Habib Etemadi

In this study, thin-flm nanocomposite (TFN) membranes were fabricated using synthetic silica nanoparticles that had been aminated by 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES). The modifed silica nanoparticles with APTES were analyzed using FTIR and TGA. Through the use of FTIR-ATR spectroscopy, FESEM, AFM, and water contact angle, the fabricated TFN membranes were analyzed and evaluated. All membranes were used in a submerged membrane system to remove humic acid (HA) under various transmembrane pressure (TMP) conditions at 0.4 and 0.6 bar. The outcome of the research showed that the polycarbonate (PC) support membrane has a water contact angle of 77.5°; however, the TFN membrane, which includes 0.1 wt.% of hydrophilic modifed silica nanoparticles, has a substantially lower contact angle value (55.33°). The formation of a thin layer of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) on the PC support membrane and the proper distribution of SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles with a thickness of 93.72 nm were confrmed by FESEM images. The rejection rate for thin-flm composite (TFC) membranes was about 98.3%, while for TFN membranes, in the presence of SiO2-NH2 nanoparticles, it reached 99.2%.