Effect of casting rate on the development of polysulfone flat sheet ultrafiltration membrane for the aluminium removal / Siti Hawa Rosli …[et al.]

This paper focused on the performance of flat sheet ultrafiltration membrane by various casting rate on the
aluminium removal. Aluminium potassium sulfate (alum) known as an agent that used in water treatment
processes to flocculate suspended particles but it may leave a residue of aluminium in the finished water. The
removal of these impurities is significant based on its effect to human and environment. Therefore. membrane
separation had developed in order to improve the method for removing the aluminium contaminants. The
formulation of multicomponent (Polysulfone/poly(vinylpyrolidone)-K30/N.N dimethylacetamide ) flat sheet
ultrafiltration membrane had developed using the dry/wet phase inversion technique. The membranes were
produced at three different casting rate (11 m/min. 10 m/min, and 8.5 m/min) from controlled pressure of 90
psi. 70 psi and 50 psi. The performances of these membranes were tested by Salt (NaCl) rejection and also
aluminium removal. Then, the morphology (skin layer and cross section) for each membrane was observed
using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). From the experiments. it showed that casting
rate directly influences both membrane morphology as well as membrane rejection performance. The highest
percentage of sodium chloride (NaCl) rejection was observed from membrane fabricated at 11 m/min of
casting rate with 42%. Moreover with the increment of casting rate. then the percentage aluminium removal
also increased. As conclusion, from this study proved that casting rate influence significantly on the
morphology, rejection and flux performance of flat sheet ultrafiltration membrane.