Electro-nanofiltration of a textile direct dye solution

An experimental investigation of electric field enhanced nanofiltration is reported for a textile direct dye solution. A 100% dye rejection was obtained for both membranes tested. A dynamic permeability model was used to process experimental data. The two membranes evaluated, namely BQ01 and NF45, displayed a different response to characterizations and to the dye solution with or without an electrical potential applied. Experimental results show variations in dynamic permeability in the presence of electrolytes and according to the electrical potential applied. Electro-nanofiltration performance, expressed as dynamic permeability and pure water permeability ratio, was quantified under different conditions of electrical potential magnitude and concentration. An electric field was found to be efficient in reducing fouling for both membranes studied.