Fabrication of polysulfone-cellulose acetate based TiO2 @SiO2-CuS and Fe3O4 @XG membrane and its application in wastewater treatment

Membrane technology emerged as a preferred method for wastewater treatment due to its efficiency, and low energy consumption, particularly in pharmaceutical industries. In this study, two types of membranes were developed and compared: cellulose acetate with dimethyl sulfoxide, glycerol, and polysulfone with dimethylformamide, and polyvinyl pyrrolidone. These membranes were augmented with nanocomposites, such as Fe3O4 @XG and TiO2 @SiO2-CuS, to enhance performance. Experimental investigations involved doping membranes with nanocomposites at varying concentrations (0.1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, and 1.0 wt%). Atomic force microscopy revealed that increasing nanocomposite content led to smoother surfaces and improved anti-fouling properties. Incorporating nanocomposites reduced the contact angle, with 1.0 wt% PSF/TiO2 @SiO2-CuS exhibiting the lowest angle at 33.134 degrees. Physical property assessments, including density, viscosity, pH, and porosity, were conducted to evaluate the impact of nanocomposites. Under 4 atm pressure, 1.0 wt% CA-TiO2 @ SiO2-CuS demonstrated a maximum pure water flux of 3300 +/- 50 lit/m2.hr compared to the pure membrane. Furthermore, biodegradability tests indicated a significant weight loss of the nanocomposite membranes, with a 13.89 % increase in CA membrane weight loss compared to a 0.20 % increase in PSF membrane weight loss. The study highlights the potential of these membranes for diverse applications, particularly in wastewater treatment, underscoring their efficiency and suitability for pharmaceutical industry use.