Efficient purification of oily wastewater by a single-stage filtration with diatomite/carbon membranes

In this work, a single-stage filtration was developed for the first time as an effective protocol for the purification of oily wastewater via diatomite/carbon composite microfiltration membranes. The microstructure and property of microfiltration carbon membranes (MFCMs) were modulated by varying the diatomites dosage for purifying oily wastewater with single-stage filtration. Results demonstrated that the diatomite addition was favorable for the thermal stability of precursors and the structural compactness of resultant MFCMs. The maximum oil rejection can reach 98.9%, along with the permeation flux of 147.86 kg m(-2) h(-1) by a single-stage filtration of MFCMs. In addition, the adoption of post-oxidation can further greatly improve the permeation flux and antifouling ability of MFCMs for oily wastewater.

Automated summary

A single-stage filtration method was developed for the purification of oily wastewater using diatomite/carbon composite microfiltration membranes, with diatomite addition improving the thermal stability and compactness of the membranes. The maximum oil rejection rate reached 98.9% with a permeation flux of 147.86 kg m(-2) h(-1) by MFCMs, which can be further enhanced by post-oxidation for improved antifouling ability.