Composite Aramid Membranes with High Strength and pH-Response

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• pH-responsive membranes are emerging technologies for advanced wastewater treatment.
• Aramid nanofiber (ANF) membranes offer potential due to their inherent properties.
• Developing intelligent membranes with tunable responses is crucial for efficient separation processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a novel intelligent membrane with dual pH-responsive characteristics.
• To investigate the integration of hydrolyzed aramid nanofibers (HANFs) into ANF membranes.
• To evaluate the performance and properties of the developed membranes for potential applications.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of ANF membranes incorporating HANFs using a vacuum filtration method.
• Characterization of the membranes' pH-responsive behavior in acidic and basic environments.
• Assessment of mechanical strength, thermal stability, and solvent resistance.

Main Results:

• The novel membranes exhibited dual pH-responsiveness: negative in acidic conditions and positive in basic conditions.
• High tensile strength (55.74 MPa) and decomposition temperature (~363 °C) were maintained even with 50 wt% HANFs.
• Good solvent resistance was observed, indicating membrane durability.

Conclusions:

• The developed dual pH-responsive membranes demonstrate significant potential for wastewater treatment.
• The incorporation of HANFs effectively imparts intelligent pH-responsive behavior to ANF membranes.
• These membranes are promising for applications in drug delivery, sensors, and sewage treatment.