A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil Removal
Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is a popular polymer that can be made into membranes using various techniques, such as electrospinning and phase inversion. Electrospinning is a novel technique that produces nonwoven nanofiber-based membranes with highly tunable properties. In this research, electrospun PAN...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Membranes |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/5/474 |
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| author | Thamer Diwan Zaidun N. Abudi Mustafa H. Al-Furaiji Arian Nijmeijer |
| author_facet | Thamer Diwan Zaidun N. Abudi Mustafa H. Al-Furaiji Arian Nijmeijer |
| author_sort | Thamer Diwan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is a popular polymer that can be made into membranes using various techniques, such as electrospinning and phase inversion. Electrospinning is a novel technique that produces nonwoven nanofiber-based membranes with highly tunable properties. In this research, electrospun PAN nanofiber membranes with various concentrations (10, 12, and 14% PAN/dimethylformamide (DMF)) were prepared and compared to PAN cast membranes prepared by the phase inversion technique. All of the prepared membranes were tested for oil removal in a cross-flow filtration system. A comparison between these membranes’ surface morphology, topography, wettability, and porosity was presented and analyzed. The results showed that increasing the concentration of the PAN precursor solution increases surface roughness, hydrophilicity, and porosity and, consequently, enhances the membrane performance. However, the PAN cast membranes showed a lower water flux when the precursor solution concentration increased. In general, the electrospun PAN membranes performed better in terms of water flux and oil rejection than the cast PAN membranes. The electrospun 14% PAN/DMF membrane gave a water flux of 250 LMH and a rejection of 97% compared to the cast 14% PAN/DMF membrane, which showed a water flux of 117 LMH and 94% oil rejection. This is mainly because the nanofibrous membrane showed higher porosity, higher hydrophilicity, and higher surface roughness compared to the cast PAN membranes at the same polymer concentration. The porosity of the electrospun PAN membrane was 96%, while it was 58% for the cast 14% PAN/DMF membrane. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:30:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-db8c1a757a4b44c2a38c00fbc9ffa816 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0375 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:30:46Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Membranes |
| spelling | doaj.art-db8c1a757a4b44c2a38c00fbc9ffa8162023-11-18T02:23:54ZengMDPI AGMembranes2077-03752023-04-0113547410.3390/membranes13050474A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil RemovalThamer Diwan0Zaidun N. Abudi1Mustafa H. Al-Furaiji2Arian Nijmeijer3Environmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 10052, IraqEnvironmental Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Mustansiriyah University, Baghdad 10052, IraqEnvironment and Water Directorate, Ministry of Science and Technology, Baghdad 10066, IraqInorganic Membranes, Department of Science and Technology, MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, The NetherlandsPolyacrylonitrile (PAN) is a popular polymer that can be made into membranes using various techniques, such as electrospinning and phase inversion. Electrospinning is a novel technique that produces nonwoven nanofiber-based membranes with highly tunable properties. In this research, electrospun PAN nanofiber membranes with various concentrations (10, 12, and 14% PAN/dimethylformamide (DMF)) were prepared and compared to PAN cast membranes prepared by the phase inversion technique. All of the prepared membranes were tested for oil removal in a cross-flow filtration system. A comparison between these membranes’ surface morphology, topography, wettability, and porosity was presented and analyzed. The results showed that increasing the concentration of the PAN precursor solution increases surface roughness, hydrophilicity, and porosity and, consequently, enhances the membrane performance. However, the PAN cast membranes showed a lower water flux when the precursor solution concentration increased. In general, the electrospun PAN membranes performed better in terms of water flux and oil rejection than the cast PAN membranes. The electrospun 14% PAN/DMF membrane gave a water flux of 250 LMH and a rejection of 97% compared to the cast 14% PAN/DMF membrane, which showed a water flux of 117 LMH and 94% oil rejection. This is mainly because the nanofibrous membrane showed higher porosity, higher hydrophilicity, and higher surface roughness compared to the cast PAN membranes at the same polymer concentration. The porosity of the electrospun PAN membrane was 96%, while it was 58% for the cast 14% PAN/DMF membrane.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/5/474electrospinningoil removalPAN polymerphase inversionDMF |
| spellingShingle | Thamer Diwan Zaidun N. Abudi Mustafa H. Al-Furaiji Arian Nijmeijer A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil Removal Membranes electrospinning oil removal PAN polymer phase inversion DMF |
| title | A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil Removal |
| title_full | A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil Removal |
| title_fullStr | A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil Removal |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil Removal |
| title_short | A Competitive Study Using Electrospinning and Phase Inversion to Prepare Polymeric Membranes for Oil Removal |
| title_sort | competitive study using electrospinning and phase inversion to prepare polymeric membranes for oil removal |
| topic | electrospinning oil removal PAN polymer phase inversion DMF |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/13/5/474 |
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