Faculty Publications
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Publications by NITK Faculty
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Item Antifouling and performance enhancement of polysulfone ultrafiltration membranes using CaCO3 nanoparticles(2013) Nair, A.K.; Isloor, A.M.; Kumar, R.; A.F., A.F.Calcium carbonate nanoparticles were synthesized from calcium nitrate via chemical precipitation method. The nanoparticles were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), Attenuated total reflectance infra red (ATR-IR) spectrum and by X-ray diffraction (XRD). These nanoparticles were used as additive for polysulfone (PSf) ultrafiltration membrane along with polyethylene glycol (PEG) as pore forming agent. The PSf hybrid membranes were characterized by ATR-IR, XRD, and SEM studies. ATR-IR and XRD results indicated the successful incorporation of the nanoparticles in the membranes. Cross sectional images of the membranes along with the elemental mapping of calcium on the membrane surface were assessed using SEM. Hydrophilicity of the membranes was evaluated in terms of contact angle measurements. The permeability of the membranes was determined by measuring the pure water flux (PWF). Membranes were also subjected to antifouling studies using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the standard protein for rejection. The membranes showed better permeability and antifouling property with the increased addition of CaCO3 nanoparticles. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.Item Synthesis and characterisation of TiO2 nanofibre/cellulose acetate nanocomposite ultrafiltration membrane(Taylor and Francis Ltd. michael.wagreich@univie.ac.at, 2017) Neelapala, S.D.; Nair, A.K.; JagadeeshBabu, J.Nanofibres of TiO2 were synthesised by hydrothermal routine. Cellulose acetate/TiO2 nanofibre composite membranes were synthesised via blending TiO2 nanofibre in cellulose acetate solutions in 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. In order to study the effect of addition of nanofibre, membranes with various composition were synthesised, first by keeping cellulose acetate to 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidone ratio constant and second by decreasing cellulose acetate concentration with increasing addition of TiO2 nanofibre. The membranes were characterised using scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction. Hydrophilicity of the membranes was evaluated in terms of contact angle measurements and water uptake study. Permeation characteristics were determined in terms of pure water flux and bovine serum albumin rejection. Antifouling property was studied in terms of flux recovery after rejection. Remarkable improvement in membrane flux and antifouling properties is achieved by the addition of TiO2 nanofibres. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.Item TiO2 nanosheet-graphene oxide based photocatalytic hierarchical membrane for water purification(Elsevier B.V., 2017) Nair, A.K.; JagadeeshBabu, J.There is a rising concern over the toxicity of nanomaterials which emphasizes the need for reforms in application of nanomaterials in water treatment. A hierarchical membrane with a thin layer of photocatalyst coated on top of the membrane surface has emerged as a better alternate for immobilization of photocatalyst. Studies have revealed that nanoparticles are not pliable for synthesis of hierarchical membranes due to their smaller size and low stability after deposition. TiO2 nanosheets serve as better alternate due their thin structure which enables stable layer formation. Integrating the nanosheets with modifiers like graphene oxide can further enhance the photocatalytic activity. The sheet structure of graphene oxide enhances stable film formation and also acts as support for interconnecting TiO2 nanosheets. In the present work, TiO2 nanosheets are modified with graphene oxide and used to develop a hierarchical membrane by depositing a catalyst coating on a support membrane. The hierarchical membrane performance was studied using Congo red dye as model pollutant and the effect of catalyst loading on the permeate flux and dye removal were analyzed. © 2017 Elsevier B.V.