title: Chemical and microstructural analyses for heavy metals removal from water media by ceramic membrane filtration.
abstract: This study aims to investigate the ability of low cost ceramic membrane filtration in removing three common heavy metals namely; Pb2+, Cu2+, and Cd2+from water media. The work includes manufacturing ceramic membranes with dimensions of 15 by 15 cm and 2 cm thickness. The membranes were made from low cost materials of local clay mixed with different sawdust percentages of 0.5%, 2.0%, and 5.0%. The used clay was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence analysis. Aqueous solutions of heavy metals were prepared in the laboratory and filtered through the ceramic membranes. The influence of the main parameters such as pH, initial driving pressure head, and concentration of heavy metals on their removal efficiency by ceramic membranes was investigated. Water samples were collected before and after the filtration process and their heavy metal concentrations were determined by chemical analysis. Moreover, a microstructural analysis using scanning electronic microscope (SEM) was performed on ceramic membranes before and after the filtration process. The chemical analysis results showed high removal efficiency up to 99% for the concerned heavy metals. SEM images approved these results by showing adsorbed metal ions on sides of the internal pores of the ceramic membranes.
authors.affiliation: Construction and Building Department, Arab Academy for Science Technology and Maritime Transport, Aswan, Egypt.
authors.forename: Asmaa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt.
authors.forename: Abdelkader
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Assiut University, Assiut 71516, Egypt E-mail: aligad64@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gad
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D002516:Ceramics; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D014867:Water