Performance Evaluation of Polyether Sulfone Nanocomposite Membranes in the Separation of Evans Blue Dye

Water pollution caused by the textile industry poses significant health and environmental challenges because of the discharge of untreated dye-laden effluents into natural water bodies. Conventional dye removal methods are often cost-prohibitive and energy-intensive. Membrane filtration has advantages such as scalability; however, it exhibits fouling. This study focuses on preparing cost-effective and eco-friendly membranes and evaluating the performance of PES-incorporated inorganic (TiO2), carbon-based (AC), and green-synthesized, eco-friendly Moringa seed extract biosorbents. Previous research has conducted studies on these nanoparticles separately; however, in this study, they were compared altogether, and the nanocomposite membranes were compared with commercial nanofiltration membranes (CM NF 90). The physical properties of the membranes were evaluated based on water uptake, porosity, and mean pore radius. Membrane characterizations were determined using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), confirming the successful integration of nanomaterials and improvements in membrane morphology. A dead-end filtration system was used to evaluate the performance of the membranes in removing Evans blue dye. The color removal efficiency (CRE) of PES/ TiO2, PES/AC, and Moringa-based membranes was 97.9%, 92%, and 98.2%, respectively. The activated carbon (AC) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) PES membranes exhibited steady flux. The Moringa-based membrane exhibited a remarkable dye rejection rate and high flux; however, the flux decreased gradually because of fouling. These results confirm that nanocomposite membranes enhance dye removal efficiency and stability. Therefore, the nanocomposite PES membrane has the potential for better dye removal and has broad applications in dye removal from wastewater in the textile industry.