Cellulose acetate (CA) hybrid membrane prepared by phase inversion method combined with chemical reaction with enhanced permeability and good anti-fouling property

The CA hybrid membrane with enhanced anti-fouling property and higher permeability was prepared by nonsolvent induced phase separation method combined with chemical reaction. The impacts of different solvents (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, N, N- Dimethylacetamide, Dimethyl sulfoxide and N, N-Dimethylformamide), organic acids (citric acid/fumaric acid) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs) on the separation performance and thermal stability of CA hybrid membranes were investigated. Results showed that the introduction of organic acids to membrane matrix caused asymmetry in the membrane structure with more uniform pore size distribution and higher porosity (82.5%). This is attributed to the production of CO(2)bubbles by a reaction between organic acid in the casting solution and salt in the coagulation bath. Meanwhile, a tremendous rise in anti-fouling property (from 89.7% to 94%), pure water flux (from 329.7 to 821.5 L/m(2)h) and permeation flux (from 265.8 to 546.3 L/m(2)h) indicates a significant improvement in the hydrophilicity and the permeability of prepared membranes. In addition, a significant improvement in thermal stability (by 90 degrees C) was achieved owing to the formation of dative bonds between TiO(2)NPs and CA polymer. Therefore, this approach can significantly improve the anti-fouling property and the separation performance of the CA membrane.