Preparation and characterization of a novel highly hydrophilic and antifouling polysulfone/nanoporous TiO₂nanocomposite membrane

Abstract

In this research, novel ultrafiltration nanocomposite membranes were prepared by incorporating self-synthesized nanoporous titanium dioxide (NTiO2) nanoparticles into polysulfone. The surface of the nanoparticle was treated with a silane-based modifier to improve its distribution in the host polymer. Atomic-force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, porosity and contact angle tests were conducted to characterize the properties of the particles as well as the fabricated nanocomposite membranes. The effects of the nanoparticle incorporation were evaluated by conducting ultrafiltration experiments. It was reported that the membrane pure water flux was increased with increasing NTiO2 loading owing to the high porosity of the nanoparticles embedded and/or formation of enlarged pores upon addition of them. The antifouling capacity of the membranes was also tested by ultrafiltration of bovine serum albumin fouling solution. It was found that both water flux and antifouling capacity tended to reach desired level if the NTiO2 added was at optimized loading.

Thin‐Film Nanocomposite Nanofiltration Membranes Incorporated with Graphene Oxide for Phosphorus Removal

“…A larger membrane pore size can be attributed to lower cross‐linking degree of the polyamide layer that formed over the substrate incorporated with nanomaterials. Similar observations were also made in other works in which the introduction of nanoparticles into a substrate could affect the polyamide layer properties to a certain extent .…”

A Thin Film Nanocomposite Reverse Osmosis Membrane Incorporated with S‐Beta Zeolite Nanoparticles for Water Desalination

“…For instance, the substrate with low transport resistance can be fabricated by optimizing the polymeric dope formulation while selective layer can be optimized for high water flux without compromising salt rejection . In recent years, to fabricate the thin‐film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes with improved performance, various types of nanomaterials such as titanium dioxide, zeolite, carbon nanotubes, silica, gold nanoparticle, graphene oxide and alumina have been incorporated in either the porous substrate or the active layer or both layers of TFC RO membranes …”

“…[14][15][16] In recent years, to fabricate the thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes with improved performance, various types of nanomaterials such as titanium dioxide, zeolite, carbon nanotubes, silica, gold nanoparticle, graphene oxide and alumina have been incorporated in either the porous substrate or the active layer or both layers of TFC RO membranes. [17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] In this work, a new type of TFN membrane was fabricated by incorporating S-Beta zeolite nanoparticles into PA selective layer during interfacial polymerization (IP) process. S-Beta zeolite was self-synthesized based on environmentally friendly method without using organic solvents and templates.…”

Fabrication of high thermal stable cured novolac/Cloisite 30B nanocomposites by chemical modification of resin structure

“…In the recent decades, polymer nanocomposites have been studied extensively in scientific research and also industrial applications due to improved physical and chemical properties such as modulus, thermal resistance, gas permeability, and also biodegradability compared with neat polymers . Among reinforcing fillers, nanoclays have been extensively utilized due to their low cost, accessibility, layered structure, and importantly effective interactions with matrix due to their functionalities .…”