Antifouling Polyethersulfone-Petrol Soot Nanoparticles Composite Ultrafiltration Membrane for Dye Removal in Wastewater

Abstract

Engineered nanoparticles are known to boost membrane performance in membrane technology. Hitherto, tunable properties that lead to improved hydrophilicity due to increased surface oxygen functionalities upon oxidation of petrol soot have not been fully exploited in membrane filtration technology. Herein, the integration of oxidized petrol soot nanoparticles (PSN) into polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes produced via phase inversion technique for dye removal in wastewater is reported. The nanoparticles, as well as the composite membranes, were characterized with diverse physicochemical methods, particularly TEM, SEM, BET, AFM, contact angle, etc. The effect of varying the ratio of PSN (0.05–1.0 wt %) on the properties of the composite membrane was evaluated. The composite membranes displayed increased hydrophilicity, enhanced pure water flux, and antifouling properties relative to the pristine membrane. For example, the obtained pure water flux increased from 130 L·m−2·h−1 for base membrane to 265 L·m−2·h−1 for the best composite membrane (M4). The best flux recovery ratio (FRR) observed for the membranes containing PSN was ca. 80% in contrast to 49% obtained with the pristine membrane indicative of the positive influence of PSN on membrane antifouling behavior. Furthermore, the PSN composite membranes displayed relatively selective anionic dye rejection of ˃95% for Congo red and between 50–71% for methyl orange compared with 42–96% rejection obtained for cationic methylene blue dye with increasing PSN content. The successful fabrication of polyethersulfone–PSN composite membranes by a simple blending process opens a novel route for the preparation of economical, functional, and scalable water purification membranes capable of addressing the complex issue of water remediation of organic azo dyes.

Flexible, durable, and anti-fouling maghemite copper oxide nanocomposite-based membrane with ultra-high flux and efficiency for oil-in-water emulsions separation

“…An intriguing aspect of the composite membrane’s behavior lies in its inherent antifouling properties (Liu et al 2017 ; Makhetha and Moutloali 2018 ; Abedini 2019 ; Kotlhao et al 2019 ; Shen et al 2019 ; Nainar et al 2020 ; Yang et al 2020 ; Nwafor et al 2021 ). The membrane’s ultrahydrophobicity and ultraoleophobicity in aqueous solutions, combined with its ultra-low oil adhesion properties, contribute to its remarkable stability and resilience against fouling (Yong et al 2014 ; Crittenden et al 2015 ; Rasouli et al 2021 ; Zhao et al 2021 ; Nayak et al 2022 ).…”

Carbon Nanomaterials Derived from Black Carbon Soot: A Review of Materials and Applications

“…64,70 Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used to understand the presence of various functional groups. 92,93 Fluorescence analysis gives insights about the existence of different emissive centers on the nanocarbons. 67,94 Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) helps one to understand surface functionalization.…”

“…Spectroscopic techniques, such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns, are used to investigate the crystallinity of the structures. , Raman spectroscopy is used to analyze the extent of graphitization . X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is used to analyze the surface elements and different types of surface chemical bonding and also the different oxidation states of elements. , Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is used to understand the presence of various functional groups. , Fluorescence analysis gives insights about the existence of different emissive centers on the nanocarbons. , Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) helps one to understand surface functionalization . Microscopic investigations majorly involve three techniques: scanning electron microscopy (SEM) used to analyze the surface morphology, , atomic force microscopy used to analyze the height profile, , and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM used to investigate the internal morphologies and graphitic arrangements within the nanocarbons framework. , …”

Carbon-Silica Composite as Adsorbent for Removal of Hazardous C.I. Basic Yellow 2 and C.I. Basic Blue 3 Dyes

“…Insignificant impact of temperature on the BY2 uptake was observed, the values of q e exp were ranged from 716.3 mg/g to 733.2 mg/g at 20-60 • C. The sorption capacities of the composite for BB3 and BY2 were compared with data available in the literature [17,[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] and are presented in Table 4. In addition, many valuable reports can be found in the literature on the adsorptive removal of dyes of different types using composites [32][33][34][35][36]. It is worth mentioning here that attempts to remove BB2 and BB3 from model solutions and wastewater were made using the following methods: electrocoagulation [37], electrolysis [38], photocatalysis [39], oxidation [40], or sonification [41].…”