Preparation and Characterization of Flat Sheet Polymeric Membranes: Application to the Removal of Humic Acids from Mediterranean Seawater

Membrane separation is an effective and versatile technology widely used for water purification. Organic membranes are increasingly emerging as a sustainable and potentially cost-effective alternative to inorganic membranes used for water treatment and other separation processes. They can exhibit good selectivity and permeability for specific applications. The membrane fabrication technique depends on several factors, including desired membrane properties, material selection, cost and environmental impact. In this work, organic flat-sheet membranes have been prepared for water pretreatment. Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) porous membranes were prepared by non-solvent-induced phase separation method (NIPS). The membranes were made by different compositions of solvent.  The prepared membranes were characterized using spectroscopic methods (SEM, XRD, FTIR) in order to determine the morphology and size of the pores, the thickness, the permeability and the retention of certain compounds The results obtained from the SEM showed that the membranes developed are ultrafiltration membranes with specific morphological shapes and porous surfaces. Micrographs of samples present morphologies that corroborate with the efficiency. The results indicate that PVDF porous membrane show good performance for the application of humic acid elimination. Moreover, the performance of the prepared membranes was determined by PWF and humic acid rejection.