Nitrogen content and heavy metals removal by polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane

Abstract

Heavy metals removal from aqueous systems can be achieved by conventional treatment processes such as ion exchange, electrochemical removal, and chemical precipitation. Membrane processes, such as reverse osmosis (RO), nanofiltration(NF), microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF), represent a valid alternative to treatment and to improve the quality of aqueous systems. This study will investigate the applicability of the ultrafiltration process for removal of nitrogen content and heavy metals Cr, Ca2+, Na+ and K+ from aqueous collagen solutions. The study was conducted using two polyethersulphone membranes with different molecular weight cut-off (5 kDa and 10 kDa) that were characterized by the point of view of ultrapure water fluxes, permeability and rejection.