Functionalized PSf/SiO₂ nanocomposite membrane for oil-in-water emulsion separation

Polysulfone is often chosen for the fabrication of ultrafiltration membranes. However, its hydrophobic nature always leads to poor membrane performance. In this study, the PSf membrane was functionalized by blending the SiO₂ nanoparticles to improve the PSf hydrophobicity. The modified and unmodified membranes were prepared via phase inversion methods. The surface morphology of the modified membrane exhibited larger pore size with interconnected surface pores. The permeate flux for the modified membrane (PSf-5) was 17.32L/m²h while for the unmodified membrane (PSf-0) was 1.08L/m²h. This showed an increase of permeability 16 times higher than the unmodified membrane. The antifouling properties also improved with the increasing of SiO₂ nanoparticles. This result proved that when SiO₂ nanoparticles were added into the blended composition, the membrane permeability performance and antifouling properties improved by means of bigger pores and membrane hydrophilization.