ABSTRACT
The natural rubber industry produces a vast amount of wastewater that is underutilized or untreated before its appropriate disposal. Natural rubber wastewater has characteristics of high organic content, slight acid pH, and high ammonia concentration. The treatment using conventional membrane treatment has been restricted by the formation of fouling that deteriorates selectivity, productivity, and membrane lifetime. Nanohybrid membrane that is a new class of composite membrane comprising of nanomaterial and the polymeric membrane has been proven to have a significant influence in tailoring the membrane properties. The characterization methods show that an optimized nanoparticle loading into polymeric membrane obviously improved the surface property, internal structure, mechanical strength, transport property, as well as selectivity. The incorporation of nanoparticles into polymeric membrane material can also mitigate fouling formation by enhancing the hydrophilic surface property. The nanohybrid UF membrane can remove organic by decreasing the COD and BOD up to 88%. In the case of narrower pores membrane, the turbidity removal rate of 99% is possible to achieve. Membrane separation also widely open the intensification process by integrating other process such as adsorption, ozonation, advanced oxidation processes, and/or by providing attractive features such as photocatalytic capability. Therefore, the nanohybrid membrane in polishing high-organic wastewater has great potential for industrial large-scale application. Moreover, the membrane technology allows producing high-quality water than can be recycled as process water. Furthermore, it can be a major contribution to the continuous improvement plans in an environmental management system.
