Separation of Bovine Serum Albumin and Humic Acid Using Antifouling Ultrafiltration Membranes Based on the Blends of Poly(Amide Imide) and Zirconium Containing  MOF ‐808

ABSTRACT Hybrid poly(amide imide) (PAI) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were successfully fabricated using MOF‐808 for the separation of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and humic acid (HA). The zirconium‐based MOF‐808 was synthesized by a straightforward solvothermal process, and its chemical functionality was confirmed by FTIR and XRD. The crystalline and granular structure of MOF‐808 was clearly visible in scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The surface functionalities of the membranes were analyzed using FTIR and XRD. The PAI membrane containing 4 wt.% of MOF‐808 exhibited a contact angle (CA) of 57.8°, water uptake of 75.1%, pure water flux (PWF) of 139.2 Lm −2 h −1 , and porosity of 27.4%, indicating increased surface hydrophilicity of the hybrid membranes. The antifouling behavior was evaluated using BSA and HA foulants. The flux recovery ratio (FRR) of the hybrid membranes increased to above 90% during the rejection of BSA and HA, demonstrating their antifouling properties and excellent separation ability. Overall results clearly show that the PAI/MOF‐808 hybrid UF membranes are promising for water and wastewater treatment.