Abstract
Water permeability and dye rejection were considerably enhanced when mesoporous silica nanosphere (MSN) was added to the membrane matrix. The dry/wet phase conversion approach was used to create all membranes. The effect of MSN concentration (0%-8% wt.%) on the behavior of the PSF-UF membrane in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a producing-pore agent was examined. When the MSN level was increased to 6 wt.%, the rejection of Crystal violet dye rose continuously. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to analyze the morphological characteristics of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. Polysulfone (PS)/PVP/SiO2 (6%), for example, experienced high dye rejection (88.3%). The membrane permeability dropped from 415.9 L/ m2 h for PS/PVP to 122.7 L/m2 h for PS/PVP/SiO2 (6%) membrane when the MSN concentration increased to 6 wt.%. Only water could flow through the hydrophilic membrane on the feed side, resulting in a high-quality stream of water on the permeate portion, making the membrane suitable for the treatment of industrial effluent. The membrane's performance was improved by the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone.