Development of a Noble Fouling-Resistant Membrane for Wastewater Treatment

Abstract

Membrane fouling is a serious matter in membrane operation that impacts the system's durability and cost. A noble fouling-resistant membrane was created to address this issue. A noble fouling-resistant membrane was made using copper oxide-graphene oxide (Cu2O-GO) and polyether sulfone. As copper has strong antimicrobial properties, the per-unit strength of graphene is the highest among the known materials in the world. The Cu2O-GO was incorporated into the polyether sulfone matrix using the phase inversion method. The effects of Cu2O-GO on the performance and antifouling properties of the membrane were investigated. The membrane structure and properties have also been characterized by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The SEM and EDX tests were carried out on the 0.1 wt %, 0.5 wt %, and 1 wt% of Cu2O membranes. Membrane performance in terms of wastewater treatment and fouling resistance of the prepared mixed matrix membranes was also studied. This project shows a new direction in the research as not many studies using Cu2O-GO has been reported worldwide.