Polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF)/graphene oxide(GO) nanocomposite membranes

which were made of PVDF naocomposites with different content of super hydrophilic graphene oxide(GO) nanosheets

were assessed for long term application in a membrane bioreactor(MBR) system.Critical flux

MBR performance

membrane resistance

and anti-fouling properties were intensively studied.Surface hydrophilicity of PVDF/GO membranes was improved with presence of surficial oxygen-containing groups up to 29.33%(GO=3%).PVDF/GO membranes showed similar anti-fouling to PVDF control membrane

however

PVDF/GO(GO=3%) membrane required only one cleaning with cleaning cycle 4 times longer than PVDF control.PVDF/GO membrane had lower membrane resistance than PVDF control and significant reduction in irreversible fouling resistance.As an example

PVDF/GO(GO=3%) membrane had about 9% of irreversible fouling resistance of PVDF control.Antifouling improvement of PVDF/GO membrane was further shown by EPS study that much lower EPS intensities were observed with a reduction of 59.98%(GO=1%) and 69.57%(GO=3%) in comparison to PVDF control.Scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and confocal laser scanning microscope(CLSM) results showed that cake layer on nanocomposite membrane became looser and thinner with the increase of GO content.Part of PVDF/GO(GO=3%) membrane surface was exposed

resulting in high stable permeability over a long period of time.