Functionalized PSf/SiO2 nanocomposite membrane for oil-in-water emulsion separation

Polysulfone is often chosen for the fabrication of ultrafiltration membranes. However, its hydrophobic nature always leads to poor membrane performance. In this study, the PSf membrane was functionalized by blending the SiO2 nanoparticles to improve the PSf hydrophobicity. The modified and unmodified membranes were prepared via phase inversion methods. The surface morphology of the modified membrane exhibited larger pore size with interconnected surface pores. The permeate flux for the modified membrane (PSf-5) was 17.32 L/m2h while for the unmodified membrane (PSf-0) was 1.08 L/m2h. This showed an increase of permeability 16 times higher than the unmodified membrane. The antifouling properties also improved with the increasing of SiO2 nanoparticles. This result proved that when SiO2 nanoparticles were added into the blended composition, the membrane permeability performance and antifouling properties improved by means of bigger pores and membrane hydrophilization.

Research Highlights
► Pore size of the SiO2 filled membrane increased.
► The addition of SiO2 improved the membrane permeability.
► The addition of SiO2 improved the antifouling properties of the fabricated membrane.