CELLULOSE ACETATE AND EPOXY RESIN BLEND ULTRAFILTRATION MEMBRANES: REPARATION,CHARACTERIZATION, AND APPLICATION

ABSTRACT

Membranes based on cellulose acetate used in ultrafiltration applications lack good, chemical, mechanical and thermal resistance. In order to prepare membranes with improved properties, modification of cellulose acetate with epoxy resin through solution blending was attempted. In the present work, the membrane casting solutions with different polymer blend compositions of cellulose acetate and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) were prepared at 30±2°C. The maximum percent compatibility of the two polymers, cellulose acetate and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A, was estimated to be 60/40%. Ultrafiltration blend membranes based on various blend compositions were prepared, characterized in terms of compaction, pure water flux, water content, membrane hydraulic resistance and molecular weight cut-off. The application of these membranes, in rejection of proteins of various molecular weights, are discussed.