CELLULOSE/WOLLASTONITE BASED GREEN MEMBRANES USING RICE STRAW: FABRICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION

Cellulose/wollastonite membranes were prepared with an environmentally friendly process using N-methylmorpholine-N-oxide (NMMO), which resulted in mesoporous membranes with slit-shaped pores. Cellulose and wollastonite were extracted from rice straw with different methods. Some parameters, such as weight ratios of cellulose and wollastonite in solution, concentration, thickness of the cast solution on the support layer and porosity of the support layer, influence the formation of the porous cellulose/wollastonite membrane. It was concluded that the porosity and pore size of the cellulose/wollastonite membrane decreased with lower cellulose and higher wollastonite amounts. The membranes became more brittle by increasing the amount of wollastonite, while pure cellulose membranes did not have enough strength to be placed on the polyester support layer. Also, the concentration of cellulose should not be too high or too low. The thickness of the cast solution on the support layer should not be too high, as it reduces the porosity; on the other hand, low thickness reduces the performance of the membrane.