DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF A BIO-MEMBRANE DESALINATION SYSTEM FOR ARID COASTAL REGIONS

This research involved extracting cellulose from sawdust, converting it into cellulose acetate (CA), and evaluating its performance as a bio-membrane for desalination of synthetic saline water. The experimental studies were conducted using a fixed-bed adsorption column setup, to the desalinate synthetic saline water. The CA biomembrane exhibited a high salt removal efficiency of up to 98.95%. Kinetic modeling was carried with the obtained results, using the Bohart-Adams and Thomas models. The Bohart-Adams model better described the adsorption behavior, with a higher correlation coefficient of 91.5%, as compared with the correlation coefficient of 85.7 % of the Thomas model. The results demonstrate the potential of the developed CA bio-membrane for seawater desalination. This innovative approach can help address the global portable water scarcity challenge in coastal communities, by providing potentially sustainable, cost-effective, and energy-efficient desalination technology, when compared to conventional technologies