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In this study, polyamide-6 (PA-6) nanofibre membranes containing TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully prepared by electrospinning. Different types of TiO2 functionalisation methods (inline functionalisation and post-functionalisation) were tested with two types of TiO2 nanoparticles. A colloidal solution consisting of TiO2 nanoparticles with average dimensions of 6 nm was prepared and the performance of these nanoparticles was compared with commercially available Degussa P25 nanoparticles. The photocatalytic activity of the nanofibre membranes functionalised with TiO2 was demonstrated with the degradation of the dye methylene blue. The results of photodegradation with methylene blue in aqueous solution demonstrated excellent photocatalytic activity of TiO2 nanoparticles immobilised in and on the nanofibrous structure. After 2 h of UV irradiation, a degradation up to 84% methylene blue was observed. This degradation further increased and resulted in a degradation up to 99% methylene blue after 6 h of illumination. A stability test of the functional materials confirmed that the TiO2 nanoparticles were successfully incorporated in and onto the electrospun PA-6 fibres. Clean water flux was measured to find out the filter efficiency of the different membranes. The functionalised membranes have a clean water-flux varying from 1.0 x 104 to 2.1 x 104 l/m² h bar. As such, the electrospun nanofibre membranes functionalised with TiO2 nanoparticles show a great potential as a water filter medium with an immobilised photocatalyst in view of dissolved organic matter degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrospinning is a process to generate nanofibrous nonwovens. With these nonwovens, many applications can be targeted, such as water filtration. In this paper, polyamide nanofibrous membranes are evaluated for their pore size, a key parameter in water filtration, and for their removal of microorganisms. To increase the removal efficiency to values exceeding the state of the art, innovative functionalization of the nanofibres is studied. The nanofibrous membranes are functionalized using a one step method. Different functionalization chemicals are investigated which are Ag nanoparticles and bactericides. Ag functionalized nanofibres are used as a reference medium to compare with a novel bactericide based functionalization system. It is seen that nanofibrous membranes functionalized with the bactericides exceed the normal removal efficiencies obtained by microfiltration membranes. Furthermore, knowledge is built up on how these bactericides are inserted in the nanofibres themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of nanofibre microfiltration membranes, spun by an innovative electrospinning technique, in water filtration applications. As such, this study bridges the gap between developments in electrospinning techniques for the production of flat-sheet membranes and the application of these membranes in water filtration. Three different applications were examined. Firstly, the use of the membrane (functionalised or non-functionalised) for the removal of pathogens was investigated. Secondly, the electrospun flat-sheet membranes were applied for wastewater treatment in a laboratory-scale submerged membrane bioreactor (MBR). In addition to these applications, physical properties such as clean water permeability (CWP) and strength were also examined. The tests showed that the electrospun membranes can be used for water filtration applications, but that further improvements are necessary before these membranes can be practically employed. In particular, the level of functionality and the properties of irreversible fouling require further research [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]