Synthesis of thin film nanocomposite membranes and their application in dye removal from wastewater

Release of large quantity of dyes into water bodies by textile industries poses serious environmental implications. Removal of these dyes from contaminated stream is a major concern, due to persistent and recalcitrant nature of the pollutants. Technologies, like, physical removal, chemical treatment and biological degradation have been developed for removal of dyes from wastewater. However, most of these processes have their inherent limitations, like, sludge generation, slow removal rate and high adsorbent quantity. On the other hand, membrane filtration has gained popularity due to its high efficiency, small footprint and easy scale-up. However, conventional membrane-based technologies are associated with some inherent drawbacks, such as, high energy consumption, fouling, low water flux and removal percentages. Therefore, the current chapter focuses on the development of novel antifouling thin film nanocomposite membranes and their application in the removal of dyes from contaminated stream. These membranes have film coatings, which assist in enhanced uptake of dyes from wastewater and increased water flux in comparison to conventional nanofiltration and reverse osmosis membranes, with low energy consumption.