A gas–liquid chemical reaction treatment and phase inversion technique for formation of high permeability PAN UF membranes

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared by the pretreatment (gas–liquid interfacial chemical reaction) and the phase inversion process from a casting solution containing dimethylacetamide (DMAC) as a solvent and CaCl₂/NH₃·H₂O/H₂O as a composite additive. Deionized (DI) water was used as a coagulant. The membranes were characterized in terms of the pure water fluxes, protein retention and direct field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) observations. The effects of gas–liquid interfacial chemical reaction on the membrane performance were investigated by changing the pretreatment time, CO₂ contacting method (static or flowing) and Partial pressure of CO₂. The gas–liquid interfacial chemical reaction had great influence on reducing pore size and increasing porosity of PAN membrane.     

Effect of poly(ethylene glycol) 200 on the formation of a polyetherimide asymmetric membrane and its performance in aqueous solvent mixture permeation

To investigate the effect of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) 200 on membrane performance, asymmetric polyetherimide (PEI) membranes with a small pore size were prepared by dry/wet-phase inversion from the casting solution containing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone as a solvent and poly(ethylene glycol) 200 as an additive. Our experiment revealed that the addition of PEG 200 has an influence on the casting solution properties, permeation properties, and resulting membrane structures. Moreover, a drying process also affects the formation of a dense skin layer. Increasing the amount of PEG 200 drastically improved the solute rejection rate. The drying process improved the rejection rate. We also observed the effect of the mixed solvent (water/ethanol) on permeation through the membranes with various pore sizes. In the case of the membrane with a dense skin layer, the solvent permeation showed relationships with solution viscosity, surface tension, and membrane-solvent interaction.     

Effect of PEG additive on membrane formation by phase inversion

This study investigates the effect of PEG additive as a pore-former on the structure formation of membranes and their permeation properties connected with the changes of thermodynamic and kinetic properties in phase inversion process. The membranes were prepared by using polysulfone (PSf)/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) casting solution and water coagulant. The resulting membranes prepared by changing the molecular weight of PEG additive and the ratio of PEG to NMP were characterized by scanning electron microscope observations, measurements of water flux and PEG rejection. The thermodynamic and kinetic properties of membrane-forming system were studied through coagulation value, light transmittance and viscosity. The correlations between the final membrane structure/permeation properties and thermodynamic/kinetic properties of membrane forming system are discussed extensively.     

Polyethersulfone/polyacrylonitrile blend ultrafiltration membranes with different molecular weight of polyethylene glycol: preparation,morphology and antifouling properties

Asymmetric ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared from blends of polyethersulfone (PES)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) via phase inversion method induced by immersion precipitation. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) with four different molecular weights was used as pore former and hydrophilic polymeric additive. N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF) and water were used as solvent and coagulant (nonsolvent), respectively. The effects of different proportion of PES/PAN and molecular weight of PEG on morphology and performance of the prepared membranes were investigated. Performance of the membranes was evaluated using UF experiments of pure water and buffered bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution as feed. The contact angle measurements indicated that the hydrophilicities of PES/PAN membrane increase by increasing the PAN concentration in the casting solution. However, performance of the membranes improves by increasing the PAN concentration in the casting solution up to 20% and then decreases with further addition of PAN. It was found out that the rejection of BSA decreases with increasing the PAN concentration in the casting solution. Furthermore, it was found that the performance of the membranes increases by increasing the molecular weight of PEG up to 1500 Da and then decreases with the higher molecular weights. The morphology of the prepared membranes was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PREPARATION OF ASYMMETRIC POLYETHERKETONE FLAT AND HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANES FOR GAS SEPARATION USING ACETIC ACID BASED COAGULANTS

Membranes for gas separation have developed significantly in the last twenty years,however,there is still a need for high temperature and chemically resistant membranes that exhibit good selectivity and gas permeability.Our study examines the fundamental properties of polyetherketone (PEK,a thermally stable and chemically resistant polymer) membranes prepared using concentrated sulphuric acid (98% H_2SO_4) as the solvent.Non-solvents used in the work included acetic acid,ethanol,methanol,glycerol,and wat...     

Control of the porosity of asymmetric TPX membranes

In the present work, the effect of adding nonsolvent in the casting solution on the porosity of asymmetric TPX (poly(4-methyl-1-pentene)) membranes was systematically investigated. A series of alcohols, with carbon number ranging from 2 to 14, was added in the casting solution (TPX/cyclohexane) to alter the porosity of two types of asymmetric TPX membranes, prepared by using ethanol and 1-propanol as the coagulation medium. It was found that the effect of nonsolvent on membrane porosity is different for the two types of membranes and the difference can be reasoned by considering the exchange rate between the polymer solvent and the coagulation medium during membrane formation. The results indicate that, for the membrane formation system with low exchange rate between coagulant and solvent, the membrane porosity is controlled by the coagulation value, defined as the volume of coagulant required to demix the casting solution. On the other hand, for the system with high exchange rate, the membrane porosity is not controlled by the coagulation value but by the penetration speed of the coagulant front moving through the casting solution.     

Copper-exchanged LTA zeolite membranes with enhanced water flux for ethanol dehydration

Phase-pure and well-intergrown Cu-LTA membranes are developed through copper ions exchange of sodium ions in Na-LTA framework. For pervaporation of 90.0 wt% ethanol/10.0 wt% water mixtures, the Cu-LTA membrane shows much higher water flux than Na-LTA membranes due to the enhancement of the pore size after ions exchange.     

Synthesis and characterization of asymmetric polyethersulfone membranes: effects of concentration and polarity of nonsolvent additives on morphology and performance of the membranes

In this study, effects of methanol, ethanol and 1‐propanol as variable nonsolvent additives (NSAs) on the morphology and performance of flat sheet asymmetric polyethersulfone (PES) membranes were investigated. The membranes were prepared from PES/Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/N‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) system via phase inversion. The obtained results indicate that with the addition of NSAs to the casting solution, the membrane morphology changes slowly from macrovoids to an asymmetric structure with finger‐like pores. By increasing the NSAs concentrations in the casting solution and decreasing their polarities, the membrane structure changes from finger‐like pores to sponge. The AFM and SEM images reveal that addition of NSA to the casting solution decreases the pore size of the prepared membranes and reduces the pure water flux and BSA solution flux, while increasing the protein rejection. Surface analysis of the membranes showed that mean pore size and surface porosity of the prepared membranes with NSAs in the casting solution are smaller compared with those of the membrane prepared with no NSA. Pure water flux and BSA solution flux through the membranes decrease and BSA rejection increases with increase in the concentration of NSAs and decrease in their polarity. Finally, it can be concluded that the T_g values of the PES membranes increase by addition of NSAs to the casting solution. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of solution extrusion rate on morphology and performance of polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fiber membranes using polyvinyl pyrrolidone as an additive

<正>Polyvinylidene fluoride(PVDF) hollow fiber membranes prepared from spinning solutions with different polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP) contents(1%and 5%) at different extrusion rates were obtained by wet/dry phase process keeping all other spinning parameters constant.In spinning these PVDF hollow fibers,dimethylacetamide(DMAc) and PVP were used as a solvent and an additive,respectively.Water was used as the inner coagulant.Dimethylformamide(DMF) and water(30/70) were used as the external coagulant.The performances of membranes were characterized in terms of water flux,solute rejection for the wet membranes.The structure and morphology of PVDF hollow fiber were examined by BET adsorption,dry/wet weight method and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).It is found that the increase in PVP content and extrusion rate of spinning solution can result in the increase of water flux and decrease of solute rejection.The improvements of interconnected porous structure and pore size are induced by shear-thinning behavior of spinning solution at high extrusion rates,which could result in the increase of water flux of hollow fiber membranes.The increase of extrusion rate also leads to the increase of membrane thickness due to the recovery effect of elastic property of polymer chains.     

Preparation of P(AN–MMA) microporous membrane for Li-ion batteries by phase inversion

A novel process was proposed for preparation of microporous poly(acrylonitrile–methyl methacrylate) (P(AN–MMA)) membranes by phase inversion techniques using ultrasonic humidifier. Being prepared by dissolving the polymer (PAN–MMA) in the N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) solution with mechanical stirring, the homogenous casting solution was cast onto a clean glass plate. Successively, the glass plate was exposed to the water vapor produced by ultrasonic humidifier, inducing the phase inversion. It is found the pore size is much more uniform across the cross-section of the membrane than that of the porous membrane prepared by conventional water bath coagulation technique. The microporous membranes were directly obtained after the washing and drying. It had about 1–5 μm of pores and presented an ionic conductivity of 2.52 × 10⁻³ S/cm at room temperature when gelled with 1 M LiPF₆/EC-DMC (1:1 vol.%) electrolyte solution. The test cells with the gel electrolytes prepared from as-prepared microporous membranes showed stable cycling capacities, indicating that the microporous membrane, which was prepared from cheap starting materials acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate, can be used for the gel electrolyte of lithium batteries.     

PREPARATION OF POLYETHERSULFONE ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANES FOR MILK CONCENTRATION AND EFFECTS OF ADDITIVES ON THEIR MORPHOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE

Polyethersulfone membranes were prepared from quaternary systems containing N,N-dimethylacetamide （DMAc） as solvent, polyvinylpyrrolidone （PVP） as constant additive and acetic acid, acetone and water as variable additives. Phase inversion via immersion precipitation was employed for manufacturing of membranes. The prepared films were immersed in the mixture of pure water and 2-propanol （30/70 vol%） as the non-solvent. Acetic acid caused an increment in the flux at high polymer concentration （16 wt%） and a decline in the flux at low polymer concentrations （10 wt% and 13 wt%）. Acetone and water as the solvent in the casting solution declined the flux at any polymer concentration tested. The morphology and performance of the prepared membranes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and separation experiments using milk as the feed.     

Porous membranes modified by hyperbranched polymers: I. Preparation and characterization of PVDF membrane using hyperbranched polyglycerol as additive

Porous membranes were prepared via phase inversion process from casting solution composed of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), and hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG). The membranes were characterized in terms of surface and bulk chemical compositions, morphology, water contact angle, porosity, and water flux. The effects of HPG content on membrane structures and properties were investigated. The effect of HPG addition on the hydrophilicity was discussed as well when the compositions of coagulation bath were changed. To better understand the special effects of HPG on the structures and properties of the membranes, PVDF membranes prepared using HPG as the additive were compared with those prepared using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as the additive.     

Improved protein-adsorption resistance of polyethersulfone membranes via surface segregation of ultrahigh molecular weight poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride)

A styrene-maleic anhydride (SMA) alternating copolymer with ultrahigh molecular weight (M_w > 10⁶) synthesized in super critical carbon dioxide (SC CO₂) medium was used as hydrophilic polymeric additive in the preparation of polyethersulfone (PES) membranes. The PES/SMA blend membranes were prepared by immersion precipitation process. X-ray photoelectronic spectroscopy (XPS) measurements confirmed that the hydrolyzed SMA preferentially segregated to membrane–coagulant interface during membrane formation. For the PES/SMA blend membranes, no big change was observed in the cross-sectional structure and the mechanical properties were well maintained after SMA addition except that a thicker top layer was formed. The surface morphology analysis by atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that the membrane surface roughness increased with the added SMA amount. The results of water contact angle, water absorbance measurements and static protein adsorption experiments revealed that the surface enrichment of SMA endowed PES/SMA blend membranes with significantly improved surface hydrophilicity and protein-adsorption resistance.     

Biologically inspired silk fibroin grafted polyacrylonitrile filtration membrane prepared in ZnCl2 aqueous solution

Biologically inspired silk fibroin grafted polyacrylonitrile (SF-g-PAN) filtration membrane was prepared using ZnCl₂ aqueous solution as solvent, avoiding the use of organic solvents.     

Effect of Polyethylene glycol methyl ether blend Humic acid on poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluropropylene) PVDF-HFP membranes: pH responsiveness and antifouling behavior with optimization approach

Flat sheet asymmetric membranes were fabricated with homogeneous solution of poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-co-HFP) using N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as solvent via phase inversion method. PEGME (Poly ethylene glycol methyl ether) (M_n 5000) blend Humic Acid (HA), of different mole ratio was used as additive. Characterization of the membranes was done by Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) studies. Liquid-liquid displacement porosimetry (LLDP) study evaluated the morphological parameters, average pore size and pore size distribution. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) (M_W - 68,000 Da) was used to study the antifouling effect and pore blocking mechanism of the membranes. The pure water flux (PWF), solute rejection and flux recovery ratio drastically increases for the PEGME blended HA membranes whereas the water contact angle decreases significantly. The pH responsiveness character of the prepared membranes altered the hydraulic permeability and rejection % at different pH. Finally, optimization of the variables contributing towards the PWF and BSA rejection of the desired membrane was performed using Design expert software 9.0 TRIAL through ANOVA (analysis of variance) using the combination of response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite design (CCD).     

Preparation and application of microporous TPX membranes

In the present work, poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (TPX) was used to prepare hydrophobic microporous membranes, and the application of the prepared membranes to pervaporation and osmotic distillation was also investigated. The TPX/cyclohexane solution inclines to undergo solid-liquid demixing and form polymer particles at room temperature. The solid-liquid demixing is strongly related to the crystallization process. During membrane formation, the competition between solid-liquid demixing and polymer precipitation determines if particulate membranes can be prepared. By using suitable coagulant, such as propanol, the solid-liquid demixing process occurs before polymer precipitation, particulate TPX membranes with interconnected pores can thus be successfully fabricated. By adjusting the coagulation environment, the pore size of the porous TPX membrane can be tailored. Experiments were performed to evaluate the performance of the prepared membranes in pervaporation and osmotic distillation. The results indicate that the performance of the microporous TPX membranes prepared in the present work is comparable to the commercial PTFE membranes.     

THE INFLUENCE OF PEG MOLECULAR WEIGHT ON MORPHOLOGIES AND PROPERTIES OF PVDF ASYMMETRIC MEMBRANES

The preparation and properties of asymmetric poly(vinyldiene fluoride)(PVDF)membranes are described in this study.Membranes were prepared from a casting solution of PVDF,N,N-dimethylacetamide(DMAc)solvent and water- soluble poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)additives by immersing them in water as coagulant medium.Experiments showed that when PEG molecular weight increased,the changes in the resultant membranes' morphologies and properties showed a transition point at PEG6000.This indicated that PEG with a relati...     

Membrane formation by water vapor induced phase inversion

The membrane formation by the phase inversion process was studied by coagulating a polysulfone/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solution with water vapor as a coagulant. The phase separation occurred when the relative humidity in the membrane casting atmosphere was higher than about 65%. The pore size was strongly affected by the relative humidity as well as the concentration of the polymer solution. It increased as both the relative humidity and the polymer concentration were decreased. The membranes produced showed a uniform structure composed of closed pores. The pure water flux measurement confirmed the closeness of the pores. The information on the late stage phase separation was obtained in situ by an optical microscope due to the slow phase separation. The pores seemed to grow very much at the late stage by coarsening which was observed to occur mainly by coalescence of polymer-lean droplets. As the relative humidity was lower, the coarsening continues longer ending up to a larger droplet size. The coarsening seems to enhance the interconnectivity of pores when the polymer concentration was low enough.     

Effect of nonsolvents on properties of spinning solutions and polyethersulfone hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes

The relationship among the presence of nonsolvent additives, the rheological behavior of spinning solutions and properties of hollow fiber membranes was studied. The additives tested were water, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), and the base mixture was polyethersulfone/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (PES–NMP). In addition the effect of combining water and PVP or PEG was also studied. Membranes were prepared using a spinneret having two concentric orifices. The internal coagulant used as well as the nonsolvent from the coagulation bath were both water at 28°C and 30°C, respectively. Rheological properties of polymer solutions were evaluated using a rheometer Haake RV 20. Changes on composition of spin-solutions were also evaluated in terms of membrane water permeability, solute rejection and membrane structure observed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Experimental results from this work showed that spinning solutions containing any of the three additives behave as Newtonian fluids in the range of shearing rates tested. The addition of water, PVP or PEG to the base PES–NMP solution increased its viscosity and this effect was independent of the type of additive used. A direct relation between viscosity of casting solutions and membrane thickness was found. However, rheological properties (viscosity and normal stress difference) could not be used to explain differences on membrane water flux (MWF) when using different additives at the same concentration. The addition of any of the three additives generally increased MWF. The extent of this increment seemed to be more related to changes on membrane porosity than changes on pore sizes induced by the nature and concentration of the additive used.     

Effect of Polyvinylpyrrolidone on Separation Performance of Cellulose Acetate-Polysulfone Blend Membranes

Blend membranes comprising cellulose acetate and polysulfone (CA/PSf) were prepared through a solution casting method using a different concentration of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the pore former. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was used to investigate structural properties of membranes. Membranes morphology and its thermal properties were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The strength of membranes was studied by mechanical stability. The effect of PVP concentration on separation performance of the prepared membranes was studied. The separation performance of prepared membranes was tested by using an aqueous solution of cadmium metal complexed with humic acid. The results showed that an increase in the PVP concentration in the cast film from 0 to 3 wt% increased the thermal stability, water content (%), pure water flux, and solute rejection. SEM results showed that the pore size decreased but the number of pores increased on an increase in the PVP concentration.