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Abstract
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Salts, organic materials, and hazardous materials can be found regularly in the effluent
from a desalter unit of crude oil. These materials should be separated from the wastewater. Four
kinds of inexpensive and innovative ceramic microfiltration membranes (mullite, mullite-alumina
(MA 50%), mullite-alumina-zeolite (MAZ 20%), and mullite-zeolite (MZ 40%)) were synthesized in
this research using locally available inexpensive raw materials such as kaolin clay, natural zeolite,
and alpha-alumina powders. Analyses carried out on the membranes include XRD, SEM, void
fraction, the average diameter of the pores, and the ability to withstand mechanical stress. Effluent
from the desalter unit was synthesized in the laboratory using the salts most present in the desalter
wastewater (NaCl, MgCl2, and CaCl2) and crude oil. This synthesized wastewater was treated with
prepared ceramic membranes. It was discovered that different salt concentrations (0, 5000, 25,000,
50,000, 75,000, and 100,000 mg L−1) affected the permeate flux (PF), oil rejection, and ion rejection
by the membrane. Results showed that in a lower concentration of salts (5000 and 25,000 mg L−1),
PF of all types of ceramic membranes was increased significantly, while in the higher concentration,
PF declined due to polarization concentration and high fouling effects. Oil and ion rejection was
increased slightly by increasing salt dosage in wastewater due to higher ionic strength. Monovalent
(Na+) and multivalent (Ca2+ and Mg2+) ion rejection was reported about 5 to 13%, and 23 to 40%
respectively. Oil rejection varied from 96.2 to 99.2%.
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