PREPARATION AND ELECTROCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANES BASED ON SAN/PVDF-HFP BLENDS

A copolymer of poly(acrylonitrile-co-styrene) (SAN) was synthesized via an emulsion polymerization method. Novel polymer electrolyte membranes cast from the blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) (PVDF-HFP), SAN and fumed silica (SiO2) are microporous and can be used in polymer lithium-ion batteries. The membrane shows excellent characteristics such as high ionic conductivity and good mechanical strength when the mass ratio between SAN and PVDF-HFP and SiO2 is 3.5/31.5/5. The ionic conductivity of the membrane soaked in a liquid electrolyte of 1 mol/L LiPF6/EC/DMC/DEC is 4.9×10-3 S cm-1 at 25℃. The membrane is electrochemical stable up to 5.5 V versus Li /Li in the liquid electrolyte. The influences of SiO2 content on the porosity and mechanical strength of the membranes were studied. Polymer lithium-ion batteries based on the membranes were assembled and their performances were also studied.     

Electrochemistry of capillary systems with narrow pores. IV. Dialysis potentials

The dialysis potentials of different collodion membranes with graded pore sizes and electrochemical activities have been measured in dilute aqueous KCl solutions as functions of concentration. It is possible to predict the value of the diffusion potential within a few millivolts on the basis of electrical conductivity data obtained with the same membranes. In general, the measured values are lower than those calculated. It is assumed that this difference is caused by the membranes having a distribution of pore sizes.     

Microfiltration of protein solutions at thin film composite membranes

An experimental study of the interaction of the enzyme yeast alcohol dehydrogenase (YADH) with polysulfone thin film composite microfiltration membranes (Dow-Danmark) has been carried out. It was found that the membranes adsorbed only 3/4 of a monolayer of the enzyme under the conditions studied. Even so, under filtration conditions, the membrane permeation rate decreased continuously with time. This decrease in permeation rate was due neither to concentration polarisation nor to protein adsorption alone. However, it could be quantified using the standard blocking filtration law, which describes a decrease in pore volume due to deposition of protein in the interior structure of the membrane. Reversal of the membrane, so that the supporting matrix faced the feed solution, gave more stable permeation rates. Implications for the microfiltration of industrial fermentation broths are discussed.     

Proton ionizable crown compounds. 18. Comparison of alkali metal transport in a H2O-CH2Cl2-H2O liquid membrane system by four proton-ionizable macrocycles containing the dialkylhydrogenphosphate moiety

The macrocycle-mediated fluxes of alkali, alkaline earth, and several transition metal cations have been determined and compared in a H₂O-CH₂Cl₂-H₂O liquid membrane system using four water-insoluble macrocycles containing a dialkylhydrogenphosphate moiety. Transport of alkali metal cations by these ligands was greatest from a source phase pH = 12 or above into an acid receiving phase (pH = 1.5). Very low fluxes were observed for the transport of the alkaline earth cations and all transition metal ions studied except Ag⁺ and Pb²⁺ which were transported reasonably well by these new macrocycles.Deceased: September 5, 1987.     

Fouling and protein adsorption effect of low-temperature plasma treatment of membrane surfaces

Adsorption of proteins and the effect of the chemical nature of membrane surfaces on protein adsorption were investigated using¹⁴C-tagged albumin and several microporous membranes (polyvinilydene fluoride, PVDF; nylon; polypropylene, PP; and polycarbonate, PC). The membrane surfaces were modified by exposing them to low-temperature plasma of several different monomers (n-butane, oxygen, nitrogen alone or as mixtures) in a radiofrequency plasma reactor. Transients in the permeability of albumin solutions through the membranes and changes in flux of distilled water through the membranes before and after adsorption of albumin were used to investigate the role of protein adsorption on membrane fouling. The results show that the extent of adsorption of albumin on hydrophobic membranes was considerably more than that on hydrophilic membranes. The hydrophilic membranes were susceptible to electrostatic interactions and less prone to fouling. A pore-blocking model was successfully used to correlate the loss of water flux through pores of defined geometry     

MORPHOLOGIES AND GAS SEPARATION PROPERTIES OF MELT-SPUN ASYMMETRIC POLY(4-METHYL-1-PENTENE)HOLLOW FIBER MEMBRANES*

Poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (PMP) hollow fiber membranes were prepared by the melt-spun and cold-stretch(MSCS) method. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize the section and surface structures of themembranes with special asymmetric structure. The preliminary results of gas permeation measurements indicated that the resultant hollow fiber membranes have the potential ability for oxygen/nitrogen separation.     

Acetylation and molecular mass effects on barrier and mechanical properties of shortfin squid chitosan membranes

Chitosan samples with different N-deacetylation levels were obtained from β-chitin under heterogeneous alkali conditions. Oxidative depolymerisation was performed to attain low-acetylated chitosan samples with different molecular mass. Water vapour permeability, membrane swelling and tensile mechanical properties were analysed in plasticized self-supporting chitosan membranes. The main purpose was to describe unambigously the effect of the biopolymer molecular mass and acetylation degree on these properties. Commercially available chitosan samples derived from α-chitin were also studied for comparison. The equilibrium degree of swelling in water and the water vapour permeability increase by increasing the molecular mass or the degree of acetylation. Regarding the effect on the mechanical properties, generally harder and tougher membranes were obtained for chitosans with higher molecular mass or lower acetylation degree. These observations are tentatively explained based on the different structural characteristics of the polymer and can lead to a better understanding of the tools necessary to tailor a specific type of chitosan membrane.     

Time‐resolved Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection spectroscopy for the measurement of molecular diffusion in polymers

Over the past 2 decades, the use of time‐resolved Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy for the measurement of diffusion in polymers has grown. ATR is a powerful technique for the measurement of diffusion in polymers because it is an in situ technique that is relatively inexpensive, provides reliable short‐time data, and provides a wealth of information at the molecular level. This article highlights the technique and its application to numerous studies, ranging from the diffusion of drugs in human skin to chemical warfare agents in barrier materials. In addition to these topics, recent studies with ATR to quantify and model molecular interactions during the diffusion process are reviewed. In the future, the ATR technique may have an impact on a variety of emerging fields in which diffusion in polymers plays an important role, such as fuel cells, membrane separation, sensors, and drug delivery. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2794–2807, 2003     

聚全氟乙丙膜电子束引发预辐射接枝AA和SSS制备阳离子交换膜的研究

利用电子束引发预辐射接枝技术,在聚全氟乙丙烯(FEP)薄膜上接枝丙烯酸(AA)和对苯乙烯磺酸钠(SSS),制备一种含羧酸基团和磺酸基团的阳离子交换膜,详细研究了反应温度、单体总浓度、pH值变化、辐照气氛及添加剂对接枝率的影响规律,明确了实验条件与接枝率的对应关系。FTIR测试证明了接枝产物是全氟乙丙烯和丙烯酸、对苯乙烯磺酸钠的接枝共聚物。     

Antifouling ultrafiltration membrane composed of polyethersulfone and sulfobetaine copolymer

A new random copolymer was synthesized by reacting hydrophilic N,N-dimethyl-N-methacryloxyethyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl) (DMMSA) with hydrophobic butyl methacrylate (BMA) through a conventional radical polymerization. The as-prepared sulfobetaine copolymer (DMMSA–BMA) was blended with polyethersulfone (PES) to fabricate antifouling ultrafiltration membrane for BSA separation. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis of blend membranes revealed concentration of sulfobetaine groups at the membrane surfaces that endowed the membrane with higher hydrophilicity and better antifouling property. For the membrane with 8.0 wt% DMMSA–BMA copolymer concentration (No. 5), irreversible fouling has been considerably reduced and the flux recovery rate of the blend membrane reached as high as 82.8%. Furthermore, the blend membrane could effectively resist BSA fouling in a wide pH range from 4.0 to 8.0.