Comparison of Hydrophilicity and Mechanical Properties of Nanocomposite Membranes with Cellulose Nanocrystals and Carbon Nanotubes.

The inherent properties of hydrophilicity and mechanical strength of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) make them a possible alternative to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that may present fewer objections to application water-treatment membranes. In this work, the hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of CNCs and CNTs nanocomposite poly(ether sulfone) (PES) membranes were characterized and compared. Membrane pore geometry was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Overall porosity and mean pore radius were calculated based on a wet-dry method. Results showed that PES polymers were loosely packed in the top layer of both the CNC- and CNT-composite membranes (CNC-M and CNT-M). The porosity of the CNC-M was greater than that of the CNT-M. Membrane hydrophilicity, measured by water-contact angle, free energy of cohesion, and water flux, was increased through the addition of either CNCs or functionalized CNTs to an otherwise hydrophobic polymer membrane. The hydrophilicity of the CNC-M was greater than the CNT-M. In addition, the Young's modulus and tensile strength was enhanced for both the CNC-M and CNT-M. While smaller concentrations of CNTs were required to achieve an equal increase in Young's modulus compared with the CNCs, the elasticity of the CNC-composite membranes was greater.

Preparation of ultrafine magnetic biochar and activated carbon for pharmaceutical adsorption and subsequent degradation by ball milling.

Ball milling was used to prepare two ultrafine magnetic biochar/Fe3O4 and activated carbon (AC)/Fe3O4 hybrid materials targeted for use in pharmaceutical removal by adsorption and mechanochemical degradation of pharmaceutical compounds. Both hybrid adsorbents prepared after 2h milling exhibited high removal of carbamazepine (CBZ), and were easily separated magnetically. These adsorbents exhibited fast adsorption of CBZ and tetracycline (TC) in the initial 1h. The biochar/Fe3O4 had a maximum adsorption capacity of 62.7mg/g for CBZ and 94.2mg/g for TC, while values obtained for AC/Fe3O4 were 135.1mg/g for CBZ and 45.3mg/g for TC respectively when data were fitted using the Langmuir expression. Solution pH values slightly affected the sorption of TC on the adsorbents, while CBZ sorption was almost pH-independent. The spent adsorbents with adsorbed CBZ and TC were milled to degrade the adsorbed pollutants. The adsorbed TC itself was over 97% degraded after 3h of milling, while about half of adsorbed CBZ were remained. The addition of quartz sand was found to improve the mechanochemical degradation of CBZ on biochar/Fe3O4, and its degradation percent was up to 98.4% at the dose of 0.3g quarts sand/g adsorbent. This research provided an easy method to prepare ultrafine magnetic adsorbents for the effective removal of typical pharmaceuticals from water or wastewater and degrade them using ball milling.