Hyperbranched polyester amide/polyethersulphone mixed matrix nanofiltration membranes for contaminant rejection

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Nanofiltration (NF) is an efficient, eco-friendly, low-pressure separation technology widely used in water treatment.
• Developing advanced membranes is crucial for enhancing water purification processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To prepare and characterize novel flat sheet mixed matrix membranes for nanofiltration applications.
• To evaluate the performance of these membranes in removing heavy metals and proteins from water.

Main Methods:

• Membranes were fabricated using the phase inversion method with blends of hyperbranched polyester amide (PEA) and polyether sulphone (PES).
• Membrane characterization included FTIR, TGA, contact angle analysis, and SEM for morphological investigation.
• Performance evaluation involved assessing heavy metal [Pb(NO3)2, CuSO4] and protein rejection, alongside permeate flux measurements.

Main Results:

• SEM analysis confirmed a porous structure with micro-voids, suitable for NF.
• The addition of PEA to PES altered membrane porosity and performance.
• Membranes demonstrated high salt rejection efficiency (up to 85% for Pb(NO3)2) and good permeate flux.
• Protein rejection reached an impressive 99.5% with PEA-containing membranes.

Conclusions:

• The developed PEA-PES blend membranes exhibit excellent performance characteristics for nanofiltration.
• These novel membranes offer a promising solution for advanced water treatment, including heavy metal and protein removal.