Filtration of Industrial Wastewater Contaminated by Ammonia Using Nanocomposite Membrane Based on Polyesterurethane

Mixed matrix membranes consisting of a polymeric matrix and dispersed mineral particles in nanoscale are new kinds of membranes that have been developed to eliminate polymeric membranes limitation. In this research, polyesterurethane mixed matrix membranes based on polycaprolactone (PCL) containing 3 Wt. % of unmodified silica and fluorinated silica nanoparticles were prepared by solvent casting method. Prepared nanocomposite membranes were identified by different methods such as TGA, DSC and FT-IR. Separation properties of the membranes were analyzed via laboratory reverse osmosis system by using Shiraz Petrochemical wastewater contaminated by ammonia as a feed. The obtained results of polyurethane–silica membranes show that the membrane containing fluorinated silica nanoparticles has a proper output for ammonia retention up to 62% at 10 bar in comparison with untreated one. Increasing operating pressure to 20 bar causes increasing permeate flux through the prepared membranes, but it significantly decreases the membrane efficiency for ammonia retention.