The Performance of Cellulose Composite Membranes and Their Application in Drinking Water Treatment

Abstract

Water scarcity and water pollution have become increasingly severe, and therefore, the purification of water resources has recently garnered increasing attention. Given its position as a major water resource, the efficient purification of drinking water is of crucial importance. In this study, we adopted a phase transition method to prepare ZrO2/BCM (bamboo cellulose membranes), after which we developed IP-ZrO2/BC-NFM (bamboo cellulose nanofiltration membranes) through interfacial polymerization using piperazine (PIP) and tricarbonyl chloride (TMC). Subsequently, we integrated these two membranes to create a combined “ultrafiltration + nanofiltration” membrane process for the treatment of drinking water. The membrane combination process was conducted at 25 °C, with ultrafiltration at 0.1 MPa and nanofiltration at 0.5 MPa. This membrane combination, featuring “ultrafiltration + nanofiltration,” had a significant impact on reducing turbidity, consistently maintaining the post-filtration turbidity of drinking water at or below 0.1 NTU. Furthermore, the removal rates for CODMN and ammonia nitrogen reached 75% and 88.6%, respectively, aligning with the standards for high-quality drinking water. In a continuous 3 h experiment, the nanofiltration unit exhibited consistent retention rates for Na2SO4 and bovine serum protein (BSA), with variations of less than 5%, indicating exceptional separation performance. After 9 h of operation, the water flux of the nanofiltration unit began to stabilize, with a decrease rate of approximately 25%, demonstrating that the “ultrafiltration + nanofiltration” membrane combination can maintain consistent performance during extended use. In conclusion, the “ultrafiltration + nanofiltration” membrane combination exhibited remarkable performance in the treatment of drinking water, offering a viable solution to address issues related to water scarcity and water pollution.