Surface Modification of Microfiltration Membrane with GO Nanosheets for Dyes Removal from Aqueous Solutions

Abstract

The presence of dyes in water cause problems in biological processes, because it reduces the light transmission. Hence, the development of efficient and low cost methods for dyes removal from aqueous solutions has received more attention. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the modification of polyethersulfone microfiltration membranes (PES-MF), by a simple and novel method using grapheme oxide (GO) aiming the methylene blue (MB) removal. PES-MF (0.2 µm, 47 mm) and modified membrane (PES- MF/H₂SO₄+GO) were characterized by ATR-FTIR and water angle contact. The concentration of MB was analyzed using a Spectrophotometer UV-VIS. FTIR spectra and water contact angle measurements indicated the success of the PES-MF surface modification with GO. In filtration tests, the modified membrane presented much higher rejection rates, reaching a rejection rate of 92.1%. Therefore, the proposed modification suggest that GO nanosheets can be applied on modification of PES-MF membranes surface, to improve their efficiency.