Single Vs Multichannel Silica-Pectin Ultrafiltration Membranes for Treatment of Natural Peat Water

A comparative study was undertaken to investigate the potential of silica-pectin ultrafiltration membrane on varied operation pressure (0.1-0.3 MPa). Cross-flow ultrafiltration works were explored with tubular alumina substrates in single and multichannel configuration. The silica-pectin sol was prepared from TEOS as silica precursor by sol-gel method, afterward pectin was templated into the silica sol to induce carbon on it. Thereafter, both of single and multichannel alumina substrates was coated by the silica-pectin sol via inner coating technique. The study exhibited better performance of multichannel silica-pectin ultrafiltration membrane (with 4 bores) compared to the single channel membrane in terms of the permeate quality of UV254 rejection, as well as the permeate flux. The UV254 rejection of multichannel silica-pectin ultrafiltration membranes conducted over 84% in compliance with highest permeate fluxes of 234.3 L.m-2.h-1.bar-1 at high operation pressure (TMP 0.3 MPa). The multichannel ultrafiltration membrane permeate flux in this work is slightly high 60-75% over single channel. Hence, both single and multichannel silica-pectin membranes exhibited steady neutralized permeate fluxes under TMP 0.3 MPa conditions for natural 100% peat water concentration, which indicates that fouling is not occurred during filtration time up to 60 min. Therefore, multichannel silica-pectin ultrafiltration membrane in this work is success to treatment of natural peat water, that the natural organic matter removal was found to be fit for uses as clean water sources.