PES asymmetric membrane for oil-in-water emulsion separation

The shortage of water resources makes wastewater treatment and reuses an urgent problem to be solved. As the main treatment method, membrane separation technology has received widespread attention, and the study of separation membrane performance appears to be very important. Here, we prepared PES asymmetric membrane by phase separation method. Due to the inherent hydrophilicity of PES, the membrane can be used for oil-inwater emulsion separation without any modification. Different structures result in different wettability, which makes the separation performance of asymmetric membranes significantly different. The more hydrophilic and oleophobic side of the separation membrane shows better separation performance, such as higher separation flux and better antifouling performance. It provides a reference for the preparation of separation membranes with better performance.

Automated summary

The study shows that the separation performance of PES asymmetric membrane is closely related to the wettability of the membrane, with the side that is more hydrophilic and oleophobic exhibiting better separation performance, including higher separation flux and better antifouling performance.