TY - JOUR

T1 - Modification of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes via addition of anionic polyelectrolyte based on acrylamide and sodium acrylate to the coagulation bath to improve antifouling performance in water treatment

AU - Plisko, Tatiana V.

AU - Bildyukevich, Alexandr V.

AU - Burts, Katsiaryna S.

AU - Hliavitskaya, Tatiana A.

AU - Penkova, Anastasia V.

AU - Ermakov, Sergey S.

AU - Ulbricht, Mathias

N1 - Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by Russian Science Foundation, grant number 19-73-00118. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/10

Y1 - 2020/10

N2 - Surface modification of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes was performed via addition of an anionic polymer flocculant based on acrylamide and sodium acrylate (PASA) to the coagulation bath upon membrane preparation by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). The effect of PASA concentration in the coagulant at different coagulation bath temperatures on membrane formation time, membrane structure, surface roughness, hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of the skin layer, surface charge, as well as separation and antifouling performance was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle and zeta potential measurements were utilized for membrane characterization. Membrane barrier and antifouling properties were evaluated in ultrafiltration of model solutions containing human serum albumin and humic acids as well as with real surface water. PASA addition was found to affect the kinetics of phase separation leading to delayed demixing mechanism of phase separation due to the substantial increase of coagulant viscosity, which is proved by a large increase of membrane formation time. Denser and thicker skin layer is formed and formation of macrovoids in membrane matrix is suppressed. FTIR analysis confirms the immobilization of PASA macromolecules into the membrane skin layer, which yields improvement of hydrophilicity and change of zeta potential. Modified membrane demonstrated better separation and antifouling performance in the ultrafiltration of humic acid solution and surface water compared to the reference membrane.

AB - Surface modification of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes was performed via addition of an anionic polymer flocculant based on acrylamide and sodium acrylate (PASA) to the coagulation bath upon membrane preparation by non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS). The effect of PASA concentration in the coagulant at different coagulation bath temperatures on membrane formation time, membrane structure, surface roughness, hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance of the skin layer, surface charge, as well as separation and antifouling performance was studied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, contact angle and zeta potential measurements were utilized for membrane characterization. Membrane barrier and antifouling properties were evaluated in ultrafiltration of model solutions containing human serum albumin and humic acids as well as with real surface water. PASA addition was found to affect the kinetics of phase separation leading to delayed demixing mechanism of phase separation due to the substantial increase of coagulant viscosity, which is proved by a large increase of membrane formation time. Denser and thicker skin layer is formed and formation of macrovoids in membrane matrix is suppressed. FTIR analysis confirms the immobilization of PASA macromolecules into the membrane skin layer, which yields improvement of hydrophilicity and change of zeta potential. Modified membrane demonstrated better separation and antifouling performance in the ultrafiltration of humic acid solution and surface water compared to the reference membrane.

KW - Antifouling performance

KW - Membrane

KW - Polyelectrolyte

KW - Ultrafiltration

KW - Water treatment

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85091716796&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/3eeadd3a-14b3-3774-a662-8a75faa62c9e/

U2 - 10.3390/membranes10100264

DO - 10.3390/membranes10100264

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85091716796

VL - 10

JO - Membranes

JF - Membranes

SN - 2077-0375

IS - 10

M1 - 264

ER -