Novel PVDF/PPy-Nanoclay Composite Ultrafiltration Membrane for Efficient Crude Oil Wastewater Treatment

Crude oil wastewater contains complex contaminants that pose significant environmental and health risks. Conventional ultrafiltration membranes exhibit limited hydrophilicity, susceptibility to fouling, and low permeability, thereby limiting their filtration efficiency. This study aims to develop a high-performance ultrafiltration membrane with enhanced hydrophilicity, permeability, and antifouling properties for effective oil–water separation. A polyvinylidene fluoride–polypyrrole–nanoclay (PVDF–PPy–NC) composite membrane was fabricated via a simple two-step approach. Membranes with varying nanoclay loadings (0.05–0.15 wt%) were prepared and evaluated under ultrafiltration conditions (1 bar, 23 ± 2°C) and pH=8.2. Incorporating PPy and nanoclay significantly improved membrane performance, with enhanced hydrophilicity (contact angle reduced from 88° to 71.6°), increased porosity (from 59.5% to 85.86%), and higher water flux (up to 324.5 LMH). The membrane containing 0.1 wt% nanoclay (Pyc-0.1) exhibited optimal performance, owing to uniform nanoclay dispersion that promoted a favorable pore structure. Conversely, excessive loading (0.15 wt%) led to nanoclay aggregation, resulting in irregular pores and a decline in flux. All modified membranes achieved high oil rejection (> 99.5%) and improved antifouling performance. These results demonstrate the potential of the fabricated membranes as cost-effective, scalable candidates for industrial oily wastewater treatment, particularly in petroleum production, thereby contributing to more sustainable water management practices.