Synthesis of cellulose acetate membranes from recycled paper for water filtration

This study successfully converts waste newspaper into environmentally friendly cellulose acetate (CA) for fabricating porous membranes for river-water treatment. The membranes were produced at room temperature by phase inversion using CaCO₃ as a pore-forming agent and glycerol as a plasticizer. The optimal membrane contained 70% pure CA and 30% recycled CA, had a thickness of 130 µm, and operated stably for six hours at pH 6-7. Even with influent containing high total suspended solids (1,085 mg/L), the membrane substantially reduced TSS, COD, turbidity, and color, producing treated water that met Column A requirements of QCVN 40:2025/BTNMT. The findings demonstrate the potential of converting solid waste into high-value filtration membranes while supporting circular-economy development and environmental protection.