Investigating the Effect of the Sizes of CuO Nanomaterials on Improving the Water Flux and Antifouling Properties of PVDF Nanocomposite Ultrafiltration Membrane in Urban Wastewater Treatment

In recent years, using PVDF polymer in the fabrication of ultrafiltration membranes has attracted the attention of water and wastewater industry researchers. However, the hydrophobic property of PVDF polymer has brought implementation and exploitation challenges. This study evaluates the effectiveness of copper oxide nanomaterials in three types of geometric shapes (nanoparticle, nanosheet, nanoball) to modify the PVDF polymer's hydrophobic structure. In this research, nanomaterials were synthesized by the hydrothermal method in different dimensions and sizes and then, were identified and characterized. Ultrafiltration membrane was made in the presence of PVDF (16% wt), PVP (1% wt), and CuO nanoparticles (1% wt) by the phase inversion method. The characterization results showed that the sheet nanomaterials are well dispersed in the membrane structure. Also, the amount of water flux and rejection of BSA protein in the membrane containing nanosheets was 263% and 98%, respectively. Compared to other nanocomposites, a lower amount of BSA was deposited on the surface of the membrane. Also, the release rate of copper ions in the water coming out of the membrane was within the standard range, which indicates the stability of CuO in the membrane structure. In this regard, sheet nanomaterials perform much better in modifying polymer nanocomposites.