Preparation and characterization of modified poly (ethersulfone)/hematite iron oxide nano particles (α-Fe2O3) ultrafiltration membranes: food industrial wastewater treatment

In this research, new polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membranes was prepared via phase inversion technique. polyethersulfone was used as a polymer, hematite iron oxide nanoparticles (α-Fe2O3) as an additive, polyvinylpyrrolidone as a pore former, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a solvent, in preparation of the casting solutions and the distillated water as a gelation media. The effect of nanoparticles concentration (0, 0.25, 0.75 and 1 wt. %) was studied on the membrane characteristics, including membrane morphology, contact angle, pure water flux and the food industrial wastewater treatment using the scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle apparatus and experimental set-up. According to the results, increasing the concentration of the iron oxide nanoparticles from 0 to 0.75 wt. % led to the improved membranes with a higher thickness, a more porous structure in the sublayer, and a higher hydrophilicity and pure water flux. As the results showed, in the membrane containing 0.75 wt% hematite iron oxide nanoparticles, the contact angel decreased from 65.79 ± 2.36 to 35.19 ± 1.38 and pure water flux increased from 33.09 l/m2h to 53.98 l/m2h at pressure of 5 bar. The membrane performed well in rejecting the wastewater contaminants.