Preparation and characterization of PES/TiO2 composite membranes

Polyethersulfone (PES)/TiO2 composite membranes were prepared by phase inversion method with nano-TiO2 as additive. The influence of TiO2 on the morphologies and the performances of PES/TiO2 membranes were investigated through the methods of SEM, XRD, TGA, contact angle goniometer, mechanical strength tests and filtration experiments. The results showed that the structure of membrane was not obviously affected by addition of TiO2, and the performances such as hydrophilicity, thermal stability, mechanical strength and anti-fouling ability of membrane were enhanced through adding TiO2 nanoparticles. At 0.5 wt.% TiO2 content, the composite membrane has an excellent performance, however higher TiO2 content (than 0.5 wt.%) resulted in defective pore structure of the membranes and decline of the performances, such as permeability and mechanical strength. TGA and mechanical strength analyses indicated good compatibility between polymers and TiO2 nanoparticles.