Performance of Carbon Nanotube/Polysulfone (CNT/Psf) Composite Membranes during Oil–Water Mixture Separation: Effect of CNT Dispersion Method

Abstract

Effect of the dispersion method employed during the synthesis of carbon nanotube (CNT)/polysulfone-infused composite membranes on the quality and separation performance of the membranes during oil–water mixture separation is demonstrated. Carbon nanotube/polysulfone composite membranes containing 5% CNT and pure polysulfone membrane (with 0% CNT) were synthesized using phase inversion. Three CNT dispersion methods referred to as Method 1 (M1), Method 2 (M2), and Method 3 (M3) were used to disperse the CNTs. Morphology and surface property of the synthesized membranes were checked with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. Separation performance of the membranes was evaluated by applying the membrane to the separation of oil–water emulsion using a cross-flow filtration setup. The functional groups obtained from the FTIR spectra for the membranes and the CNTs included carboxylic acid groups (O–H) and carbonyl group (C=O) which are responsible for the hydrophilic properties of the membranes. The contact angles for the membranes obtained from Method 1, Method 2, and Method 3 were 76.6° ± 5.0°, 77.9° ± 1.3°, and 77.3° ± 4.5°, respectively, and 88.1° ± 2.1° was obtained for the pure polysulfone membrane. The oil rejection (OR) for the synthesized composite membranes from Method 1, Method 2, and Method 3 were 48.71%, 65.86%, and 99.88%, respectively, indicating that Method 3 resulted in membrane of the best quality and separation performance.

Effect of Different Solvent on Asymmetric Polysulfone (Psf) Membranes for Co2/Ch4 Separation

“…The absorption of PSf membranes were determined in wavelength of 400 to 3000 cm-1. The original PSf molecule consist of functional groups such as sulfur dioxide (SO2) and methyl (CH3) group [12]. From Figure 4, the wavelength of 1170 cm-1 and 2969 cm-1 representing SO2 and CH3 group respectively inside of PSf.…”

Oily Wastewater Treatment Using Polyamide Thin Film Composite Membrane Technology

“…Thus, disposal of untreated oily wastewater effluents can result in pollution of soil, water, and air. The waste streams which are emitted without any treatment cause environmental problems such as danger to aquatic life and irreversible damage due to the fact of their high organic concentration and rapid de-oxygenation of water [3,4]. Moreover, wastewater from vegetable edible oil industries contains a higher fraction of slowly biodegradable contents, hence, causing noteworthy environmental issues such as ground and surface water pollution.…”

Development of Polysulfone Membrane via Vapor-Induced Phase Separation for Oil/Water Emulsion Filtration

“…Membrane surface chemistry modifications have gained significant research interest due to their effectiveness, facile approach, and the availability of many optional additives [19,20]. Additives such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) and PEG-containing materials are attractive due to their abundance in carboxyl and alcohols groups, high availability, and their low cost [21].…”