Improving the Transport and Antifouling Properties of Poly(vinyl chloride) Hollow-Fiber Ultrafiltration Membranes by Incorporating Silica Nanoparticles

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/SiO2 nanocomposite hollow-fiber membranes with different nano-SiO2 particle loadings (0-5 wt %) were fabricated using the dry-jet wet-spinning technique. Effects of SiO2 nanoparticles on the morphology of the prepared hollow-fiber membranes were investigated using scanning electron microscopy. Transport and antifouling properties of the fabricated membranes were evaluated by conducting pure-water permeation, solute rejection, and fouling resistance experiments. These studies indicated that incorporating silica nanoparticles into the PVC matrix during phase inversion lowers the hydraulic resistance through the membrane and narrows the selective membrane pores. Moreover, the nanocomposite membranes showed better antifouling properties compared to the pristine membrane during the ultrafiltration of a milk solution because of improved hydrophilicity and uniform dispersion of the nanoparticles. This work indicates that embedding silica nanoparticles into the PVC matrix is a promising method for producing cost-effective hollow-fiber ultrafiltration membranes with superior transport and antifouling properties.