Enhanced desalination performance of thin-film nanocomposite membrane stimulated by embedment of acid treated palygorskite-chitin hybrid nanomaterial
摘要
The reverse osmosis thin-film composite membrane’s substrate provides support required for rejection layer’s formations. It significantly influences the physic-chemical besides structural qualities of fabricated selective layer. This highlights the importance of substrate’s modification in actualization of optimum substrate’s structures in relation to the thickness, porosity and tortuosity all geared towards realizing high degree of selective and improved hydrophilic membranes.PA thin-film nano-composite membrane having the PSF substrates incorporated with acid treated palygorstike/chitin (a-PALY-CH) nanomaterial have been developed in this present study. The developed TFN was characterized, utilized for water desalination. The outcomes indicated that the acid-treated PALY-CH, which acted as nanofiller within the membrane’s substrate, increased finger-shaped looking structures creation and enhanced the entire hydrophilicity in addition to high level of cross-linking and thinner rejection-layer. The recorded water flux of the pristine and a-PALY-CH membrane were 0.84 Lm−2 h−1, and 2.51 Lm-2 h−1. The resultant membrane displayed substantial enhanced water permeability devoid of salt rejections being compromised using 0.1 wt % of a-PALY-CH hybrid nano-material.