Dual Repurposing of End-of-Life BWRO Membranes: Ultrafiltration Membranes for Advanced Wastewater Treatment and Cation Exchange Membranes for Fungal Microbial Fuel Cells
Anissa Somrani,
Mehri Shabani,
Zaineb Mohamed,
Kholoud Abohelal,
Salam S. Alsharari,
Ahmed Hannachi,
Noreddine Ghaffour,
Maxime Pontié
Affiliations
Anissa Somrani
Physics Department, College of Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka P.O. Box 2014, Saudi Arabia
Mehri Shabani
ESAIP La Salle, CERADE, 18 Rue du 8 Mai 1945, 49180 Saint-Barthélemy d’Anjou, Cedex, France
Zaineb Mohamed
Physics Department, College of Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka P.O. Box 2014, Saudi Arabia
Kholoud Abohelal
Physics Department, College of Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka P.O. Box 2014, Saudi Arabia
Salam S. Alsharari
Department of Biology, College of Sciences, Jouf University, Sakaka P.O. Box 2014, Saudi Arabia
Ahmed Hannachi
Laboratory of Engineering Processes and Industrial Systems, Chemical Engineering Department, National School of Engineers of Gabes, University of Gabes, Street Omar Ibn El Khattab, Gabes 6029, Tunisia
Noreddine Ghaffour
Environmental Science and Engineering Program, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
Maxime Pontié
Group of Analysis & Processes, Faculty of Sciences, University of Angers, 2 Bd. A. de Lavoisier, 49045 Angers, Cedex 01, France
The objective of this study is to evaluate the degradation of end-of-life BWRO membranes sourced from a factory in France by analyzing their water permeability, roughness, and chemical composition in order to diagnose the level of degradation incurred during their first life cycle in water softening. Following this, two new applications for the end-of-life BWRO membranes were investigated: (i) as ultrafiltration membranes (UF) for domestic effluent treatment and (ii) as cation exchange membranes (CEM) for use in fungal microbial fuel cells (FMFC). The UF membrane was renovated with an acetic acid treatment and, subsequently, used for domestic effluent filtration. The cation exchange membrane was developed in two steps: (i) chlorine treatment and (ii) the deposition of an Amer Sil layer, a functional coating formed by an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) made of sulfonated polyether sulfone (S-PES) in a cross-linked matrix of acrylic acid and divinylbenzene.
