Preparation and properties of hollow fibre nanofiltration membrane with continuous coffee-ring structure

Abstract

Polyamide (PA) hollow fibre composite nanofiltration (NF) membranes with a coffee-ring structure and beneficial properties were prepared by adding graphene oxide (GO) into the interfacial polymerization process. The presentation of the coffee-ring structure was attributed to the heterogeneous, finely dispersed multiphase reaction system and the “coffee-stain” effect of the GO solution. When the piperazine concentration was 0.4 wt-%, the trimesoyl chloride concentration was 0.3 wt-%, and the GO concentration was 0.025 wt-%, the prepared NF membranes showed the best separation properties. The permeate flux was 76 L·m−2·h−1, and the rejection rate for MgSO4 was 98.6% at 0.4 MPa. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were used to characterize the chemical structure and morphology of the PA/GO NF membrane. The results showed that GO was successfully entrapped into the PA functional layer. Under neutral operating conditions, the PA/GO membrane showed typical negatively charged NF membrane separation characteristics, and the rejection rate decreased in the order of Na2SO4 > MgSO4 > MgCl2 > NaCl. The PA/GO NF membrane showed better antifouling performance than the PA membrane.