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Development of polyethersulfone/cellulose nanocrystal/multi-walled carbon nanotubes membrane for humic acid removal / Nor Azura Che Mahmud

By:

Nor Azura Che Mahmud [author.]

Material type: Text

text

Media type:

unmediated

Carrier type:

volume

ISBN:

THE0010837 (Local)

Subject(s):

Dissertation note: Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al Sultan Abdullah - 2026 Abstract: Humic acid (HA) is a naturally occuring organic constituent that can promote the complexation, mobility, and transformation of metal ions and other contaminants in aquatic systems, potentially increasing human health risks. Accordingly, effective reduction of HA in treated water is essential to safeguard water quality and public health. Nanocomposite membranes are effective for HA removal, yet most studies have been limited to single nanofiller systems. This work reports the first polyethersulfone (PES) membrane incorporating dual nanofillers, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to synergistically enhance HA removal performance. Flat sheet PES membranes were first synthesized to evaluate the effects of individual and combined nanoparticles. The best flat sheet membrane composition was found to be 17 wt.% PES, 0.3 wt.% CNC, and 0.03 wt.% MWCNT. This formulation produced a hydrophilic surface with a contact angle of 60.14° and 58.98% of porosity. It achieved a water flux of 17.81 LMH, the highest HA removal efficiency of 93.05%, and an FRR of 92.09%. Developing on the flat sheet membrane formulation, hollow fiber (HF) membranes were fabricated under various parameters, including air gap length, dope extrusion rate (DER), and water coagulation bath (WCB) temperature. These HF membranes were tested under different pH conditions and HA concentrations to assess their removal capability. The best-performing HF membrane, prepared with an air gap of 9 cm, a DER of 20 mL/min, and a WCB temperature of 30°C, delivered a water flux of 18.88 LMH, an HA rejection rate of 97.3%, and an FRR of 98.98%. In conclusion, the performance of this newly formulated nanocomposite membrane is comparable to existing membrane technologies and demonstrates strong potential for translation into industrial-scale water treatment applications.

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Holdings ( 2 )
Title notes ( 4 )

Holdings
Item type	Current library	Collection	Call number	Copy number	Status	Date due	Barcode
Thesis	UMPLIB GAMBANG	Reference	FTKKP .A98 2026 r Thesis (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	In Transit		T000005672
Accompanying Material	UMPLIB GAMBANG	Reference	CD14075 (Browse shelf(Opens below))	1	In Transit		T000005673

Faculty of Chemical and Process Engineering Technology

Thesis (Doctor of Philosophy) -- Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al Sultan Abdullah - 2026

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Humic acid (HA) is a naturally occuring organic constituent that can promote the complexation, mobility, and transformation of metal ions and other contaminants in aquatic systems, potentially increasing human health risks. Accordingly, effective reduction of HA in treated water is essential to safeguard water quality and public health. Nanocomposite membranes are effective for HA removal, yet most studies have been limited to single nanofiller systems. This work reports the first polyethersulfone (PES) membrane incorporating dual nanofillers, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to synergistically enhance HA removal performance. Flat sheet PES membranes were first synthesized to evaluate the effects of individual and combined nanoparticles. The best flat sheet membrane composition was found to be 17 wt.% PES, 0.3 wt.% CNC, and 0.03 wt.% MWCNT. This formulation produced a hydrophilic surface with a contact angle of 60.14° and 58.98% of porosity. It achieved a water flux of 17.81 LMH, the highest HA removal efficiency of 93.05%, and an FRR of 92.09%. Developing on the flat sheet membrane formulation, hollow fiber (HF) membranes were fabricated under various parameters, including air gap length, dope extrusion rate (DER), and water coagulation bath (WCB) temperature. These HF membranes were tested under different pH conditions and HA concentrations to assess their removal capability. The best-performing HF membrane, prepared with an air gap of 9 cm, a DER of 20 mL/min, and a WCB temperature of 30°C, delivered a water flux of 18.88 LMH, an HA rejection rate of 97.3%, and an FRR of 98.98%. In conclusion, the performance of this newly formulated nanocomposite membrane is comparable to existing membrane technologies and demonstrates strong potential for translation into industrial-scale water treatment applications.