Magnetically induced PSA composited CNT‐Fe3O4 ultrafiltration membrane

Abstract Based on the hydrophilicity of carboxylated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the paramagnetism of ferroferric oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ), a CNT‐Fe 3 O 4 nanocomplex was produced by in situ liquid phase synthesis and a magnetically induced polysulfone amide (PSA) composited CNT‐Fe 3 O 4 ultrafiltration membrane was prepared using an immersion precipitation phase transformation with an inexpensive PSA fiber as the matrix. Fe 3 O 4 nanoparticles were distributed evenly on the CNTs, and the obtained CNT‐Fe 3 O 4 complex exhibited good magnetic properties. For the magnetically induced PSA composited CNT‐Fe 3 O 4 ultrafiltration membrane, the water flux and retention rate under the magnetic field of 1450 Gs were 421.26 L/m 2 h and 96.70%, respectively; porosity and pore size were 38.75% and 58.52 nm; contact angle was 39.48°; average tensile strength was 4.61 N/mm 2 ; and weight retention rate reached 29.00% under heat treatment at 900°C. The water flux decreased by 5.40% and 39.33% after 3 weeks of acid and alkaline immersions, respectively. The inhibition zone diameter of Escherichia coli was 11 ± 0.24 mm, and that of Staphylococcus aureus was 11 ± 0.35 mm. The magnetically induced PSA composited CNT‐Fe 3 O 4 ultrafiltration membrane demonstrated stronger electronegativity, smaller average roughness, higher flux recovery rate value, and lower irreversible flux recovery rate value.