Journal of Textile Research ›› 2025, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (09): 84-93.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20241106601

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Preparation and adsorption-photocatalytic performance of cotton-based biochar-ZIF-L(Zn)-chitosan/polypropylene composite membrane

WANG Hongli1,2, ZHANG Hui1,2(), LIU Jianyu1,2, YU Haize1,2, ZHANG Yaning3, WANG Lili3, XU Xuechao4   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Functional Textile Material and Product of Ministry of Education, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710048, China
    2. School of Textile Science and Engineering, Xi'an Polytechnic University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710048, China
    3. Research Center, Inner Mongolia Fengshengtai New Material Co., Ltd., Baotou, Inner Mongolia 014060, China
    4. Innovation Research Institute, Sincetech (Fujian) Technology Co., Ltd., Jinjiang, Fujian 362200, China
  • Received:2024-11-27 Revised:2025-05-09 Online:2025-09-15 Published:2025-11-12
  • Contact: ZHANG Hui E-mail:hzhangw532@xpu.edu.cn

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Abstract:

Objective In order to enhance the hydrophilicity and pollutant removal efficiency of polypropylene (PP) nonwoven fabrics, a composite membrane with dual adsorption and photocatalytic functions was developed. The membrane integrates cotton-based biochar, ZIF-L(Zn) and chitosan onto a PP substrate to enable efficient removal of dyes and antibiotics from wastewater. The study emphasizes the potential of combining bio-derived materials with metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to achieve high-performance membranes for sustainable water purification.

Method Cotton textile waste was pyrolyzed to produce porous cotton-based biochar (CB), which was then combined with two-dimensional ZIF-L(Zn) to obtain a composite powder possessing both adsorption and photocatalytic capabilities. This powder was deposited onto a chitosan-modified PP nonwoven substrate (CSP) by spraying, yielding the CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP composite membrane. The membrane's microstructure, composition, and thermal stability were characterized using scaning electron microsopy(SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), Fourier transform intrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Pore size distribution and filtration performance were systematically evaluated. The influences of precursor mixing order, mass ratios, hot-pressing pressure, and membrane layering on removal efficiency were also investigated.

Results The CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP membranes exhibited strong dye and antibiotic removal capabilities. A 1∶1 mass ratio of CB to ZIF-L(Zn) yielded the optimal performance, achieving a Congo Red (CR) degradation rate of 87.9% under visible light after four reuse cycles. The five-layer membrane prepared under 50 MPa hot-pressing exhibited 100% CR rejection at a flow rate of 15 L/h, with excellent reusability. Additionally, effective removal of methylene blue (MB) and tetracycline (TC) was observed. The reaction sequence of CB and ZIF-L(Zn) precursors played a critical role in determining the microstructure and functional efficiency of the composite. The membrane maintained high performance across multiple cycles, demonstrating excellent stability and regeneration ability.

Conclusion That CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP composite membranes, fabricated via a low-cost and scalable spraying process, offer a promising route for high-efficiency wastewater treatment. The synergistic integration of biochar, MOFs, and chitosan significantly enhances adsorption and photocatalytic performance. These findings highlight the potential of using waste-derived materials for developing multifunctional membranes applicable in practical and sustainable water purification systems.

Key words: cotton-based biochar, ZIF-L(Zn), chitosan, polypropylene composite membrane, adsorption performance, photocatalystic performance, wastewater treatment

CLC Number: 

  • TS171

Fig.1

Schematic diagram of preparation route of CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP composite membrane"

Fig.2

Scanning electron microscope images.(a)CB;(b)ZIF-L(Zn);(c)CB-ZIF-L(Zn);(d)CSP;(e)Surface composite membrane; (f)Cross-section of composite membrane"

Fig.3

XRD patterns of powders and composite membrane. (a)CB,ZIF-L(Zn) and CB-ZIF-L(Zn) powders;(b)CSP nonwoven fabric and CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP composite membrane"

Fig.4

IR spectra and TG curves.(a)IR spectra of CB, ZIF-L(Zn) and CB-ZIF-L(Zn);(b)TG/DTG curves of CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP"

Fig.5

Comparison of composite membranes in filtering CR dye. (a)Single-layer composite membrane under 50 MPa without pump;(b)Composite membranes with different layers under 50 MPa with pump;(c)Stability of CR dye filtration for 5-layer composite membrane under 50 MPa with pump"

Fig.6

Adsorption-desorption isotherms (a), pore volume distribution (b), and (αhv)2 vs. hv plots (c) for CB,ZIF-L(Zn) and CB-ZIF-L(Zn) powders"

Fig.7

Adsorption-photocatalytic degradation curves of organic pollutants using composite membranes prepared from different powders. (a)Adsorption and photocatalytic degradation of CR dye using powders; (b)Influence of preparation method on removal effect of dye;(c)Removal of MB and TC using CB-ZIF-L(Zn)"

Tab.1

Comparison of filtration efficiency, flux and cycle performance between CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP composite membrane and other nonwoven fabric membranes"

过滤膜成分 污染物 污染物质量
浓度/(mg·L-1)		 污染物体积/
mL		 通量/
(L·h-1·m-2)		 过滤效率/
%		 循环
次数		 文献
CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP CR 50 50 16.69 100 5 本文
VF-PET/BSA/CMCS/
AgNPs/CaAlg		 CR/AR 60 — 38.5 98.2/75.2 — [7]
PP-C-F-Z CR/TC/MB 50/20/5 50 30-1 200 98/96.6/100 15/10/10 [12]
ZIF-8/L-DOPA/PVDF CR/MB/TC 30 — 159.63 97.3/98.62/95.3 3 [14]
PDA/ZIF-67/PP MB/MO 20 300 202.7/195.6 92.3/99.5 5 [30]
ZIF-67/PVDF AO7/MB/AR 20 — 263.3 97.3/98.2/90.5 3 [31]
ZIF-67/SA/PVDF MB 5 100 427.6 99 5 [32]
Co3O4/PAN MB 10 100 >300 98 8 [33]
CS/[ZM/PP] MB 20 100 — 96.8 6 [34]

Fig.8

Schematic diagram of reaction mechanism for organic pollutant removal by filtration with CB-ZIF-L(Zn)-CSP composite membranes and photocatalytic degradation of residual pollutants"

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