(506a) New Ultrafiltration Polyethersulfone Membranes Incorporated with Carrageenan

The preparation of ultrafiltration (UF) polymeric membranes with high permeability and improved antifouling behaviour addresses a significant challenge in membrane development research. This study presents the first report on the development of novel polyethersulfone (PES) membranes modified with carrageenan (CAR), a natural polymer extracted from edible red seaweed. The PES/CAR membranes were fabricated using the nonsolvent-induced phase separation (NIPS) technique, incorporating CAR at concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 4.0 wt.% in the casting solutions. A bio-based, low-toxicity solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), was used in the preparation process. Various characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle, atomic force microscopy, zeta potential and porosity were employed to assess the surface morphology and structural properties, hydrophilicity, surface charge and pore size of the membranes. The performance of PES/CAR membranes was evaluated using bovine serum albumin (BSA) solutions. The results demonstrated that the modification of PES membranes with CAR significantly enhanced porosity, pore size, surface charge, hydrophilicity in addition to fouling resistance when compared with unmodified PES membranes. This was attributed to CAR’s pore-forming and hydrophilic properties. Compared to pure PES membranes, the PES/CAR membranes exhibited a 38% and 32% reduction in irreversible and total fouling, respectively, during BSA filtration, along with a 20–40% increase in flux recovery ratio and a 1.5-fold improvement in mechanical strength. These findings highlight CAR as a promising additive for the fabrication of PES UF membranes with superior properties and performance, making them more robust in water treatment applications.