Zeolite-Based Poly(vinylidene fluoride) Ultrafiltration Membrane: Characterization and Molecular Weight Cut-Off...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Polymeric membranes, particularly poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), are crucial for water filtration.
• Enhancing membrane hydrophilicity and mechanical strength is essential for improved performance.
• Zeolite is a potential additive, but its impact on mechanical properties needs further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of zeolite incorporation on the mechanical properties and hydrophilicity of PVDF membranes.
• To evaluate the impact of zeolite on membrane filtration performance, including pure water flux and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) rejection.
• To utilize a Support Vector Regression (SVR) model for estimating the molecular weight cut off (MWCO) of modified membranes.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of PVDF membranes with varying zeolite concentrations (0.5-2 wt%) using dry-wet phase inversion.
• Characterization of membrane morphology (FESEM), mechanical strength, and hydrophilicity (contact angle).
• Filtration performance testing (pure water flux, BSA rejection) and SVR modeling for MWCO estimation.

Main Results:

• Zeolite addition significantly improved PVDF membrane tensile strength, with 0.5 wt% zeolite yielding 19.4 MPa.
• Incorporation of 1 wt% zeolite enhanced hydrophilicity (67.84° contact angle), increased pure water flux by 63.49%, and achieved 95.76% BSA rejection.
• The SVR model accurately predicted membrane MWCO with an R² value of 0.855.

Conclusions:

• Zeolite is a promising additive for enhancing both the mechanical robustness and separation efficiency of PVDF membranes.
• Zeolite-modified PVDF membranes show potential for advanced applications in ultrafiltration processes.
• The study validates the effectiveness of zeolite in overcoming limitations of traditional PVDF membranes for water treatment.