Polysulfone and cellulose acetate-based membranes' potential application to photocatalytic membrane reactors

Abstract

Polysulfone (Psf) and Cellulose acetate (Ac-Cel) based membranes were synthesized via immersion precipitation–phase inversion techniques, starting from initial polymeric solutions with concentrations of 8%, 10%, and 12%. Each membrane was characterized from the morphological point of view by scanning electronic microscopy and from a compositional point of view by thermal analyses. Hydrodynamic characteristics were also determined for all membranes using both ultrapure water and real municipal wastewater. Obtained results proved that polysulfone and cellulose acetate-based membranes are potential candidates to be used for advanced treatment of municipal wastewater using photocatalytic membrane reactors.