article · Water Environment Research
Geopolymer membranes synthesised from industrial slag and metakaolin offer an effective approach for treating textile wastewater. Testing formulations containing 30, 50, and 70 weight per cent slag identified an optimal composition at 50 weight per cent slag. This membrane established a hybrid calcium and sodium aluminosilicate hydrate framework with an integrated, uniform pore structure and a porosity of 34.65 per cent. It maintained a favourable balance between mechanical compression, porosity, and permeability. When evaluated against textile wastewater, the membrane achieved high removal rates for turbidity, chemical oxygen demand, and colour. Dielectric analysis across broad frequencies and temperatures demonstrated that electrical transport is driven by thermally activated hopping, governed by interfacial polarisation and structural heterogeneity. These characteristics confirm the membrane is a functional, sustainable candidate for industrial effluent filtration.
Treating textile wastewater requires durable filtration materials that can withstand harsh operating conditions and separate complex pollutants. By utilising slag, an industrial byproduct, combined with metakaolin to create mineral-based membranes, this approach presents an environmentally conscious alternative to conventional separation systems. It supports circular economy principles while effectively stripping harmful colour, chemical pollutants, and suspended particles from industrial effluent.
This research demonstrates laboratory-scale applied testing of geopolymer membranes tailored for industrial textile wastewater processing. Potential end users include textile manufacturing plants, industrial effluent treatment facilities, and membrane equipment developers seeking mineral-based filtration alternatives. The technology appears to be at an early, laboratory-tested stage, with further scaling, continuous operational durability assessments, and pilot trials under real industrial flows required before commercial adoption can occur.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
ABSTRACT The development of sustainable and effective membranes for industrial wastewater treatment is a significant challenge in environmental protection. In this work, slag and metakaolin‐based geopolymer membranes were prepared and optimized for textile wastewater treatment. Three slag contents (30 wt%, 50 wt%, and 70 wt%) were considered. They were synthesized and systematically compared with respect to their structural, microstructural, mechanical, filtration, and dielectric properties. Specifically, it was found that the membrane with 50 wt% slag (GM‐50) retains a good balance between porosity (34.65%), compression, and permeability results. Structural data confirmed the formation of a hybrid C‐A‐S‐H/N‐A‐S‐H geopolymer framework, whereas SEM measurements revealed an integrated, uniform pore structure beneficial for filtration. The GM‐50 membrane exhibited excellent filtration performance, achieving high removal efficiencies of turbidity, COD, and color in textile wastewater. Apart from filtration performance, the dielectric properties of the optimized membrane were characterized using impedance spectroscopy over a broad frequency range (10 1 –10 7 Hz) and temperature range (30°C–180°C). The inferred transport mechanisms arise predominantly within a structurally heterogeneous geopolymer matrix and are driven by thermally activated hopping processes. Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars interfacial polarization dominated the dielectric behavior, and non‐Debye–type relaxation characteristics indicated that the material's structural heterogeneity and pore connectivity were key factors. The synergistic structural, functional, and dielectric characterization confirmed that the optimized GM‐50 membrane is a feasible and sustainable option for textile wastewater treatment with direct relevance to electrical transport properties of geopolymer‐based materials.
This page summarises published work. The authoritative version sits with the publisher.
DOI: 10.1002/wer.70554
Is something wrong with this record? Report it or request removal.
Discussion
Have you built on this work, tried to replicate it, or seen it applied in practice? Share what you know. Verified researchers and MARATTO™ domain experts can open a discussion, and any member can reply. Contributions are reviewed before they appear.
No discussion yet. Open the first thread.
New to MARATTO™? Create a free account.
