Novel High Flux Poly(m-phenylene isophtalamide)/TiO2 Membranes for Ultrafiltration with Enhanced Antifouling Performance

Wide application of ultrafiltration in different industrial fields requires the development of new membranes with tailored properties and good antifouling stability. This study is devoted to the improvement of ultrafiltration properties of poly(m-phenylene isophtalamide) (PA) membranes by modification with titanium oxide (TiO2) particles. The introduction of TiO2 particles improved membrane separation performance and increased antifouling stability and cleaning ability under UV irradiation. The developed membranes were characterized by scanning electron and atomic force microscopy methods, the measurements of water contact angle, and total porosimetry. The transport properties of the PA and PA/TiO2 membranes were tested in ultrafiltration of industrially important feeds: coolant lubricant (cutting fluid) emulsion (5 wt.% in water) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution (0.5 wt.%). The PA/TiO2 (0.3 wt.%) membrane was found to possess optimal transport characteristics in ultrafiltration of coolant lubricant emulsion due to the highest pure water and coolant lubricant fluxes (1146 and 32 L/(m(2) h), respectively), rejection coefficient (100%), and flux recovery ratio (84%). Furthermore, this membrane featured improved ability of surface contamination degradation after UV irradiation in prolonged ultrafiltration of BSA, demonstrating a high flux recovery ratio (89-94%).

Automated summary

The study focuses on enhancing the ultrafiltration properties of PA membranes by modification with TiO2 particles, resulting in improved separation performance, antifouling stability, and cleaning ability. The PA/TiO2 membrane with 0.3 wt.% TiO2 exhibited optimal transport characteristics in ultrafiltration of coolant lubricant emulsion, with high fluxes and flux recovery ratio. After prolonged ultrafiltration of BSA, the membrane showed improved surface contamination degradation ability and high flux recovery ratio after UV irradiation.