Nanofiltration PVP Membrane with Gradient Cross-Linking for Efficient Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Removal

Abdulnoor Ali Jazem Ghanim; Sharjeel Waqas; Muhammad Hamad Zeeshan; Javed Akbar Khan; Syed Ali Ghalib; Muhammad Irfan; Saifur Rahman; Salim Nasar Faraj Mursal; Mohammed Jalalah; Abdulkarem H M Almawgani

doi:10.1021/acsomega.3c05712

Nanofiltration PVP Membrane with Gradient Cross-Linking for Efficient Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Removal

ACS Omega. 2024 Jan 25;9(5):5265-5272. doi: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05712. eCollection 2024 Feb 6.

Affiliations

¹ Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia.
² School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Faisalabad, Faisalabad 37610, Pakistan.
³ Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, 32610 Perak, Malaysia.
⁴ Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department, University of China Petroleum (East China), Dongying 257061, Shandong, China.
⁵ Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore 54590, Pakistan.
⁶ Electrical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Najran University, Najran 61441, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are persistent organic pollutants that may contaminate various water sources and pose serious dangers to human health and the environment. Due to their capacity for size-based separation, nanofiltration membranes have become efficient instruments for PAH removal. However, issues such as membrane fouling and ineffective rejection still exist. To improve PAH rejection while reducing fouling problems, this work created a new gradient cross-linking poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) nanofiltration membrane. The gradient cross-linking technique enhanced the rejection performance and antifouling characteristics of the membrane. The results demonstrated that the highest membrane flow was achieved at a 0.15% SDS-PVP membrane. There is a trade-off between membrane flux and salt rejection since salt rejection increases with SDS owing to the growth of big pores. The membrane flux was reduced for the 0.25% SDS-PVP membrane owing to poor SDS dispersion. The prepared membrane showed enhanced removal efficiencies for the removal of the PAH compounds. The PVP membrane has the potential to be used in several water treatment applications, improving water quality, and preserving the environment.