Surface modification of thin film composite membrane by nanoporous titanate nanoparticles for improving combined organic and inorganic antifouling properties

Emadzadeh D 1 , Ghanbari M 2 , Lau WJ 3 , Rahbari-Sisakht M 4 , Rana D 5 , Matsuura T 6 Show all authors , Kruczek B 5 , Ismail AF 2

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Chemical Engineering, Gachsaran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gachsaran, Iran; Industrial Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur St, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada. Electronic address: d.emadzadeh@iaug.ac.ir
  • 2 Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
  • 3 Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia. Electronic address: lwoeijye@utm.my
  • 4 Department of Chemical Engineering, Gachsaran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Gachsaran, Iran
  • 5 Industrial Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur St, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
  • 6 Industrial Membrane Research Laboratory, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Ottawa, 161 Louis Pasteur St, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada; Advanced Membrane Technology Research Centre (AMTEC), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai, Johor, Malaysia
Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl, 2017 Jun 01;75:463-470.
PMID: 28415486 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2017.02.079

Abstract

In this study, nanoporous titanate (NT) nanoparticle synthesized by the solvothermal method was used to modify polyamide layer of thin film composite membranes with the aim of improving membrane resistances against organic and inorganic fouling. Thin film nanocomposite membranes (NMs) were synthesized by adding mNTs (modified nanoparticles) into polyamide selective layer followed by characterization using different analytical instruments. The results of XPS and XRD confirmed the presence of mNTs in the polyamide layer of NMs, while FESEM, AFM, zeta potential and contact angle measurement further supported the changes in physical and chemical properties of the membrane surface upon mNTs incorporation. Results of fouling showed that NM1 (the membrane incorporated with 0.01w/v% mNTs) always demonstrated lower degree of flux decline compared to the control membrane when membranes were tested with organic, inorganic and multicomponent synthesized water, brackish water or seawater. Besides showing greater antifouling resistance, the NM also displayed significantly higher water flux compared to the control M membrane. The findings of this work confirmed the positive impact of mNTs in improving the properties of NM with respect to fouling mitigation and flux improvement.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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