Regular Article

Hematite based ultrafiltration membrane prepared from pyrrhotite ash waste for textile wastewater treatment

¹ Laboratoire de Chimie Organique Bioorganique et Environnement, Faculté de Sciences, Université Chouaib Doukkali, 24 000 El Jadida, Morocco
² Ecole Supérieure de l'éducation et de la Formation, Université Chouaib Doukkali Morocco, 24 000 El Jadida, Morocco
³ Sultan Moulay Slimane University, Laboratory of Chemistry, Mathematical and Environmental Sciences, Polydisciplinary Faculty, 25 000 Khouribga, Morocco

^* e-mail: minabakasse@yahoo.fr

Received: 15 October 2022
Received in final form: 20 January 2023
Accepted: 20 January 2023
Published online: 14 February 2023

Abstract

An α-Fe₂O₃ ultrafiltration (UF) inorganic membrane was synthesized based on pyrrhotite ash solid waste resulting from mining activities and natural clay via spreading a metal–organic complex sheet on a microfiltration (MF) ceramic support. The MF-support was prepared by mixing pyrrhotite ash with natural clay. The pyrrhotite ash was also deployed in the preparation of the metal–organic complex. The membrane composition, structure, morphology were studied via X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy respectively, and operating parameters such as water permeability, and flexural strength were also investigated. The MF support showed a water permeability of 2.37 × 10⁻⁶ m³/s. m². kPa while the UF membrane exhibited a permeability of 2.49 × 10⁻⁷ m³/s. m². kPa. Furthermore, the elaborated MF support and UF membrane were tested in the treatment of two types of textile wastewaters of reactive and dispersed nature. The results showed that the combination of the MF support and UF membrane in cascade filtration led to an elimination rate of 99% and 94% of turbidity and chemical oxygen demand, respectively, in the case of the two chosen wastewaters.