Performance of polycaprolactone/TiO2 composite membrane for the effective treatment of dairy effluents

Abstract

This work aims the utilisation of Polycaprolactone (PCL) based membrane for the treatment of dairy wastewater for the first time to the best of our knowledge. PCL is a biodegradable polymer with high biocompatibility and good oil resistance. The chlorine tolerance analysis of PCL based membrane exhibited a good tolerance against chlorine. The PCL/TiO2 nanocomposite membrane with the addition of Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was prepared and tested for protein separation. The dependency of contact angle with time was analysed for the membrane and the contact angle value dropped from 74.5 ± 2 degrees to a steady value of 65 ± 2 degrees in 120 s. The proteins were removed using a cross-flow filtration unit at an operating pressure of 4 bars at room temperature with permeate flux of 10 l/m2 h and a relative permeate flux of about 0.10. The removal of proteins was measured qualitatively using native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and quantitatively using Lowry's test. A percentage rejection of 97.6 was obtained and the native PAGE showed the complete removal of all the major proteins present in the milk sample.

Electrospun PCL Filtration Membranes Enhanced with an Electrosprayed Lignin Coating to Control Wettability and Anti-Bacterial Properties

“…In another example, nanofibrous membranes made of chitosan and PCL delivered a composite architecture inheriting the antimicrobial properties of chitosan in combination with the advantageous characteristics of PCL [ 23 ]. In another example, hybrid nanocomposite membranes of PCL/TiO 2 were investigated for the treatment of wastewater from the dairy industry, showing that such membranes could combine the hydrophobic properties and chlorine resistance of PCL with the antibacterial and anti-fouling properties associated with the hydrophilicity of titanium dioxide [ 24 ]. Finally, our group also investigated several composite electrospun systems based on PCL, such as the PCL/Ag endowed with a Ag nanocoating of PCL fibers via magnetron sputtering [ 25 ].…”

Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization of Polyethylenimine onto Chitosan/Polycaprolactone Composite Membrane for Heavy Metal Pollutants Treatment in Industrial Wastewater

“…For instance, Maio et al showed that graphene oxide-decorated polycaprolactone membranes possessed sorption capacity of phenol molecules on its nanosurfaces, and can offer a cost-effective approach for water treatment [35]. Meanwhile, Nivedita et al prepared polyethylene glycol tailored PCL/TiO 2 nanocomposites, which can effectively filter proteins in effluents from the dairy industry [36].…”