Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes
Ultrafiltration (UF) polymeric membranes are widely used in water treatment and support desalination and gas separation membranes. In this article, we enhance the performance of Polysulfone (PSF) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by dispersing different concentrations of thermally reduced graphene (TRG)...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-08-01
|
| Series: | Membranes |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/8/747 |
| _version_ | 1797583879343702016 |
|---|---|
| author | Omnya Abdala Ahmed Nabeeh Abdul Rehman Ahmed Abdel-Wahab Mohammad K. Hassan Ahmed Abdala |
| author_facet | Omnya Abdala Ahmed Nabeeh Abdul Rehman Ahmed Abdel-Wahab Mohammad K. Hassan Ahmed Abdala |
| author_sort | Omnya Abdala |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ultrafiltration (UF) polymeric membranes are widely used in water treatment and support desalination and gas separation membranes. In this article, we enhance the performance of Polysulfone (PSF) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by dispersing different concentrations of thermally reduced graphene (TRG) nanofillers. The UF PSF-TRG MMMs were fabricated via the phase inversion process, and the impact of TRG loading on the characteristics of the membrane, including hydrophilicity, porosity, roughness, and morphology, were analyzed using a contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic mechanical analysis. Incorporating TRG into the PSF matrix led to favorable effects in the instantaneous de-mixing during phase inversion, increasing the porosity and hydrophilicity of MMMs and improving the mechanical properties of the membranes. Moreover, membrane performance was examined to remove dispersed oil from oil–water emulsion and support air-dehumidification membranes. MMM performance in terms of flux and oil rejection was superior to the control PSF membrane. Incorporating 0.25% TRG into PSF resulted in a 70% water flux increase and higher oil rejection compared to the control PSF membrane. As a support for air-dehumidification membranes, the MMM also demonstrated enhanced humidity reduction and an over 20% increase in water vapor permeance over the control PSF membrane. These results indicate that the PSF-TRG MMMs are an excellent candidate for reliable oil–water separation and as a support for air-dehumidification membranes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:44:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1ffeec7983614593916a080419556b36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:44:20Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Membranes |
| spelling | doaj.art-1ffeec7983614593916a080419556b362023-11-19T02:08:16ZengMDPI AGMembranes2077-03752023-08-0113874710.3390/membranes13080747Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration MembranesOmnya Abdala0Ahmed Nabeeh1Abdul Rehman2Ahmed Abdel-Wahab3Mohammad K. Hassan4Ahmed Abdala5Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha P.O. Box 23874, QatarChemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha P.O. Box 23874, QatarChemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha P.O. Box 23874, QatarChemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha P.O. Box 23874, QatarCenter for Advanced Materials (CAM), Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, QatarChemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha P.O. Box 23874, QatarUltrafiltration (UF) polymeric membranes are widely used in water treatment and support desalination and gas separation membranes. In this article, we enhance the performance of Polysulfone (PSF) mixed matrix membranes (MMMs) by dispersing different concentrations of thermally reduced graphene (TRG) nanofillers. The UF PSF-TRG MMMs were fabricated via the phase inversion process, and the impact of TRG loading on the characteristics of the membrane, including hydrophilicity, porosity, roughness, and morphology, were analyzed using a contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and dynamic mechanical analysis. Incorporating TRG into the PSF matrix led to favorable effects in the instantaneous de-mixing during phase inversion, increasing the porosity and hydrophilicity of MMMs and improving the mechanical properties of the membranes. Moreover, membrane performance was examined to remove dispersed oil from oil–water emulsion and support air-dehumidification membranes. MMM performance in terms of flux and oil rejection was superior to the control PSF membrane. Incorporating 0.25% TRG into PSF resulted in a 70% water flux increase and higher oil rejection compared to the control PSF membrane. As a support for air-dehumidification membranes, the MMM also demonstrated enhanced humidity reduction and an over 20% increase in water vapor permeance over the control PSF membrane. These results indicate that the PSF-TRG MMMs are an excellent candidate for reliable oil–water separation and as a support for air-dehumidification membranes.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/8/747Polysulfone membranesmixed matrix membranesthermally reduced grapheneoil–water separationair-dehumidification |
| spellingShingle | Omnya Abdala Ahmed Nabeeh Abdul Rehman Ahmed Abdel-Wahab Mohammad K. Hassan Ahmed Abdala Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes Membranes Polysulfone membranes mixed matrix membranes thermally reduced graphene oil–water separation air-dehumidification |
| title | Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes |
| title_full | Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes |
| title_short | Effect of Thermally Reduced Graphene on the Characteristics and Performance of Polysulfone Mixed Matrix Ultrafiltration Membranes |
| title_sort | effect of thermally reduced graphene on the characteristics and performance of polysulfone mixed matrix ultrafiltration membranes |
| topic | Polysulfone membranes mixed matrix membranes thermally reduced graphene oil–water separation air-dehumidification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/8/747 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT omnyaabdala effectofthermallyreducedgrapheneonthecharacteristicsandperformanceofpolysulfonemixedmatrixultrafiltrationmembranes AT ahmednabeeh effectofthermallyreducedgrapheneonthecharacteristicsandperformanceofpolysulfonemixedmatrixultrafiltrationmembranes AT abdulrehman effectofthermallyreducedgrapheneonthecharacteristicsandperformanceofpolysulfonemixedmatrixultrafiltrationmembranes AT ahmedabdelwahab effectofthermallyreducedgrapheneonthecharacteristicsandperformanceofpolysulfonemixedmatrixultrafiltrationmembranes AT mohammadkhassan effectofthermallyreducedgrapheneonthecharacteristicsandperformanceofpolysulfonemixedmatrixultrafiltrationmembranes AT ahmedabdala effectofthermallyreducedgrapheneonthecharacteristicsandperformanceofpolysulfonemixedmatrixultrafiltrationmembranes |