cu removal from wastewater using a polyethersulfone- graphene oxide nanoparticles functionalized with chitosan membrane

In this study, graphene oxide (go) nanoparticles were synthesized from a graphite precursor using a simplified hummer method, and their surfaces were functionalized with chitosan to improve their dispersion and compatibility with the polymer matrix. the functionalized nanoparticles were then incorporated into polyethersulphone (pes) membranes to enhance their properties and provide mixed-matrix membranes. for the fabrication of the polyethersulfone membranes and their performance, an experimental design was performed using minitab 17 software, applying the taguchi method with an l9 orthogonal array. the parameters influencing membrane performance, including the polymer and go concentrations in the membrane casting solution and operating pressure during the separation process, were selected at three levels. the results showed that increasing the polymer concentration enhanced cu removal but reduced the permeate flux, whereas higher pressure increased the flux but decreased the separation efficiency. in addition, contour plots representing the permeate flux and cu removal% as a function of the polymer concentration and the operating pressure indicated that the maximum cu removal (> 70 wt. %) occurred within the pressure range of 6 to 6.2 bar and polymer concentration of 18 to 20 wt.% in the casting solution.