably, loose polyester NF membranes using renewable quercetin (QE) and amino acid-based polyamide NF membranes were developed, demonstrating high efficiency in dye/salt fractionation and water permeance with minimal energy and water consumption. Optimized cleaning strategies significantly reduced fouling and maintained high separation efficiency. Additionally, a novel method for creating polyamide membranes with high rejection rates for divalent ions was introduced, enhancing the separation of inorganic salts and moving towards zero discharge of textile wastewater.