Antifouling Performance and Mechanism of Piezoelectric Separation Membrane Based on Efficient Antibiotic Pollution Degradation

Membrane filtration faces challenges including fouling and concentration polarization,which significantly impact antibiotic degradation,separation selectivity,and membrane lifespan.These issues urgently necessitate solutions.This study utilized a dry pressing method to fabricate lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr_xTi_1-x)O₃,PZT) piezoelectric separation membranes.We analyzed the impact of membrane starch content on pore size,porosity,and compared the membrane’s separation capabilities.The study employed a series resistance model to compare the anti-pollution performance and types of membrane fouling among piezoelectric separation membranes,base membranes,and conventional microfiltration membranes with comparable pore sizes.The study integrated traditional cake filtration models and the Hermia model to delve into the variation patterns of antibiotic degradation rates and anti-pollution mechanisms induced by in-situ vibration of the PZT piezoelectric separation membrane.The results indicated that an increase in starch content leads to an increase in membrane porosity and average pore size,resulting in a decrease in retention rate.After filtering for 120 minutes under identical conditions,the PZT piezoelectric separation membrane demonstrated a 10.3% higher membrane flux compared to the commercially available conventional microfiltration membrane,along with minimal reversible fouling.Owing to the in-situ vibration-induced cavitation phenomenon,the antibiotic degradation rate of the PZT piezoelectric separation membrane increased by 26% compared to the base membrane.The in-situ vibration also transformed the membrane fouling mechanism from a cake filtration-dominated hybrid fouling mechanism to a complete pore-blocking-induced cake filtration mechanism.This study offers methodological and theoretical support for applying piezoelectric membrane technology in antibiotic wastewater treatment and membrane pollution control.