Preparation and characterization of PES–SiO2 organic–inorganic composite ultrafiltration membrane for raw water pretreatment

Ultrafiltration (UF) has become an accepted process for drinking water treatment, but membrane fouling remains a significant problem. Polyethersulfone (PES)/SiO2 composite membranes were prepared by phase inversion method with nano-SiO2 as additive. Water contact angle measurement was conducted to investigate the hydrophilicity and surface wettability of the membranes. The effect of SiO2 nanoparticles on the membrane permeation properties, anti-fouling performances, and membrane morphologies and structures was examined and discussed. The influence of SiO2 on the water permeability, anti-fouling of the PES membranes were evaluated by raw water UF experiments. The results showed that the membrane structure was not obviously affected by addition of SiO2, and the membrane performances such as hydrophilicity and anti-fouling ability were enhanced by adding SiO2 nanoparticles.