Synthesis, characterization and application of PVDF membrane incorporated with modified bentonite for phosphorus removal
Eutrophication is one of the main environmental problems existing nowadays, being originated from the excess of nutrients, mainly phosphorus and nitrogen, in aquatic bodies. As an important building block for all forms of life, especially for plant growth, the removal and recovery of phosphorus from super-concentrated environments has been widely studied. This is because, in addition to the environmental problems associated with its excess, phosphorus is a non-renewable natural resource. In this context, this project aimed to obtain polymeric filtration membranes incorporated with modified bentonite with
Fe(III), in order to favor the adsorption mechanism as a means of separating phosphorus from impacted effluents and aquatic environments. For this purpose, a low-cost, national, natural clay was used, which has a maximum adsorption capacity equal to 5.8 mg-P g-1, supported on PVDF, a polymer widely used in the manufacture of ultrafiltration membranes.
The membranes obtained in this work showed improvement in thermal resistance, porosity and hydrophobicity, when compared to the pure membrane. Furthermore, the membranes with the addition of adsorbent proved to be resistant to the minimum pressure required for membranes used in the ultrafiltration process. THE
Insertion of pore-forming additive (PVP) in the spreading solution was shown to be detrimental to the mechanical and thermal properties of the membranes. The elaboration and development of this project is based on the growing need and interest of the scientific community in the search for alternative materials and methods that assist in the development of technologies to minimize the environmental impacts resulting from the eutrophication process of aquatic bodies, mainly associated with the presence of phosphorus.