Preparation, characterization, and desalination study of polystyrene membrane integrated with zeolite using the electrospinning method

The novel composite membranes of Styrofoam (polystyrene) integrated with natural zeolite particles were produced using the electrospinning method for desalination purposes. The product was then characterized using FTIR, XRD, and TGA. Subsequently, the effect of different zeolite concentrations, namely 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 wt.% on its morphological structure and effectiveness was determined. Desalination of artificial seawater was carried out using the gravitational filtration principle to confirm the membrane's capabilities, after which its performance was evaluated using 4 wt.% NaCl solution. The morphological analysis showed that the composite membrane obtained has a smooth surface with microdomains on a few parts, which indicates the presence of zeolite. The result showed that the product integrated with 30 wt.% zeolites had the best performance in the desalination of artificial seawater. This was determined by comparing the conductivity value of the seawater before and after the process. The conductivity led to an 82.63% decrease using 30 wt.% zeolites. The developed polystyrene membrane embedded with zeolite has good thermal stability, hence, it can be used for desalination.