Development of graphene oxide and nanocellulose additive chitosan based polymer membranes and use in waste water treatment

Chitosan is a biodegradable, biocompatible, non-toxic natural polymer produced from the sources found in nature. In this work, the synthesized grenafen oxide and nanocelulose additive was applied to increase the mechanical properties of chitosan membrane and to increase the Cu (II) and Pb (II) heavy metal removal properties in waste water. Chitosan and composite membranes were produced by solution casting method. TGA (Thermogravimetric Analysis), FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy), XRD (X-Ray Diffraction), contact angle measurement and SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) characterization methods were applied to the prepared composite membranes. Heavy metal removal was investigated by UV-VIS (Ultraviolet and Visible Light) spectrophotometer and ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry) methods. Interactions between chitosan and additive materials were successfully observed with FTIR and XRD, surface morphology SEM. Graphene oxide addition and cross-linking affects heavy metal treatment positively.