Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling

<p dir="ltr">The polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was modified with graphene oxide (GO), followed by polymerization of acrylic acid (used as an antiscalant) for the reduction of both biofouling and mineral scaling. After functionalization, the water contact angle reduced from...

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Main Author: Mohammad Y. Ashfaq (14152290) (author)
Other Authors: Mohammad A. Al-Ghouti (8882054) (author), Nabil Zouari (9193418) (author)
Published: 2020
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author Mohammad Y. Ashfaq (14152290)
author2 Mohammad A. Al-Ghouti (8882054)
Nabil Zouari (9193418)
author2_role author
author
author_facet Mohammad Y. Ashfaq (14152290)
Mohammad A. Al-Ghouti (8882054)
Nabil Zouari (9193418)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Mohammad Y. Ashfaq (14152290)
Mohammad A. Al-Ghouti (8882054)
Nabil Zouari (9193418)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020-09-20T00:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Functionalization_of_reverse_osmosis_membrane_with_graphene_oxide_and_polyacrylic_acid_to_control_biofouling_and_mineral_scaling/24270415
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Chemical sciences
Macromolecular and materials chemistry
Graphene oxide
Antiscalants
Reverse osmosis
Scaling
Biofouling
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <p dir="ltr">The polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was modified with graphene oxide (GO), followed by polymerization of acrylic acid (used as an antiscalant) for the reduction of both biofouling and mineral scaling. After functionalization, the water contact angle reduced from 41.7 ± 4.5° for unmodified RO membrane to 24.4 ± 1.3° for the modified RO membranes, which showed that membrane hydrophilicity was significantly enhanced, in addition to the improvement in surface smoothness. The modified membranes were tested for their anti-scaling and anti-biofouling characteristics. When the mineral scaling test was performed using CaSO<sub>4</sub> solution as feedwater, the permeate flux was reduced by only 3% as compared to the unmodified RO membrane which encountered up to 22% decline in flux by the end of the experiment. After the scaling test, the membrane surface was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy – energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The results showed that the unmodified RO membrane was fully covered with gypsum precipitates. Whereas, the precipitates were detected only at the highly saturated zones of the water channel i.e. towards the exit of water flow. Additionally, the anti-bacterial test was performed through bacteriostasis rate determination, which showed that the modified membranes inhibited the growth of nearly 95% of the bacterial cells. Further experiments were also performed to investigate the inhibition of both scaling and biofouling by modified RO membranes. Thus, it was found that the polymer-modified GO coated RO membranes were able to diminish both gypsum scaling and biofilm formation demonstrating their potential to control different types of membrane fouling.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Science of The Total Environment<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_51b68ffc37e957ad558a1e75ea44702c
identifier_str_mv 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/24270415
publishDate 2020
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spelling Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scalingMohammad Y. Ashfaq (14152290)Mohammad A. Al-Ghouti (8882054)Nabil Zouari (9193418)Chemical sciencesMacromolecular and materials chemistryGraphene oxideAntiscalantsReverse osmosisScalingBiofouling<p dir="ltr">The polyamide reverse osmosis (RO) membrane was modified with graphene oxide (GO), followed by polymerization of acrylic acid (used as an antiscalant) for the reduction of both biofouling and mineral scaling. After functionalization, the water contact angle reduced from 41.7 ± 4.5° for unmodified RO membrane to 24.4 ± 1.3° for the modified RO membranes, which showed that membrane hydrophilicity was significantly enhanced, in addition to the improvement in surface smoothness. The modified membranes were tested for their anti-scaling and anti-biofouling characteristics. When the mineral scaling test was performed using CaSO<sub>4</sub> solution as feedwater, the permeate flux was reduced by only 3% as compared to the unmodified RO membrane which encountered up to 22% decline in flux by the end of the experiment. After the scaling test, the membrane surface was characterized by Scanning electron microscopy – energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared, and X-ray diffraction techniques. The results showed that the unmodified RO membrane was fully covered with gypsum precipitates. Whereas, the precipitates were detected only at the highly saturated zones of the water channel i.e. towards the exit of water flow. Additionally, the anti-bacterial test was performed through bacteriostasis rate determination, which showed that the modified membranes inhibited the growth of nearly 95% of the bacterial cells. Further experiments were also performed to investigate the inhibition of both scaling and biofouling by modified RO membranes. Thus, it was found that the polymer-modified GO coated RO membranes were able to diminish both gypsum scaling and biofilm formation demonstrating their potential to control different types of membrane fouling.</p><h2>Other Information</h2><p dir="ltr">Published in: Science of The Total Environment<br>License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500</a></p>2020-09-20T00:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139500https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Functionalization_of_reverse_osmosis_membrane_with_graphene_oxide_and_polyacrylic_acid_to_control_biofouling_and_mineral_scaling/24270415CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/242704152020-09-20T00:00:00Z
spellingShingle Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
Mohammad Y. Ashfaq (14152290)
Chemical sciences
Macromolecular and materials chemistry
Graphene oxide
Antiscalants
Reverse osmosis
Scaling
Biofouling
status_str publishedVersion
title Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
title_full Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
title_fullStr Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
title_full_unstemmed Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
title_short Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
title_sort Functionalization of reverse osmosis membrane with graphene oxide and polyacrylic acid to control biofouling and mineral scaling
topic Chemical sciences
Macromolecular and materials chemistry
Graphene oxide
Antiscalants
Reverse osmosis
Scaling
Biofouling