Modification of recycled polyethylene terephthalate membrane by using graphene oxide to enhance antifouling properties for protein separation

Egg white powder protein is commonly found in wastewater from the food industry. This study investigates the synthesis of a nanofibrous membrane from recycled polyethylene terephthalate using electrospinning for egg white powder treatment. Additionally, surface modification with graphene oxide was explored to enhance fouling resistance. The membrane was characterized using SEM and FTIR. Then the Filtration performance was tested using a dead-end stirred cell unit with egg white powder solution to assess protein recovery and membrane fouling. The results showed that the recycled polyethylene terephthalate membrane could recover more than 80 percent of the egg white protein, and the surface modification with graphene oxide could enhance the fouling resistance property.