# Eco-Friendly Ceramic Membranes from Natural Clay and Almond Shell Waste for the Removal of Dyes and Drugs from Wastewater

## TL;DR

Researchers made eco-friendly ceramic membranes using natural clay and almond shell waste to effectively remove dyes and drugs from wastewater.

## Contribution

The study introduces a sustainable ceramic membrane using almond shell waste and natural clay with optimized properties for wastewater treatment.

## Key findings

- The MP2-900 membrane showed high mechanical strength (≈28 MPa), low shrinkage (<5%), and good water permeability (35 L·h−1·m−2·bar−1).
- The MP2-900 membrane achieved 87% removal efficiency for both crystal violet dye and paracetamol from synthetic wastewater.
- The membrane's optimal performance was achieved with 2 wt.% almond shell powder and 2 wt.% lime sintered at 900 °C.

## Abstract

This study investigates the influence of sintering temperature (850–950 °C) and almond shell content (2–10 wt.%) on the structural, mechanical, and functional properties of natural-clay-based ceramic membranes. Several membranes were prepared by incorporating different proportions of almond shell powder and 2 wt.% lime as additives and sintered under controlled thermal conditions to optimize their performance. The results demonstrate that both sintering temperature and almond shell content significantly affect membrane porosity, mechanical strength, and water permeability. Among all of the tested samples, the membrane designated MP2-900, composed of natural clay, 2 wt.% almond shell powder, and 2 wt.% lime, sintered at 900 °C, exhibited the most balanced performance. It showed high mechanical strength (≈28 MPa), low shrinkage (<5%), and good water permeability (35 L·h−1·m−2·bar−1). When tested for the removal of crystal violet (CV) dye and paracetamol (PCT) from synthetic wastewater, the MP2-900 membrane achieved a removal efficiency of 87% for both pollutants. Overall, the MP2-900 membrane represents the optimal configuration, providing an excellent balance between mechanical robustness, porosity, and separation performance. These findings highlight the potential of sustainable clay-based ceramic membranes derived from agricultural by-products for the efficient removal of recalcitrant pollutants from wastewater.