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Self‐doped sulfonated polyaniline ultrafiltration membranes with enhanced chlorine resistance and antifouling properties
Author(s) -
Alhweij Hassan,
Amura Ida,
Wenk Jannis,
Emanuelsson Emma Anna Carolina,
Shahid Salman
Publication year - 2021
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.50756
Subject(s) - membrane , biofouling , ultrafiltration (renal) , sodium hypochlorite , chemical engineering , chlorine , phase inversion , humic acid , polyaniline , fouling , hypochlorite , materials science , chemistry , chromatography , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , polymer , biochemistry , fertilizer , engineering , polymerization
Membranes heavily rely on chlorination to diminish (bio)fouling, but chlorination can also lead to membrane degradation. We developed sulfonated polyaniline (S‐PANI) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes with improved chlorine resistance and intrinsic antifouling properties. The S‐PANI membranes were synthesized through Non‐solvent Induced Phase Separation (NIPS). Membrane performance was evaluated under harsh chlorine conditions (250 ppm sodium hypochlorite for 3 days under different pH conditions). The S‐PANI membranes showed improved chlorine resistance including a stable performance without changes in model foulant BSA rejection. In contrast, PANI membranes suffered critical structural damage with complete leakage and commercial PES membranes showed a 76% increase in pure water flux and a noticeable change in BSA rejection. Small changes in S‐PANI membrane performance could be linked to membrane structural changes with pH, as confirmed by SEM, IR spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Additionally, the S‐PANI membranes showed better antifouling properties with a high flux recovery ratio in comparison to PANI membranes using alginic acid, humic acid, and BSA model foulants. Chemical cleaning by sodium hypochlorite re‐instated the transport properties to its initial condition. Overall, the developed S‐PANI membranes have a high chlorine tolerance and enhanced antifouling properties making them promising for a range of UF membrane applications.