Development of pH-Responsive Adsorptive Ultrafiltration Membrane for the treatment of Heavy Metals from Aqueous Solution

This research presents a new amino-modified activated carbon (MAC) nanohybrid and its use in polylactic acid (PLA) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes for treating wastewater. The MAC composite was produced through three steps: activated carbon pretreatment, modification, and heat-induced cross-linking. The composite membranes were made using the phase inversion technique and optimized by varying the concentration of the MAC nanohybrid. The synthesis was confirmed through several methods, and the membranes were characterized using different techniques, such as SEM, surface zeta potential, water flux, and pore-size/porosity. Static adsorption and dynamic filtration experiments were conducted to investigate the membrane's flux-rejection performance and pH-responsiveness. The results showed that the MAC nanohybrid significantly improved the properties of the PLA membrane, such as increasing the pure water flux and enhancing heavy metal ions rejection, among others. The composite membranes also exhibited improved adsorption and desorption behavior. The study suggests that adding the MAC nanohybrid has promising potential for these composite membranes in the wastewater treatment industry.