Manganese spinel ferrites‐composite nanotubes impregnated thermally endured cellulose acetate membranes for superior desalination application

Abstract

Manganese nanoferrites are decorated over single‐wall carbon nanotubes using in situ co‐precipitation technique to incorporate into cellulose acetate (CA) polymer in order to prepare nanocomposite membranes for salt rejection and desalination purpose. The microstructural study reveals the pore size of the synthesized membranes from 5 nm to 0.20 μm depending upon the loading concentration of the impregnated nanocomposite tubes. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the synthesized membranes delineate the presence of decorated nanotubes in the host polymer matrix. Thermal degradation study proclaims the thermal endurance enhancement with increasing nanotubes concentration in the polymer matrix. Flux rate of the deionized (DI) water through the prepared membranes decreases with increasing nano‐filler concentration while this impact is observed inverse in salt rejection study of the aluminum sulphate (Al2(SO4)3) and zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) solutions due to the transformation of microporosity to nanoporosity with increasing composite tubes dosing into the host CA polymer.