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Development of polysulfone membrane via vapor-induced phase separation for oil/water emulsion filtration
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Document Title
Development of polysulfone membrane via vapor-induced phase separation for oil/water emulsion filtration
Author
Barambu N.U., Bilad M.R., Bustam M.A., Huda N., Jaafar J., Narkkun T., Faungnawakij K.
Name from Authors Collection
Affiliations
Department of Chemical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak 32610, Malaysia; HICoE-Centre for Biofuel and Biochemical Research, Institute of Self-Sustainable Building, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Seri Iskandar, Perak 32610, Malaysia; Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Jalan UMS, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah 88400, Malaysia; Advanced Membrane Technology Research Center (AMTEC), School of Chemical and Energy Engineering (SCEE), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor Bahru, Johor 81310, Malaysia; National Nanotechnology Center (NANOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), 111 Thailand Science Park, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand
Type
Article
Source Title
Polymers
ISSN
20734360
Year
2020
Volume
12
Issue
11
Page
Jan-16
Open Access
Gold, Green
Publisher
MDPI AG
DOI
10.3390/polym12112519
Abstract
The discharge of improperly treated oil/water emulsion by industries imposes detrimental effects on human health and the environment. The membrane process is a promising technology for oil/water emulsion treatment. However, it faces the challenge of being maintaining due to membrane fouling. It occurs as a result of the strong interaction between the hydrophobic oil droplets and the hydrophobic membrane surface. This issue has attracted research interest in developing the membrane material that possesses high hydraulic and fouling resistance performances. This research explores the vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) method for the fabrication of a hydrophilic polysulfone (PSF) membrane with the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the additive for the treatment of oil/water emulsion. Results show that the slow nonsolvent intake in VIPS greatly influences the resulting membrane structure that allows the higher retention of the additive within the membrane matrix. By extending the exposure time of the cast film under humid air, both surface chemistry and morphology of the resulting membrane can be enhanced. By extending the exposure time from 0 to 60 s, the water contact angle decreases from 70.28 ± 0.61◦ to 57.72 ± 0.61◦, and the clean water permeability increases from 328.70 ± 8.27 to 501.89 ± 8.92 (L·m−2·h−1·bar−1). Moreover, the oil rejection also improves from 85.06 ± 1.6 to 98.48 ± 1.2%. The membrane structure was transformed from a porous top layer with a finger-like macrovoid sub-structure to a relatively thick top layer with a sponge-like macrovoid-free sub-structure. Overall results demonstrate the potential of the VIPS process to enhance both surface chemistry and morphology of the PSF membrane. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Funding Sponsor
Universiti Teknologi Petronas; Universiti Malaysia Sabah
License
CC BY
Rights
Author
Publication Source
Scopus