Layer‐by‐layer assembled polyelectrolyte blend membranes and their use for ion separation and rejection

Polyelectrolyte blend films and membranes were prepared upon alternating electrostatic adsorption of polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH) and mixtures of polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) and polyacrylic acid (PAA) in different ratio on solid supports. Infrared studies indicated that the PSS‐PAA blend composition of the films always differed from the mixture composition in the dipping solution, PSS being preferentially adsorbed. Films deposited on porous supporting membranes (polyacrylonitrile/polyethylene terephthalate) were studied on their ion permeation under diffusion dialysis conditions, and their flux and salt rejection under nanofiltration and reverse osmosis (RO) conditions. Blend membranes prepared at pH 1.7 exhibit a significantly improved anion separation and salt rejection, the ideal separation factor α(NaCl/Na₂SO₄) of a membrane prepared from a PSS:PAA mixture of 1:1 (w/w) being 197 ± 10 (pure PAH/PSS: 45). The NaCl and Na₂SO₄ rejections under RO conditions are 85 and 97% (pure PAH/PSS: 15 and 27%), respectively. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Monitoring the Salt Stability of Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembled Films From Polyelectrolyte Blends by Quartz Crystal Microbalance-Dissipation and Their Ion Separation Performances

Our study is concerned with the development of a novel type of layer-by-layer (LbL) self-assembled membrane from a single cationic polyelectrolyte (PE) and blended anionic PEs. Their synthetic seawater stability is investigated as a function of PE type and blend ratios using quartz crystal microbalance-dissipation (QCM-D). These materials adsorbed into multilayers with significant viscoelasticity. Poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(vinylamine hydrochloride) (PVA) based LbL blend films did not show any multilayer decomposition with the addition of synthetic seawater regardless of blend ratio while chitosan based multilayers disintegrated. The flux of PVA based blend membrane to water with 1,000 ppm NaCl was found to be 6.7 L/m².h at 40 bar and the flux properties of the membranes were highly dependent on both the thickness and hydrophilicity of multilayers. Ion rejection can be controlled with the charge of the top layer consistent with a Donnan exclusion approach. Sodium ion rejection of 60.5 layered LbL blend membrane was 98.4% at 40 bar and it was determined that sodium ion rejection improved 110.7% compared to a commercial nanofiltration membrane. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 60:1006–1018, 2020. © 2020 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Role of clays in fouling-resistant clay-embedded polyelectrolyte multilayer membranes for wastewater effluent treatment

This study aimed to investigate the effects of cation exchange capacity (CEC) and location of clay nanoplatelets on the structure and performance of clay-embedded polyelectrolyte multilayer (c-PEM) membranes for wastewater effluent treatment. Two kinds of clay nanoplatelets, montmorillonite and kaolin, were deposited on the ultrafiltration membrane by employing layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly with poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). Negatively charged clay platelets or PAA interacted with positively charged PAH to form a bilayer in the c-PEM membrane. The filtration effect of clay platelets was successively distinguished from PEM by reducing the number of (PAH/PAA) bilayers from four to one, while keeping the clay layer at the outermost layer of assembly. When the clay platelets were deposited only as the outermost layer of the LbL multilayers, the c-PEM membrane with one clay layer and one bilayer assembly showed significant flux barrier and fouling resistance. Clay platelets as the outermost layer physically increased the flow path length and decreased the number of pores, as well as effectively blocked the organic contaminants in the wastewater. Meanwhile, when the clay layer was embedded in the middle of the PEM, the synergistic effect of clay platelets and PEM for wastewater treatment was difficult to obtain because the presence of clay platelets defected the buildup of fully interdigitated c-PEM and the adsorption of clay platelets was decreased. For the clays having low CEC, a higher number of LbL multilayers were required to deposit the clay platelets and to improve the performance of membrane. The high CEC clays (montmorillonite) turned out to be better than the low CEC clays (kaolin) in the structure and performance of the c-PEM membrane for wastewater effluent treatment.     

Novel thin-film composite nanofiltration membranes fabricated via the incorporation of ssDNA for highly efficient desalination

In this work, the biomacromolecule, single-stranded deoxyribonucleic acid (ssDNA) was innovatively incorporated into the polyamide layer to tailor the permeate flux and antifouling performance of the nanofiltration (NF) membranes. With active amines groups, the ssDNA was as the aqueous phase monomers along with piperazine (PIP), and reacted with trimesoyl chloride on polyethersulfone substrate to fabricate thin-film composite (TFC) NF membranes. The NF membrane prepared under optimal ratio of ssDNA/PIP had a pure water permeability of 75.8 L m⁻² h⁻¹ (improved 58% compared to PIP NF membrane) and Na₂SO₄ rejection of 98.0% at 6.0 bar. The rejections for different inorganic salts were the order: Na₂SO₄ (98.0%) > MgSO₄ (89.2%) > MgCl₂ (72.8%) > NaCl (23.0%). Furthermore, the TFC NF membranes showed good antifouling performance in long-term running with 300 ppm bovine serum albumin and humic acid solution. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 47102.     

Modification of SPPESK proton exchange membranes through layer‐by‐layer self‐assembly

Sulfonated poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone) (SPPESK) composite membranes are fabricated through electrostatic layer‐by‐layer (LbL) self‐assembly method with chitosan (CS) and phosphotungstic acid (PWA) to enhance the proton conductivity and stability. The results demonstrate that LbL self‐assembly has different effects on the SPPESK membrane substrates with different sulfonation degrees (DSs). It elevates proton conductivity of the SPPESK membrane of lower DS and enhances swelling stability of the SPPESK membrane of higher DS. For instance, at 80°C, proton conductivity of the SPPESK0.74/(CS/PWA)₁ membrane (lower DS) increases by 16%–96.49 mS cm^?1, and swelling ratio of the SPPESK1.01/(CS/PWA)₃ membrane (higher DS) decreases from 58 to 29%. Attribute to the electrostatic interaction and ion cross‐linking networks, permeability of the SPPESK0.74/(CS/PWA)₃ membrane and the SPPESK1.01/(CS/PWA)₅ membrane are reduced by 45 and 30%, respectively. The results indicate that the LbL self‐assembly has broadened the available DS range for fuel cell applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 132, 42867.     

聚酰胺非对称纳滤膜在印染废水深度处理中的应用

利用自制的聚酰胺非对称纳滤膜处理水溶性阴离子染料废水,并与NF270商品膜性能进行了比较研究。在0.7 MPa和25℃的条件下,所制纳滤膜对3种阴离子染料的截留率均大于95%。24 h染料连续脱盐运行条件下,膜的水通量保持在50 L.m-2·h-1,染料截留率96%以上,脱盐率稳定在5%以下,具有较好的选择分离性和耐污染性。2种纳滤膜的性能对比研究表明,所制PMIA非对称纳滤膜的染料截留能力和耐高温性优于NF270商品膜,但膜通量稍低。     

Treatments of stainless steel wastewater containing a high concentration of nitrate using reverse osmosis and nanomembranes

A nanomembrane (NTR 729HF) and three different types of reverse osmosis (RO) membranes (CPA2, LFC1, and ESPA1) were tested for the treatment of high concentration of nitrate wastewater from stainless steel industry. All the tested RO membranes showed higher rejection rates (90–99% at 1000–60 mg/L of NO₃⁻ -N) than the NF membrane. The rejection rate and flux of RO membranes were not highly affected by pH variation and Ca²⁺ as co-existing ion. However, the rejection rate of NF, which was 67% at 60 mg/L of feed concentration, was decreased as pH decreased and Ca²⁺ concentration increased indicating that charge repulsion is one of the major rejection mechanisms. As nitrate concentration increased from 20 to 1000 mg/L in feed water, the removal rate decreased from 67 to 20% in NF membrane. The flux of RO was relatively high and ESPA1 (a low-pressure RO type) showed more than two times higher flux compared to the NF. ESPA1 was successfully tested for a longterm experiment with real stainless steel wastewater for 30 days of experimental period. Current study implicates that RO membranes could be an alternative for the treatment of stainless steel wastewater.     

Stainless steel membrane UF coupled with NF process for the recovery of sodium hydroxide from alkaline wastewater in chitin processing

The recovery of sodium hydroxide from alkali wastewater in chitin processing was investigated using stainless steel ultrafiltration membrane (SSM) and HDS-04 nanofiltration (NF) membranes with membrane area of 0.35 m² and 1.4 m², respectively. Flux behaviors were observed with respect to filtration time, volumetric concentration ratio (VCR), operating pressure, temperature, and cleaning. As the VCR increased, the permeate flux declined while almost the same concentration of NaOH was permeable. The SSM and NF operations end with a concentrated protein solution that needed a small amount of waste acid for neutralization and easy spray drying and the permeate of the NaOH solution can be reused. Concentrations of NaOH that govern reusability of permeate were measured to be independent on VCR. The most suitable VCRs for SSM and NF in terms of maintaining relatively good membrane productivity and high rejection of protein and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were approximately 50. At a VCR of 50, the total rejections of protein, COD and suspended solid (SS) were 82.5%, 94% and 100%, respectively, while total NaOH recovery was 96% with SSM average flux 270 LMH and NF average flux 25 LMH. SSM filtration was essential for the pretreatment of the alkali wastewater before it was fed into the NF system.     

Natural rubber latex LbL films: Characterization and growth of fibroblasts

The recent biomedical applications of natural rubber (NR) latex, mostly in dry membranes, have motivated research into novel, more noble uses of this low-cost biomaterial. In this article, we provide the first report on the fabrication of layer-by-layer (LbL) films of NR alternated with the polyelectrolytes polyethylenimine (PEI) and polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAH). Stable (PAH/NR)_n and (PEI/NR)_n LbL films displayed similar physicochemical properties, but differed in terms of film morphology according to atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) data. Most significantly, (PEI/NR)₅ LbL films were made of smaller and flattened particles, which were not efficient for the growth and proliferation of normal human fibroblasts (NHF). In contrast, efficient NHF proliferation could be obtained with (PAH/NR)_n LbL films, with the fibroblasts exhibiting the expected elongated morphology. Furthermore, cell growth did not occur for cast films of NR, thus demonstrating the suitability of the LbL method for this biologically related application. The differences between the two polyelectrolytes illustrate the importance of the film architecture and morphology, which open the way for exploiting the molecular control inherent in the LbL technique for further applications of NR-containing films. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012     

Preparation and characterization of a novel positively charged nanofiltration membrane based on polysulfone

The goal of this study was to prepare positively charged nanofiltration (NF) membranes to remove cations from aqueous solutions. A composite NF membrane was fabricated by the modification of a polysulfone ultrafiltration support. The active top layer was formed by the interfacial crosslinking polymerization of poly(ethylene imine) (PEI) with p‐xylene dichloride (XDC). Then, it was quaternized by methyl iodide (MI) to form a perpetually positively charged layer. The chemical and morphological changes of the membrane surfaces were studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy. To optimize the membrane operation, the PEI solution concentration, PEI coating time, XDC concentration, crosslinking time, and MI concentration were optimized. Consequently, high water flux (5.4 L m^?2 h^?1 bar^?1) and CaCl₂ rejection (94%) values were obtained for the composite membranes at 4 bars and 30°C. The rejections of the NF membrane for different salt solutions, obtained from pH testing, followed the order Na₂SO₄ < MgSO₄ < NaCl < CaCl₂. The molecular weight cutoff was calculated by the retention of poly(ethylene glycol) solutions with different molecular weights, and finally, the stoke radius was calculated as 1.47 nm. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41988.     

Novel charged chitosan composite nanofiltration membranes containing chiral mesogenic group

To improve the performance of nanofiltration (NF) membranes, a chiral mesogenic compound, a positively charged compound, and a negatively charged compound were grafted to chitosan, respectively. Series of novel composite NF membranes were prepared by over‐coating the polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane with the mixture of chitosan and modified chitosan. The chiral mesogenic compound, the positively charged compound, the negatively compound and their chitosan derivatives were characterized by infrared spectrophotometer, differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscope; the structure of the membrane was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The performance of composite NF membranes was strictly related to the novel compounds grafted to chitosan and its composition. The rejection reached the maximum of 95.7% for CaCl₂ with P_2‐7 composite NF membrane, corresponding flux was 3155 Lm^?2h^?1. The rejection reached the maximum of 93% for Na₂SO₄ with P_3‐5 composite NF membrane, corresponding flux was 3879 Lm^?2h^?1. Comparing with conventional NF membranes, the membranes were used in low pressure with high flux, especially for the separation of high‐valence ions from solution. The membranes were typical charged NF membranes. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 57:22–30, 2017. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers     

New polymeric membrane nanofiltration for succinate recovery: a comparative study

Bio-based succinic acid recovery from fermentation broth has remained a challenge in the separation industry due the presence of by-products with similar physicochemical properties. In this work, the selective separation of succinate from succinate model solutions and the actual fermentation broth were investigated using newly fabricated polyimide P84 (PI) nanofiltration (NF) membrane and compared with three types of commercial pressure filtration membranes namely NF1, NF2 and NF270. Results show that PI membrane demonstrated comparable inorganic salt rejections performance as the commercial NF membranes of 86% and 99% for NaCl and Na₂SO₄, respectively. However PI shows much lower surface roughness, beneficial in reducing the fouling effect. PI also demonstrated equivalent performance for succinate permeation flux and retention at high concentration as the commercial membranes. PI exhibited high succinate retention (95%) in actual fermentation broth, equivalent to the commercial membranes (92–99%) and also higher selectivity factor (SF) < 0.14 compared to the NF1 membrane, SF < 0.19. Thus the PI membrane could give better succinate recovery against other carboxylates in the fermentation broth than the commercial membranes.     

Two component polymer membranes

We prepared membranes from synthesized grafted polymers consisting of hydrophobic macromolecules and hydrophilic grafts. We studied especially polyacrylic acid (PAA) grafted on polypropylene (PP) and on ethylene-propylenediene rubbers (EPDM). From a technological point of view, the PP grafted membranes can be classified in three groups: membranes obtained from solution, from bioriented films and from not oriented films. EPDM grafted membranes were prepared from solution.The structure of membranes from solution is characterized by spheroidical domains (diameter ? 5.10^-2μm) situated in a rigid or elastomeric matrix. Good salt rejections can be obtained in the case of grafted PP with small fluxes and high thickness. Ultrafiltration of molecules larger than NaCl can be successful when using low thickness rigid membranes, with high fluxes. Elastomeric membranes, which show a low water permeability, do not allow any flux under pressure.Bioriented PP films after grafting show a layer-like structure with detached layers, partially fractured. This structure allows very small fluxes.The original band-like structure of not oriented PP films is heavily modified by grafting: the resulting structure is characterized by a uniform distribution of PAA, which allows the best salt rejection of all our membrane types, but with rather small fluxes.We explain the behaviour of the membranes from solution, using a mechanical model based on a single swelling sphere immersed in a rigid or elastomeric matrix. Internal stresses due to the PAA swelling are calculated and related to water adsorption. Calculated internal stresses justify fracture in the rigid matrix, thus allowing high fluxes, but not in the elastomeric matrix; this explains its very low permeability.Consequence of the existence of microfractures in the rigid matrix is the high dilatation rate of these membranes when immersed in water: the elastomeric membranes show a much lower dilatation rate.A mathematical model is proposed which relates the elongation to the diffusion coefficient of water and of salt both in the rigid and elastomeric membranes. Diffusion water coefficient is of the order of 10^-8 cm² s^-1 and 10^-10 cm² s^-1 respectively in the rigid and elastomeric membranes. Salt diffusion coefficient is of the order of 10^-12 cm² s^-1 in both cases.     

Nanofiltration of Magnesium Chloride,Sodium Carbonate,and Calcium Sulphate in Salt Solutions

Abstract

Nanofiltration (NF) membranes have been employed in pre‐treatment unit operations in both thermal and membrane seawater desalination processes. This has resulted in reduction of chemicals used in pretreatment processes as well as lowering the energy consumption and water production cost and, therefore, has led to a more environmentally friendly processes. In order to predict NF membrane performance, a systematic study on the filtration performance of selected commercial NF membranes against brackish water and seawater is required. In this study, three commercial nanofiltration membranes (NF90, NF270, N30F) have been used to treat highly concentrated different salts solutions (MgCl₂, Na₂CO₃, and CaSO₄) at salinity level similar to that of brackish water and seawater. The main parameters studied in this paper are salt concentration and feed pressure. The experimental data were correlated and analysed using the Spiegler‐Kedem model. In particular, the reflection coefficient (σ) of all studied membranes and the solute permeability (P_s) have been determined for all membranes and at different salinity levels of studied salts. All the studied membranes fitted the model well for all investigated salts except the experimental data of MgCl₂ using N30F membrane, which did not fit well at low rejection. The results showed that NF90 produced a high rejection around 97% for all salts with medium permeate flux while NF270 gave a high flux with medium rejection and N30F gave low rejection and flux.     

Comparative study of layer-by-layer deposition techniques for poly(sodium phosphate) and poly(allylamine hydrochloride)

An inorganic short chain polymer, poly(sodium phosphate), PSP, together with poly(allylamine hydrochloride), PAH, is used to fabricate layer-by-layer (LbL) films. The thickness, roughness, contact angle, and optical transmittance of these films are studied depending on three parameters: the precursor solution concentrations (10^-3 and 10^-4 M), the number of bilayers deposited (20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 bilayers), and the specific technique used for the LbL fabrication (dipping or spraying). In most cases of this experimental study, the roughness of the nanofilms increases with the number of bilayers. This contradicts the basic observations made in standard LbL assemblies where the roughness decreases for thicker coatings. In fact, a wide range of thickness and roughness was achieved by means of adjusting the three parameters mentioned above. For instance, a roughness of 1.23 or 205 nm root mean square was measured for 100 bilayer coatings. Contact angles close to 0 were observed. Moreover, high optical transmittance is also reported, above 90%, for 80 bilayer films fabricated with the 10^-4 M solutions. Therefore, these multilayer structures can be used to obtain transparent superhydrophilic surfaces.     

Cation separations in electrodialysis through membranes coated with polyelectrolyte multilayers

This paper examines K⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivities and cation fluxes in diffusion dialysis and electrodialysis through membranes coated with poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS)/protonated poly(allylamine) (PAH) multilayer films. In both dialysis techniques, K⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivities reach values >100, and with (PSS/PAH)₅-coated nanofiltration membranes the K⁺ flux in electrodialysis is 45-times the flux in diffusion dialysis. Thus, the applied electric current can increase flux without decreasing selectivity. However, the K⁺ transference number is at most ∼0.35 because protons and anions also carry current. Ion fluxes and K⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivities depend on the anion of the K⁺/Mg²⁺ salts. Sulfate decreases the surface charge on (PSS/PAH)₅-coated membranes and reduces K⁺/Mg²⁺ selectivities to ∼40 in both diffusion dialysis and electrodialysis through films on porous alumina. Chlorine generated during electrodialysis with chloride salts damages (PSS/PAH)₅-coated membranes, and selectivities decline dramatically after 60 min. Future work should examine selectivities among more valuable ions and methods for increasing stability and the transference numbers for the ions of interest.     

An Investigation of using statistically designed experiments and a computer model

This paper outlines the results of an experimental program aimed at established the best formation parameters for dynamic Zr (IV) — PAA membranes formed on porous ceramic supports. The membrane formation parameters investigated are the pressure, the circulation velocity, the Zr (IV) concentration, and the PAA concentration. The formation pressure was allowed to vary between 200 psig (1.4 MP_a) to 800 psig (5.4 MP_a), the circulation velocity from 6 fps (1.8 m/s) to 24 fps (7.3 m/s), the Zr (IV) concentration from 10^-4M to 9 × 10^-4M, and the PAA concentration from 50 ppm to 250 ppm.Twenty statistically designed experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of these four parameters on the flux and rejection of the resulting membrane at the end of the formation procedure. The results were used in a multiple linear regression computer program named BMD-PIR which develops the measured values with an accuracy of +_ 2 percent. Using these models, it is possible to form a membrane with a given value of flux or rejection within their ranges.For the range of variables used in this study, the maximum membrane rejection was 91% corresponding to a flux of 10 gpd/ft²(1.7 cm/hr) for 0.05 M NaCl and 800 psi (5.4 MP_a). High rejection was obtained by increasing the membrane formation pressure and by increasing the PAA concentration. High flux can be achieved by increasing the formation pressure, by increasing the Zr (IV) concentration up to 9.0 × 10^-4M -, and by increasing the circulation velocity.     

Covalent crosslinked assembly of tubular ceramic‐based multilayer nanofiltration membranes for dye desalination

A tubular ceramic‐based multilayer composite nanofiltration membrane has been developed for dye desalination. Poly(acrylic acid)(PAA)/poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA)/glutaraldehyde(GA) was dynamically assembled on to the inner surfaces of tubular ceramic microporous substrates which had been pretreated using dynasylan ameo silane coupling agents. Subsequently, the composite membranes were thermally crosslinked to form covalent ester bonds. Experimental results proved that the composite membrane had good nanofiltration performance for dye desalination. The (GA/PVA/PAA)₃/ceramic multilayer membrane shows over 96% retention of Congo red and less than 3% NaCl retention using a permeate flux of about 25 L/(m²·h). An investigation of membrane performance as a function of operating conditions suggested that the covalent crosslinking multilayer membrane possessed much higher stability compared to other, electrostatically assembled, multilayer membranes. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 3834–3842, 2013     

Gradient nanoporous phenolics as substrates for high-flux nanofiltration membranes by layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes

Thin film composite(TFC) membranes represent a highly promising platform for efficient nanofiltration(NF)processes. However, the improvement in permeance is impeded by the substrates with low permeances. Herein,highly permeable gradient phenolic membranes with tight selectivity are used as substrates to prepare TFC membranes with high permeances by the layer-by-layer assembly method. The negatively charged phenolic substrates are alternately assembled with polycation polyethylenimine(PEI) and polyanion poly(acrylic acid)(PAA)as a result of electrostatic interactions, forming thin and compact PEI/PAA layers tightly attached to the substrate surface. Benefiting from the high permeances and tight surface pores of the gradient nanoporous structures of the substrates, the produced PEI/PAA membranes exhibit a permeance up to 506 L? m~(-2)?h~(-1)?MPa~(-1), which is ～2–10 times higher than that of other membranes with similar rejections. The PEI/PAA membranes are capable of retaining N 96.1% of negatively charged dyes following the mechanism of electrostatic repulsion. We demonstrate that the membranes can also separate positively and neutrally charged dyes from water via other mechanisms.This work opens a new avenue for the design and preparation of high-flux NF membranes, which is also applicable to enhance the permeance of other TFC membranes.     

Poly(arylene sulfide sulfone) hybrid ultrafiltration membrane with TiO2‐g‐PAA nanoparticles: Preparation and antifouling performance

Poly(arylene sulfide sulfone) (PASS) is a kind of newly developed polymeric membrane material which has excellent mechanical strength, thermal stability, and solvent resistance. And, it would be a potential material for high temperature ultrafiltration and organic solvent filtration. In this article, PASS hybrid ultrafiltration membrane with improved antifouling property was prepared by mixing TiO₂ nanoparticles which were grafted with polyacrylic acid (PAA). These membranes were prepared by a phase inversion technique and their separation performance and antifouling property of the prepared membranes were investigated in detail by SEM, FTIR, EDS, contact angle goniometry, filtration experiments of water, and BSA solution. The results shown that the TiO₂‐g‐PAA nanoparticles dispersed well in membrane matrix, the hydrophilicity of the membranes prepared within TiO₂‐g‐PAA nanoparticles have been improved and these membranes exhibited excellent water flux and antifouling performance in separation than that of the pure PASS membranes and PASS membranes with TiO₂ nanoparticles. More specifically, among membrane sample M0, M1.5, and MP1.5, MP1.5 which contained 1.5 wt% TiO₂‐g‐PAA exhibited the highest water permeation (190.4 L/m² h at 100 kPa), flux recovery ratio, and the lowest BSA adsorption amount. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:2829–2837, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers