A novel polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membrane blended with different concentrations of SAPO-34 nanoporous zeolite was fabricated by the non-solvent induced phase inversion method. The prepared blended membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle, porosity, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and permeation analyses as well as fouling and rejection tests. The SEM images of the membranes showed an asymmetric structure possessing a dense top-layer and a combination of spongy and finger-like porous sub-layer. The modified PVDF membranes had lower water contact angle, higher hydrophilicity and water flux due to the presence of hydrophilic SAPO-34 zeolite in the polymer medium. All of the nanocomposite membranes showed higher flux recovery ratio (FRR (%)) compared to the unfilled PVDF membrane. The membrane containing 0.5 wt% SAPO-34 had the best antifouling performance (FRR= 89.4%) with a bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection value more than 99%.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.