Abstract
An innovative approach to selectively separating molecules and ions has been developed using polymer nanocomposite membranes that consist of a continuous polymer phase and a nanofiller phase. To address the challenges associated with filtration, we have developed and compared a nanofibrous cellulose acetate (CA)-based membrane reinforced with cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Several parameters including the morphologies, chemical interactions, and mechanical properties of the membranes were investigated after they were synthesized using the electrospinning technique and after they were heat treated. The polymer solutions were composed of various weight percentages of CNCs, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidized CNFs (i.e., 0 wt% to 1 wt%), and 15 wt% of CA. Based on our study, the reinforcing properties of TOCNF nanofillers were superior to CNC nanofillers. Heat-treated 0.25TOCNF/CA composite nanofibrous membrane achieved maximum ultimate tensile strength and elongation at the breakpoint of 33.31 MPa and 1.8%, respectively. The process-structure-property relationships outlined in this study can facilitate the fabrication and application of electrospun nanocomposite membranes for the purification of water.
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