Polysulfone Nanocomposite Membranes with improved hydrophilicity

Membrane separation processes have been widely applied in the treatment of wastewater with polysulfone (PSF) polymer membrane being the most frequently used in ultrafiltration of wastewater due to its chemical and structural stability and mechanical robustness. A disadvantage to these membranes is their hydrophobicity which leads to membrane fouling caused predominantly by organic pollutants in water. Many studies have been conducted to increase the hydrophilic properties of the polysulfone membrane surface. This paper reports on the preparation and characterisation of polysulfone nanocomposites where silver, cobalt and nickel nanoparticles have been incorporated into polysulfone materials. The metallic nanoparticles and the nanocomposites were characterized using high resolution - transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), square wave voltammetry (SWV), and contact angle techniques. The SEM, TEM and EDS confirmed the size of the metal nanoparticles to be in the nanometer range. The SEM images of the modified polysulfone thin film showed porous structures compared to unmodified polysulfone. Drop shape analysis confirmed a 50% reduction in surface contact angle. The fouling behaviour of the polysulfone materials was evaluated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The PSF/Co and PSF/Ni thin films showed an approximate 50% improvement in fouling performance.