This work demonstrates very high
removal rates (below the detection
limit of 0.045 ppb) of inorganic arsenic from water using electrospun
polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes enhanced by the addition
of functionalized graphene oxide in membrane distillation. This shows
potential for applications in the many parts of the world suffering
from arsenic-contaminated groundwater. These membranes were enhanced
by the addition of reduced graphene oxide functionalized with superhydrophobic
polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane molecules (POSS-rGO) into the
spinning solutions. The flux of the best-performing rGO-enhanced membrane
(containing 2 wt % POSS-rGO) was 21.5% higher than that of the pure
PVDF membrane and almost double that of a commercial polytetrafluoroethylene
(PTFE) membrane after 24 h of testing, with rejection values exceeding
99.9%. Furthermore, the flux of this membrane was stable over 5 days
(∼28 L m
–2
h
–1
) of continuous
testing and was more stable than those of the PTFE and control membranes
when treating a concentrated fouling solution of calcium carbonate
and iron(III) sulfate heptahydrate. It also achieved higher permeate
quality in these conditions. The Young’s modulus and ultimate
tensile strength of the best-performing membrane increased by 38 and
271%, respectively, compared to the pure polymer membrane, while both
had similar porosities of ∼91%.
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