Optimized Hydrophilic Ultrafiltration Membranes With TMP Modeling for Nicotine Removal From Surface Water

ABSTRACT The fast growth of the industrial revolution and urbanization has resulted in the emergence of toxic and hazardous chemical compounds, known as “emerging pollutants” Nicotine, a toxic alkaloid found predominantly in tobacco plants, is one such emerging pollutant that can enter surface water through water release during tobacco production, the disposal of cigarette and tobacco products, and pharmaceuticals. The present work focuses on preparing novel mixed‐matrix membranes for separating and recovering nicotine from an aqueous solution by incorporating hydrophilic additives into a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) casting solution. The influence of nicotine concentration, temperature, and pH on removal efficiency and permeate flux was examined. The addition of tannic acid (TA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) to a flat sheet nanofiltration membrane resulted in the highest permeate flux and effective nicotine removal (75%) for an initial feed concentration of 80 mg/L. Characterization by SEM, FTIR, mechanical testing, contact angle, and porosity measurements confirmed improved membrane performance. Mechanical strength increased from 40.7 to 58.4 MPa, and the contact angle of M4 decreased to 54.1°, indicating better hydrophilicity. Antifouling tests with humic acid showed a 97.65% flux recovery rate. A two‐stage predictive framework accurately forecasted transmembrane pressure dynamics ( R 2 = 0.701), proving effective for dynamic operational conditions.