Calcium Alginate Hydrogel Filtration Membrane Reinforced by Vacuum Drying and Its Separation Performance for Dye
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/7fs3q854Keywords:
Calcium alginate hydrogel, Vacuum drying, Dye filtration, Mechanical properties, Filtration membraneAbstract
Calcium alginate (CaAlg) hydrogel membranes have demonstrated great application potential in the separation field owing to their excellent antifouling properties, yet their inherent insufficient mechanical strength has severely restricted their large-scale applications. To address this issue, in this study, CaAlg hydrogel membranes were prepared via the ion crosslinking method, and a vacuum drying-rehydration process was adopted for post-treatment, achieving the goal of reinforcing the membrane's mechanical properties while preserving its separation efficiency. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) analysis revealed that free water and bound water inside the membrane were gradually lost during the drying process, and this change was directly correlated with the reduction of membrane thickness and the improvement of tensile strength. Performance test results showed that the optimized membrane exhibited stable rejection performance against various dye pollutants under low-salt conditions, with a rejection rate higher than 95% and a water permeation flux ranging from 8.5~17.5 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹. The flux was jointly affected by the operating pressure and the molecular weight of the dye. This study revealed the balancing mechanism between mechanical reinforcement and separation performance of CaAlg hydrogel membranes, providing new insights and technical support for the development of sustainable membrane materials in the fields of wastewater treatment and carbon capture.
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