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Effective incorporation of TiO 2 nanoparticles into polyamide thin‐film composite membranes
Author(s) -
Kim SeongJoong,
Lee PyungSoo,
Bano Saira,
Park YouIn,
Nam SeungEun,
Lee KewHo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.43383
Subject(s) - polyamide , membrane , interfacial polymerization , materials science , thin film composite membrane , chemical engineering , nanoparticle , fouling , composite number , nanocomposite , aqueous solution , biofouling , polymerization , polymer chemistry , composite material , polymer , nanotechnology , reverse osmosis , chemistry , organic chemistry , monomer , biochemistry , engineering
The effectiveness of TiO 2 nanoparticles in improving the performance of polyamide (PA) thin‐film composite (TFC) membranes has been investigated. PA TFC membranes were prepared by interfacial polymerization with m ‐phenylenediamine (MPD) and 1,3,5‐benzene tricarbonyl trichloride (TMC) where TiO 2 particles were added during and after interfacial polymerization. To distribute the TiO 2 nanoparticles uniformly in the PA films, colloidally stable TiO 2 sols were synthesized and added to the aqueous MPD solution rather than to an organic TMC solution. Through the use of different incorporation methods, TiO 2 particles were located on the top surface, in PA film layer, and in both positions. In the case of dense PA layers, the hydrophilicity of the membranes was significantly improved due to the presence of TiO 2 particles, resulting in an increased water flux. On the other hand, the enhancement of water flux was less significant when TiO 2 particles were incorporated into a loose PA film that was prepared with additives. In addition, a BSA fouling test confirmed that TiO 2 nanoparticles effectively improve the antifouling properties of the membranes for both dense and loose PA films. This effect is possibly due to increased hydrophilicity, covering of the fouling space, and a reduction in surface roughness. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133 , 43383.