Superhydrophilic polyethersulfone (PES) membranes with high scale inhibition properties obtained through bionic mineralization and RTIPS

Reverse thermally induced separation (RTIPS) was used to obtain a separation membrane with a better internal structure for a higher water flux and a surface that could easily form a hydration layer. In comparison to the traditional modification method, this work focused on the aspect that the internal structure obtained by changing the membrane-making method provided easier adhesion conditions for the dopamine/TiO2 hybrid nanoparticles (DA/TiO2 HNPs) obtained by biomimetic mineralization. It provided a basis for exploring the variation in adhesion with the water bath temperature and the amount of titanium added through the study of turbidity point, SEM images, water contact angle, thermogravimetric test, EDX, AFM, XPS, FTIR and other test results. The SEM images proved that the membrane obtained through the RTIPS method had a porous surface and spongy internal structure, furthermore, additional polymers were adsorbed. Use of EDX demonstrated that biomimetic mineralization prevented the production of agglomerated titanium dioxide. XPS and FTIR spectra confirmed the introduction and immobilization of HNP aggregation. Moreover, a decrease in the surface roughness and water contact angle further suggested an improvement in the hydrophilicity of the modified membrane. The introduction of HNP at a higher water bath temperature helped increase the water flux up to ten times, moreover, the oil-water separation efficiency could still reach over 99.50%. Lastly, a cycle test of the modified membrane under the optimal conditions helped confirm that the membrane forming conditions at this time could provide a better environment for the formation of the hydrophilic layer, which was conducive to the recycling of the separation membrane. In summary, more fixed more hydrophilic particles could be obtained through the RTIPS method based on biomimetic mineralization to prevent the accumulation of titanium dioxide, thus helping improve permeability and anti-fouling of the membrane.