(822e) Mixed Matrix Nanocomposite Membranes for Water Purification

Sustainable development of human society depends on adequate supplies of water. In areas where high quality water supplies are limited, water desalination and recycling are often needed.  Among various techniques for water purification, membrane technology has been increasingly explored because it can be adapted to treat a wide range of waters for different purposes. The key issue in the membrane treatment is the control of operational costs and energy consumption, which is closely tied to water permeability, salt/contaminant rejection, and increasing membrane fouling with treatment time. In this presentation, we will discuss our recent progress on the development of mixed matrix membranes with a goal to 1) increase water flux and salt rejection of the membranes, and 2) to minimize membrane fouling due to natural organic matters and microorganisms.  A particular focus is on how the incorporation of nanomaterials (e.g., mesoporous carbon and silica, carbon nanotubes, Ag TiO₂) will alter membrane structure, porosity, surface hydrophobicity, roughness, and surface functionality, and how these measureable characteristics correlate with the membrane performance.