Optimizing Polyacrylonitrile Membranes with Polyethylene Glycol-1000 for Efficient Municipal Wastewater Treatment

This study investigates the effect of polyethylene glycol (Mw: 1000 Da, PEG-1000) incorporation on polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes for enhanced municipal wastewater treatment. Surface functionality analysis confirmed successful integration, while morphological studies revealed a transformation from finger-like cavities (pristine PAN membrane) to a spongy structure with PEG-1000. Increased PEG-1000 concentration enhanced hydrophilicity and maintained thermal stability while increasing surface roughness. However, pure water flux decreased marginally. Remarkably, PAN membranes blended with ≥2 wt % PEG-1000 exhibited significant improvements in antifouling performance when tested with simulated and real municipal wastewater, achieving flux recovery values of >80% compared to 73.8% for pristine membranes. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection values exceeded 99% across all membranes. Long-term evaluations (up to 10 cycles) demonstrated excellent antifouling stability for membranes containing 2 wt % PEG-1000. These findings suggest that incorporating 2 wt % PEG-1000 is optimal for enhancing PAN membrane performance in municipal wastewater treatment.