This study investigated the effect of Cloisite15A (C15A) organoclay in the substrate layer on the performance of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes. The substrate of the RO membranes was modified using different loading of C15A (ranging from 0.3 - 0.7 wt%) within polysulfone (PSf) substrate and the polyamide (PA) selective layer was formed on the top. Effect of the modified substrate layer on the w...

Polyacrylonitril (PAN)-supported chitosan (CS) nanocomposite membranes were prepared by cross-linking the CS with 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilane (APTEOS) via sol-gel method. Pervaporative performances of the CS-SiO2/PAN membrane for dehydration of aqueous alcohol solutions were investigated. From SEM cross-sectional images of the membrane, the spongy pores and the finger-like pores we...

Current commercial polymer membranes have shown high performance and durability in water treatment, converting poor quality waters to higher quality suitable for drinking, agriculture and recycling. However, to extend the treatment into more challenging water sources containing abrasive particles, micro and ultrafiltration membranes with enhanced physical durability are highly desirable. This r...

Membrane filtration, especially based on the size exclusion phenomenon, has long been established due to its abilities to addressing the growing demands of the clean water of the world’s population. However, widespread applications of the membranes face several challenges including chemical vulnerability, thermal deterioration, and biological degradation of the membranes that transpire while re...

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) membranes containing pristine and modified multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) were prepared and characterized. MWCNT was modified in order to achieve well-dispersion within the membranes. The results of FTIR analysis revealed that MWCNT was successfully carboxylated. The FESEM images indicated that the number of pores on the surface of membranes increased at the presence...

A solid state method of NafionV/ceramic nanocomposite membrane preparation is described. A nanocomposite powder from Nafion pellets and a zirconium phosphate ceramic is formed by mechanical milling. The nanoparticles are then consolidated into membrane form by mechanical pressing. Cross-sectional analysis by scanning electron microscopy indicates that the ceramic particles exist in agglomerates...

In the present study, graphene oxide (GO) was incorporated as a nanoadditive into a polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) to develop a PPSU/GO nanocomposite membrane with enhanced antifouling properties. A series of membranes containing different concentrations (0.2, 0.5 and 1.0 wt.%) of GO were fabricated via the phase inversion method, using N-methyl pyrrolidone (NMP) as the solvent, deionized water as th...

The majority of nanocomposite olefin/paraffin separation membranes use silver nanoparticles or silver ions as the olefin binding agent. In this theoretical study, we characterize the olefin interaction with silver nanoparticles and show that silver is special in that it chemisorbs ethylene more weakly than other metals. Some variation with particle size is found; small 79 atom nanoparticles ten...

Owing to its remarkable electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties, graphene, an atomic layer of carbon, is considered to be an excellent two-dimensional filler for polymer nanocomposites with outstanding mechanical strength along with the potential for excellent electrical and thermal properties. One of the critical limitations with conventional fillers is that the loading fraction require...