Fabrication of thin-film nanocomposite nanofiltration membranes incorporated with aromatic amine-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Rejection performance of inorganic pollutants from groundwater with improved acid and chlorine resistance

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Gholami S., Lopez J., Rezvani A., Vatanpour Sargheın V., Luis Cortina J.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL, vol.384, 2020 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 384
  • Publication Date: 2020
  • Doi Number: 10.1016/j.cej.2019.123348
  • Journal Name: CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, PASCAL, Aerospace Database, Aqualine, BIOSIS, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, Chimica, Compendex, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, INSPEC, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Keywords: Functionalized carbon nanotubes, Thin-film nanocomposite, Nanofiltration membrane, Chlorine resistance, Acid resistance, REVERSE-OSMOSIS MEMBRANES, MIXED DIAMINE MONOMERS, TFC RO MEMBRANE, HIGH-FLUX, COMPOSITE MEMBRANES, POLYETHYLENE-GLYCOL, IONIC SOLUTES, NF MEMBRANES, WATER, REMOVAL
  • Istanbul Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

A thin-film nanocomposite nanofiltration (TFN-NF) membrane was fabricated through blending a novel aromatic amine-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AAF-MWCNTs) and an aliphatic amine-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (AF-MWCNTs). The polyamide layer was synthesised by interfacial polymerisation (IP) between piperazine and trimesoyl chloride monomers. The improved resistance of NF membranes to chlorine and acid were characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission-scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle, and zeta potential measurements. XPS analysis confirmed chlorine and acid resistance properties, as well as an improvement in the polyamide network cross-linking degree of the new nanofiltration membranes incorporated with AAF-MWCNTs (AAF-NF). The membrane transport properties and the performance on the rejection of HAsO4-2, NO3-, and NH4+ from solutions mimicking polluted groundwater were evaluated. Membrane performance to the target pollutants were determined by the solution-electro-diffusion (SED) model coupled with reactive transport. The results showed that AAF-NF membranes, with long-lifetimes, could be applied for the removal of As(V) from polluted groundwater. Water permeate flux and the arsenic rejection of the AAF-NF membrane increased by 15% when it is compared with a typical commercial semi-aromatic polyamide nanofiltration membranes (Desal DL).