Fabrication of Nanoparticle-Doped Polyvinyl Alcohol-Cellulose Acetate Membrane and Characterization of the Surface Enhancement

In the present study, nanocomposite polymeric membranes are fabricated using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), cellulose acetate (CA) as polymers, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as the solvent. To enhance the performance of the membrane, nanoparticles like TiO₂, CaO, CdO, and ZrO are added to the polymeric solution and the doped polymeric solution is cast on a glass plate. Nine combinations of membranes are fabricated with two different concentrations (0.1% and 0.2%) of nanoparticles. The basic properties of the membranes such as density, porosity, viscosity, permeability, pure water flux, and water content are studied for the samples. Membrane pore structure and surface properties are identified and it is found that doping nanoparticles on the surface of membranes improve mechanical strength, stability, pore size, etc., allowing the membranes to perform better in extreme industrial-level effluent treatment applications. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows the homogeneous dispersion of ZrO, TiO₂, CaO, and CdO nanoparticles on the surface of the PVA-CA membrane. The doping of nanoparticles on the PVA-CA membrane results in improved mechanical strength and good chemical oxidation stability. In comparison, the PCD-TiO₂ sample shows high thermal stability and oxidation stability at high temperatures until 200°C, which has a high potential for treating industrial effluents.