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Valorization of waste plastics and waste oases of Gabes-Tunisia to prepare polymeric membrane for oily wastewater treatment

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Abstract

Industries generate significant amounts of oily wastewater that require treatment using various techniques, including membrane microfiltration. In this study, we investigate the effect of incorporating lignin into polymeric membranes on their performance in treating oily wastewater. The membranes were prepared using waste low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as the polymer and xylene as the solvent, and lignin was extracted from Gabes oases waste using the Klason method. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), contact angle, and porosity characterized the resulting membranes. Additionally, their performance was evaluated using dead-end microfiltration experiments. The results showed a significant increase in membrane porosity by 102%, reaching a value of 37.29% ± 1.26%, as the lignin concentration in the polymeric solution increased from 0.125% to 0.5%. Furthermore, we marked a slight decrease in the contact angle, indicating that the membrane remained hydrophobic. Dead-end microfiltration experiments were conducted using an oil solution with an oil concentration of 125 mg/L. The results obtained showed that the membrane prepared with 0.25% lignin concentration demonstrated the highest oil rejection value of 97.2% and a permeate flux of 118.2 10–6 m3/m2s. These results suggest that incorporating lignin into polymeric membranes can enhance their performance in treating oily wastewater. The increase in membrane porosity and the decrease in contact angle demonstrate that lignin can improve the membrane’s ability to separate oil from water and to serve environmental integration by providing a more effective and sustainable method for treating oily wastewater and reducing the environmental impact of industrial activities.

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This study does not include the use of external or shareable data. All data generated or analyzed during this research are included in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Research Unit Advanced Materials, Applied Mechanics, Innovative Processes and Environment, Higher Institute of Applied Sciences and Technology of Gabes (ISSAT), University of Gabes, 6029, Gabes, Tunisia

    Adel Zrelli & Samir Ismaili

  2. Laboratory of Energy, Water, Environment, and Process, LR18ES35, National Engineering School of Gabes, University of Gabes, 6072, Gabes, Tunisia

    Adel Zrelli

  3. Membrane Technology Research Unit, Chemical Engineering, Department, University of Technology-Iraq, Alsinaa Street No. 52, Baghdad, 35010, Iraq

    Qusay Alsalhy

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  1. Adel Zrelli
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Correspondence to Adel Zrelli.

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Zrelli, A., Ismaili, S. & Alsalhy, Q. Valorization of waste plastics and waste oases of Gabes-Tunisia to prepare polymeric membrane for oily wastewater treatment. Euro-Mediterr J Environ Integr 8, 907–918 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41207-023-00418-7

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