Innovative bismuth oxyiodide-coated tubular ceramic nanofiltration membrane for improved treatment of semiconductor wastewater

The semiconductor manufacturing process generates substantial volumes of wastewater containing a range of contaminants, highlighting the need for effective treatment technologies. Membrane-based treatment approaches, which balance cost-efficiency with performance, represent a promising solution to this issue. Ceramic membranes are particularly suited for this purpose because their exceptional durability and robust physicochemical properties allow them to withstand the harsh conditions as associated with semiconductor wastewater treatment. This study fabricates and tests ceramic membranes that incorporate two-dimensional bismuth oxyiodide (BiOI) to improve contaminant filtration by creating nanochannels within the membrane pores. The average pore size of the tubular ceramic membranes used in this experiment was reduced to 11.5 nm when coated with BiOI, leading to significantly higher removal of key contaminants from semiconductor wastewater, with a maximum removal efficiency of 62.0 % for dissolved silica and 60.0 % for fluoride ions when BiOI was applied at 30.0 mg per unit surface area. It was also demonstrated that this contaminant removal performance remained consistent whether a large quantity of BiOI was applied as a single layer to the membrane or whether smaller quantities were applied as multiple layers. This has practical implications for industrial wastewater treatment because it indicates that the membrane fabrication process can be simplified and optimized allowing for more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable treatment systems to be developed for challenging environmental issues.