Crosslinking Graphene Oxide and Chitosan to Form Scalable Water Treatment Membranes

Abstract

Graphene oxide (GO) has emerged within the last decade as a next generation material for water treatment. Fabrication of GO membranes has been limited in scale and application due to repulsive hydration forces causing GO layers to electrostatically separate. In this study, chitosan is utilized to increase GO stability in the wet state through interactions with the negatively charged chitosan/graphene oxide (CSGO) sheets. This simple aqueous self-assembly allows scalable fabrication and enhanced stability for membrane applications in cross-flow. The CSGO membranes performance was tested in a cross-flow reactor (CFR) and challenged with methylene blue at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 parts per million (ppm) at 345 kilopascal (kPa), with fluxes ranging from 1 to 4.5 L/(m2 hr) and 100% removal via physical rejection. This work demonstrates that the CSGO composite matrix is a potential alternative to traditional polymeric membranes for water treatment using a renewable biopolymer and minimal chemical input.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2019
Accession Number
AD1075867

Entities

People

  • Chris S. Griggs
  • Jose Mattei-sosa
  • Veera G. Gude
  • Victor Frank Medina

Organizations

  • Engineer Research and Development Center

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Alcohols
  • Assembly
  • Chemical Analysis
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Composite Materials
  • Cross Flow
  • Fabrication
  • Manufacturing
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Science
  • Polymers
  • Polysaccharides
  • Self Assembly
  • Water Purification

Readers

  • Analytical Chemistry
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene