Improvement of antifouling characteristics in a bioreactor of polypropylene microporous membrane by the adsorption of Tween 20.
Surface modification by physical adsorption of Tween 20 was accomplished on polypropylene microporous membranes (PPMMs). Attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR/FT-IR) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) were used to characterize the chemical and morphological changes on the membrane surfaces. Water contact angles and relative pure water fluxes were measured. The data showed that the hydrophilic performance for the modified membranes increased with the increase in the adsorption amount of Tween 20 onto the surface or into the pores of polypropylene microporous membranes. To test the antifouling property of the membranes by the adsorption of Tween 20 in a membrane bioreactor (MBR), filtration for active sludge was performed using synthetic wastewater. With the help of the data of water fluxes and the FE-SEM photos of the modified PPMMs before or after operating in a MBR for about 12 d, the PPMMs with monolayer adsorption of Tween 20 showed higher remained flux and stronger antifouling ability than unmodified membrane and other modification membranes studied.
Xie
Ya-jie
YJ
College of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing 314001, China. xieyajie64@163.com
Yu
Hai-yin
HY
Wang
Shu-yuan
SY
Xu
Zhi-kang
ZK
D000327:Adsorption; D019149:Bioreactors; D005374:Filtration; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D011126:Polypropylenes / Q000737:chemistry*; D011136:Polysorbates / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D013499:Surface Properties; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*
D011126:Polypropylenes; D011136:Polysorbates; D013501:Surface-Active Agents