Synergistic Polyethersulfone/poly [2- (dimethyl amino) ethyl methacrylate] Fabricated Membranes: Unveiling Superior Ultrafiltration and Antifouling Capabilities

Abstract

To improve filtering effectiveness and avoid fouling, novel ultrafiltration (UF) polymer membranes were fabricated. These modified membranes were created by mixing varying concentrations of poly [2- (dimethyl amino) ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) with a homogeneous polyethersulfone (PES) casting solution that contained polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as pore former. The effects on these blended membranes, as well as their hydrophilicity, anti-fouling properties, and filtering performance, were investigated. It was shown that adding more PDMAEMA to PES membranes enhanced the previously described characteristics as compared to pure PES membranes. Freshly modified PES membranes demonstrated a higher flux recovery ratio (FRR%) and enhanced water flow with the addition of PDMAEMA. Over the PES/PDMAEMA membrane, a pure water flux of 177.80 L·m−2 ·h−1 was recorded at a pressure of 0.1 MPa and 3.0 weight percent PDMAEMA, compared to the pure PES membrane, which recorded 67.20 L·m−2·h−1 under the identical conditions, which is much higher. Furthermore, the antifouling qualities of PES membranes were enhanced by the addition of PDMAEMA. Compared to normal PES membranes, which had a total fouling ratio (TFR) of 64.9%, the PES/PDMAEMA membranes designed for 3.0 weight percent PDMAEMA had a TFR of 36%.