Synthesis of TiO2 Incorporated Polycaprolactone Based Ultrafiltration Membranes for Water Treatment

Abstract

This study focused on the synthesis of polycaprolactone based ultrafiltration membranes incorporated with titanium (IV) oxide (TiO2) nanoparticles using the phase inversion technique. The membrane was optimized at 18 wt% PCL before the incorporation of TiO2. The study covered a range of compositions by the addition of TiO2 from 0.5 to 2 wt%. The synthesized membranes were then tested for properties such as porosity, contact angle, mechanical strength and then characterized using TGA and FTIR techniques to determine the functional groups present and to analyze the thermal stability. Further, SEM images were recorded to analyze the pore morphology. Finally, the optimized membrane was tested to determine the pure water flux.