Effect of cellulose nanocrystals on performance of polyethersulfone nanocomposite membranes using electrospinning technique

In this study, effects of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as variable nano additive on the morphology and performance of polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were investigated. PES/CNC nanocomposite membranes were prepared using electrospinning technique. Various contents (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 wt%) of the CNCs were employed to prepare PES/CNC membranes. The effects of CNCs on the membrane morphology and performance were monitored by fabrication of a control membrane without CNCs. The membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy, pure water flux (PWF), and surface hydrophilicity (by contact angle), bacteria removal and Brunauer‐Emmet‐Teller. In general, it was found that addition of CNCs led to smooth fibers with many interconnected voids and significant higher hydrophilicity, as well as higher PWF. Surface analysis of the membranes demonstrated that mean of the fibers diameters of the prepared membranes with CNCs in the PES solution are smaller compared with those of the membrane prepared with no CNCs. In addition, the diameter of fibers considerably influence pore size and the ability of membranes for PWF. PES/CNC0.5 membrane had the highest PWF of 2125 L/m² h among the studied membranes. The contact angle measurements revealed that the hydrophilicity of PES/CNC membranes enhanced by increasing the CNC content. PWF of pure PES was 136 L/m² h. Whereas with the addition of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 wt% CNCs content, the PWF increased to 148, 235, and 210 L/m² h, respectively, indicating that the addition of CNCs can be a useful way to improve water flux. The synthesized membranes were used for the removal of bacteria, Escherichia coli, from the waste water. Bacterial removing efficiency reached to 62% by adding 0.5 wt% CNC into the PES. Finally, this study provides valuable insight into the preparation of high‐performance PES/CNC nanocomposite membranes. POLYM. COMPOS., 40:E835–E841, 2019. © 2018 Society of Plastics Engineers