Ultrathin graphene oxide membranes for the removal of humic acid

Julie J. Song, Yi Huang, Seung Woo Nam, Miao Yu, Jiyong Heo, Namguk Her, Joseph R.V. Flora, Yeomin Yoon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

74 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this study, multiple layers of graphene oxide (GO) were coated on a commercially available polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane via simple vacuum filtration of a GO suspension. The effect of GO coating on the membrane performance and fouling resistance was examined, in terms of water flux, natural organic matter (NOM) rejection, and flux decline due to NOM fouling. The results showed that the water flux change of the permeate was minimal (less than ±10%), while NOM rejection was improved significantly by the GO coating (31%, 51%, and 67% for the GO-5 nm, GO-10 nm, and GO-30 nm membranes, respectively). The GO-coated membranes also enhanced membrane recovery and antifouling capabilities, due mainly to increased hydrophilicity of the GO-membrane surface. These observations suggest that the GO-coated membrane, prepared by a facile filtration process in the laboratory, facilitates removal of NOM from water and minimizes the associated membrane fouling.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)162-167
Number of pages6
JournalSeparation and Purification Technology
Volume144
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Apr 2015

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • Antifouling
  • Graphene oxide
  • Natural organic matter
  • Ultrafiltration
  • Water treatment

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