Ibrahima Maina Idriss, Zubair Hashmi, Norazanita Shamsuddin, Muhammad Saifullah Abu Bakar, Sutarat Thongratkaew, Kajornsak Faungnawakij, Yusuf Wibisono, Muhammad Roil Bilad
This study reports the development of dual-layer flat sheet membranes from waste cellulose acetate (CA, derived from discarded cigarette butts) for the removal of natural organic matter (NOM) from surface water. The fabrication process involved two stages. The two-stage casting method was aimed to increase the NOM rejection by densifying the structure and lowering the effective pore sizes. The first stage was aimed to prepare the base layer using the phase inversion process using waste CA, dimethylformamide, and water, followed by air drying. In the second stage, the second layer was formed atop the base by applying variable concentrations of the dope solutions. After thorough characterization, the performances of the membranes in terms of pure water permeability, surface water filtration, and NOM removal were evaluated. The results show that the membranes exhibited different properties and performances dictated by the preparation stage and the polymer compositions. The dual-layer membranes demonstrated a significant reduction in pore size compared to the single-layer membrane, increasing NOM rejections from 32 to 85–86 %, while decreasing the water permeability from 863 to 69–445 Lm−2 h−1 bar−1. These findings demonstrate the potential of waste CA as membrane material through a dual-layer synthesis process for effective NOM removal from surface water promoting sustainability and circular economy. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
Faculty of Integrated Technologies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link 6, BE1410, Brunei Darussalam; National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand; Department of Bioprocess Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65141, Indonesia; Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering, Universitas Pendidikan Mandalika, Jl. Pemuda No. 59A, Mataram, 83126, Indonesia
