Nanozeolite-functionalized poly(lactic acid) ultrafiltration membranes for water treatment

Abstract: Water is a scarce resource. This resource deteriorates everyday due to industrial and agricultural activities and other detrimental human activities. Many techniques are already in place for the treatment of drinking water. Membrane technologies have become popular in water treatment in recent times. However, conventional membrane techniques have several drawbacks such as hydrophobicity, low mechanical strength, low chemical reactivity and high propensity of fouling. Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes, in particular, have gained considerable attention in water treatment applications due to their low costs and easy maintenance compared to their counterparts. These membranes utilize known polymer backbones such as polyethersulfone (PES), polysulfone (PSf), and polyvinylfluoride (PVDF). However, the permeabilities for these membranes reduce drastically during water treatment processes. This is due to fouling that occurs on the membrane surface. Membrane fouling is generally caused by adsorption of solutes on the membrane surface and/or the blocking of the membrane pores. Further, UF membranes made from these polymers have low mechanical strength and therefore easily break up when subjected to high pressure systems. This subsequently results in an increase in operating costs and a decrease in overall performance and life-span of the membrane...M.Sc