ABSTRACT

This study presents a comparative evaluation of thin film composite (TFC) membranes for the separation of monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA) from wastewater. Amines, commonly released from gas treatment, pharmaceutical and chemical industries, must be removed due to their toxicity, contribution to eutrophication and interference with biological treatment processes. The performance of TFC membranes was assessed in terms of water permeability, pure water flux and amine rejection under varying operational conditions, including amine concentration, type, inlet pressure and membrane type. Results showed distinct separation efficiencies, with TEA (53.28%) achieving the highest rejection, followed by DEA (41.15%) and MEA (33.79%) at 150 ppm. Membrane surface properties, particularly contact angle (75.38°) and surface charge (–10 mV), significantly influenced separation behaviour. The findings highlight the potential of TFC membranes as an effective solution for amine-rich wastewater treatment and provide useful insights for optimising membrane-based separation processes in industrial applications. 

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