Search

In this study, the morphology of the nanostructures is evaluated on the surface characterization and performance of the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration mixed matrix membranes (MMM). To this end, silica nanoparticles (NPs) such as spherical (SiO2) and hexagonal mesoporous (MCM‐41) with high hydrophilicity were incorporated at 0.5, 1, and 2 wt%. Attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared analysis illustrated the placement of NP on the surface of the MMM. Atomic force microscopy studies also showed that SiO2 NP added to PAN exhibited a smoother surface than MCM‐41 NP. Field‐emission scanning electron microscope analysis of the MMM identified that all membranes are composed of a finger‐like porous structure. Contact angle measurements indicate that the morphology of the NPs has no significant effect on MMM hydrophilicity. Moreover, the performance of the MMM was evaluated, and regardless of NP morphology, the MMM showed better permeate flux with increased loading. A higher pure water flux was observed in the PAN‐MCM41‐1% membrane (237 L/m2 h), possibly because of inherent porosity and high hydrophilicity of MCM‐41 compared to SiO2 NP. Further, the PAN‐SiO2‐1% membrane exhibited superior antifouling properties due to a lower surface roughness. The present studies reveal that the morphology of the NP greatly influence on the structure, permeation, and antifouling properties of PAN membranes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the effect of using Al2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) in membrane structure on the operation condition of the membrane bioreactor. To this end, alumina NPs as the high hydrophilic agents with an approximate size of 40 nm and a concentration of 0–3 wt.% were placed within the PAN polymeric membrane matrix structure with high hydrophilicity and high mechanical resistance over the others via the phase inversion method. Characterization of synthesized nanocomposite membranes was carried out by SEM analysis. In the presence of the alumina NPs, the porosity of the membranes improved. The water contact angle measurement confirmed the superior hydrophilicity of mixed PAN membranes compared to the pure polymeric membranes. The best nanocomposite membrane with better antifouling properties was selected to evaluate the MBR's performance in wastewater treatment and assessed in terms of the resistance, flux recovery, and COD removal rates. The result of a comparison with pure membrane showed that by increasing the Al2O3 amount up to 2wt.%, irreversible fouling resistance mitigated as much as 50%. Moreover, the flux recovery ratio was increased by 15%, and the COD removal rate was also raised as large as 16%. Our investigation illustrated that the presence of alumina NPs has improved the MBR performance and decreased the irreversible fouling resistance of the membrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]