Dr. Akshay Modi’s research group at the Department of Chemical Engineering is working to improve membrane-based water filtration technology. Their research focuses on tailoring polyacrylonitrile (PAN) membranes, which are widely used for filtration due to their strength and chemical resistance but often struggle with clogging over time. To address this issue, the team incorporated polyethylene glycol (1000 Da) into PAN membranes. This addition changed the membrane’s structure, making it a more uniform and spongy structure and increasing its ability to repel contaminants. The blended membranes also became more water-friendly, which helped prevent clogging. Although water flow through the membranes decreased slightly, the benefits of reduced clogging and improved filtration performance outweighed this effect. When tested with municipal wastewater, the modified membranes maintained better filtration efficiency, with over 80% of their performance restored after cleaning. They also effectively removed >99% of water pollutants. Further testing over multiple cycles confirmed their long-term stability. This study demonstrates that adding PEG-1000 to PAN membranes is a promising approach to making wastewater reclamation more efficient and durable, ultimately contributing to cleaner and more sustainable water management. This work has been published and can be accessed here: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.5c00095.
