Fullerene-containing polymer membranes for rejection of estrogenic compounds in water

Abstract

Asymmetric membranes based on compositions of fullerene C 60 and hydrophobic polymer, polyphenylene oxide containing up to 10 wt.% C 60 , were prepared with the aim of study on removing estrogenic pollutants from water. Efficiency of asymmetric membranes to estrone rejection was estimated in adsorption and ultrafiltration processes. Membrane containing 2 wt.% C 60 showed the fastest adsorption rate in the limiting adsorption stage. In the deadend filtration, all kinds of membranes demonstrated very good estrone rejection (more than 95%). Fullerenecontaining membranes exhibited higher flux than pure polyphenylene oxide membranes.