International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Dr. S. Luna Eunice, Sivakumar Neethivel, Pranav Muthuvel.B, S. Harinath
Abstract: Water pollution is becoming increasingly common and requires efficient and energy-saving methods for water purification. The current work proposes a membrane filtration system that employs chemically fabricated nanocomposite membranes composed of functionalized graphene oxide (f-GO) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. The chemical modification (glutaraldehyde cross-linking and functionalization with carboxylic acid groups) provides additional hydrophilic, antifouling, and antimicrobial properties to the membrane. The developed nanomembrane is characterized by 325 L/m²·h pure water permeability, 99.2% bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection rate, and 98.7% antibacterial effectiveness against E. coli. The comparative analysis of the membranes' performances against pristine PVDF and non-functionalized GO-based membranes indicates that there was a 40% decrease in the flux drop rate and a 50% increase in tensile strength.
