Al-Ti2O6 a mixed metal oxide based composite membrane: A unique membrane for removal of heavy metals

In the current study, a novel Al-Ti2O6 nanoparticles and polysulfone composite membranes were prepared and used for the removal of heavy metal ions. Al-Ti2O6 was prepared by precipitation method and the membranes were prepared by diffusion induced phase separation method with different compositions of Al-Ti2O6. The prepared Al-Ti2O6 nanoparticle was confirmed by XRD, and SEM analysis. However, FE-SEM was used to confirm the presence of nanoparticles in the membrane. EDX and elemental mapping were performed to confirm uniform distribution of nanoparticles in the membranes. The hydrophilicity of the membrane was measured by contact angle, water uptake and water flux study and it was increased with respect to increasing concentration of nanoparticles. Performance of the membrane was analyzed by rejection of heavy metals such as As, Cd, and Pb. The membrane was showed rejection percentage of about 96% for As, 98% for Cd and 99% for Pb. The concentration of nanoparticles and filtration time was investigated in detail. The obtained results prove Al-Ti2O6 a mixed metal oxide composite membrane a potential candidate for the removal of As, Cd, and Pb.