Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 18, 2026
Synthesis of Hydrogels with Antifouling Properties As Membranes for Water Purification
Published on: April 7, 2017
Performance enhancement of polyvinyl chloride ultrafiltration membrane modified with graphene oxide
Yuanyuan Zhao1, Jiaqi Lu2, Xuyang Liu3
1School of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Harbin 150001, China; State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China.
Abstract:
A novel polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membrane was modified with graphene oxide (GO) via phase inversion method to improve its hydrophilicity and mechanical properties. The GO presented a large amount of hydrophilic groups after the modification through the modified Hummers method. It was observed that with the addition of low fraction of GO powder, the GO/PVC hybrid membranes exhibited a significant enhancement in hydrophilicity, water flux, and mechanical properties. With optimal dosage (0.1wt%), the pure water flux of GO/PVC membrane increased from 232.6L/(m(2)hbar) to 430.0L/(m(2)hbar) and the tensile strength increased from 231.3cN to 305.3cN. The improved properties of the PVC/GO hybrid membranes are mainly attributed to the strong hydrophilicity of functional groups on the GO surface, indicating that GO has a promising candidate for modification of PVC ultrafiltration membranes in wastewater treatment.
