Membranes fouling propensity of PSF/GO hollow fiber mixed matrix membranes for water treatment ultrafiltration application.

Abstract

The study investigated the fouling propensity of polysulfone (PSF) hollow fiber (HF) mixed matrix membranes modified with 1.0 wt.% graphene oxide (GO). Using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), water contact angle (WCA), and mechanical assessments, the structural characteristics of both untreated and GO-modified PSF HF membranes were examined. Filtration experiments included pure water and model contaminants such as bovine serum albumin (BSA), humic acid (HA), E. coli, and oil-in-water emulsion. The GO-modified membranes demonstrated a significant enhancement in antifouling performance, recovering over 90% of their initial pure water flux with HA and oil, indicating high resistance to irreversible fouling. Additionally, the GO-modified membranes showed superior oil separation efficiency. However, fouling parameters for BSA were similar for both membrane types, suggesting that GO does not significantly affect membrane-BSA interactions. Both types of membranes displayed high retention capabilities for E. coli, with no noticeable improvement due to GO addition. This study highlights the potential of GO-modified PSF HF membranes in enhancing antifouling performance and oil separation efficiency.