To avoid particle agglomeration and
to improve membrane antifouling
property, commercial TiO2 particles were modified with
polyaniline (PANI) by in situ polymerization. SEM and FTIR analysis
confirmed the incorporation of PANI on the surface of the TiO2 particles. The average size of PANI/TiO2 nanoparticles
is in the range of 10–67 ± 3 nm. The preparednanoparticles
are used as surface and inner nanofiller additives and dispersed into
the polysulfone (PSf) to obtain ultrafiltration nanocomposite membranes
via phase inversion method. The surface hydrophilicity of nanocomposite
membrane increases with increasing nanoparticles (0 to 1.5 wt %) concentrations.
The membrane morphology indicates that nanocomposite membranes exhibited
larger surface pore size, higher porosity, more finger-like pores,
and less macrovoids than the control PSf membrane. The experimental
results indicate that the 1.0 wt % of PANI/TiO2 content
membrane depicted excellent hydrophilicity, water permeability, and
better antifouling property with high rejection. Bovine serum albumin
and humicacid were used as model foulants. The protein adsorption
study showed that PANI/TiO2 content membranes adsorbed
more at the isoelectric point of BSA solution and decreased as the
solution pH increases. Higher nanoparticles content (1.5 wt %) membrane
outcomes are elucidated and affected and resulted in significant
particle agglomeration. Finally, obtained experimental results show
that the nanocomposite membranes have higher flux and better antifouling
property than the control PSf membrane.
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