The Effectiveness of Clay and Sugarcane Charcoal Ceramic Membrane for Water Filtration

Abstract

Clean water is a fundamental necessity for communities. However, its availability has become increasingly challenging due to population growth and water pollution. To address this issue, ceramic membranes are utilized as a water filtration medium to produce clean water for sanitation. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of ceramic membranes with three distinct compositions: clay:sugarcane charcoal ratios of 70%:10% (MC-1), 55%:25% (MC-2), and 40%:40% (MC-3). The membranes were fabricated as tubes and sintered at 1000°C for 10 hours. The tested parameters included pH, manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), total dissolved solids (TDS), and total suspended solids (TSS). Using a filtration flow rate of 100 mL/min, the MC-1 ceramic membrane demonstrated the most effective reduction in Fe (0.742 mg/L), Mn (0.224 mg/L), TDS (356 mg/L), and TSS (280 mg/L), while maintaining a stable pH of 7.2 and producing odorless water. Characterization of the MC-1 membrane revealed an average pore size of 27.0131 nm, a specific surface area of 0.535082 m2/g, and a total pore volume of 0.00722712 cc/g. These findings confirm that ceramic membranes are a viable solution for enhancing water quality in contaminated regions, contributing to sustainable water management and improved public health.