DOI: https://doi.org/10.55373/mjchem.v28i2.377

Keywords: Palm-oil Mill Effluent (POME), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), photocatalytic membrane, MXene

Abstract

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a highly polluted industrial wastewater containing elevated chemical oxygen demand (COD) and suspended solids, requiring advanced and sustainable treatment technologies beyond conventional methods. In this study, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes immobilized with varying loadings of MXene (Ti₂C) photocatalytic nanofibers were fabricated and evaluated for palm oil mill effluent (POME) treatment. The results demonstrated that increasing MXene loading improved nanofiber diameter, surface hydrophilicity, and both water and POME flux; however, excessive loading (5 wt%) induced MXene agglomeration and excessive pore enlargement, which diminished COD rejection. In contrast, the membrane containing 3 wt% MXene provided an optimal balance between porosity and pore size, resulting in high COD and total suspended solids (TSS) removal together with good permeability and structural stability. Overall, the PVDF–MXene membrane containing 3 wt% MXene exhibited the most balanced performance by achieving high COD and total suspended solids (TSS) removal while maintaining good permeation flux and structural integrity, highlighting its strong potential as an efficient and sustainable membrane material for POME treatment.