Fabrication of polyetherimide nanocomposite membrane with amine functionalised halloysite nanotubes for effective removal of cationic dye effluents

Abstract

Naturally, occurring, low cost and eco-friendly halloysite nanotubes were chemically modified and uniformly immobilised into the polyetherimide membrane matrix with the aim of enhancing the properties and possible cationic dye rejection efficacy. The properties of fabricated nanocomposite membranes were examined by means of porosity, hydrophilicity, zeta potential and permeability. Permeation experiments revealed the enhanced water flux up to 195 L/m2h with 4 wt% additive dosage. The dye rejection efficacy of the prepared membranes was determined by using rhodamine B (Rh.B) and methylene blue (MB). The dye rejection studies were executed in terms of pH, contact time and initial dye concentration. The membrane with 4 wt% of nanomaterial dosage, showed rejection of 97% at pH 8 and 94% at pH 7 for MB and Rh.B dyes, respectively. Langmuir adsorption isotherm is the best model to explain interaction between dye molecules and membrane surface, with quantity of dye adsorbed (qmax) was observed to be 20.4 mg/g and 19.6 mg/g for MB and Rh.B, respectively. This approach showed modified membrane has good cationic dye rejection efficacy and can be efficiently employed to remove the dyes from aqueous streams.