Preparation of thin film composite membranes using interfacial polymerization for treatment of industrial water containing heavy metals

Polyamide thin film composite nanofiltration (NF-TFC) membranes were prepared by interfacial polymerization (IP) method using synthetic cellulose acetate membranes as support. M-phenylenediamine (MPD) and trimesoyl chloride (TMC) were used as monomers in water and hexane solution respectively. The effect of different monomers concentrations varying from 0.1 to 0.25 wt.% and IP times from 15 to 90 s were investigated. The surface of different produced membranes were characterized using the scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared, contact angle (CAw) and porosity. Water permeability and salts rejection (NaCl, Na SO) were determined for testing the membranes performances. The permeation studies showed that depending on TMC concentration and IP reaction time, the water permeabilities were 23.57 and 10.44 (L m h bar), respectively. Na SO and NaCl rejections were varying from 69.23% to 92.43% and from 19% to 55.54%, respectively, when TMC concentration was between 0.1% and 0.25% (w/v). The results of cadmium solution retention indicated that these novel membranes could be successfully applied for the heavy metals removal. The maximum of cadmium rejection at 0.25% (v/w) TMC concentration is 97.76% for CdSO. This cadmium rejection depend on the nature of associated anion: R(Cd(NO)) < R(CdCl) < R(CdSO).