Functionalised activated carbon modified polyphenylsulfone composite membranes for adsorption enhanced phenol filtration

Abstract

AbstractBACKGROUNDFunctionalized activated carbon (FAC) was prepared by immobilizing the activated carbon (AC) synthesized from Acacia fumosa seeds in cacium‐alginate beads. Synthesized FAC has been blended with polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) in the composition of 0.25 to 1 wt% with an increment of 0.25 wt% to prepare composite membranes of PPSU/FAC by wet phase inversion method. The existence of FAC in PPSU was confirmed by Fourier transform infra‐red spectroscopy (FTIR) studies by the presence of characteristic functional groups of FAC. The influence of FAC on adsorption enhanced rejection of phenol during membrane filtration has been investigated.RESULTSThe hydrophilicity of PPSU/FAC composite membranes has been improved by FAC as there was a profound reduction in contact angle from 71.8° to 43.8°. With the minimum loading of 0.25 wt% of FAC in PPSU, the maximum adsorption of phenol has taken place suggesting that the better dispersion of minimal loading will offer higher accessibility to adsorptive sites.CONCLUSIONSThe adsorption of phenol on FAC was observed to be higher in PPSU/FAC composite membranes when compared with FAC being used solely as an adsorbent. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry