JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING OF JAPAN
Online ISSN : 1881-1299
Print ISSN : 0021-9592
Separations
Role of a Polymer Additive in Casting Solution in Preparation of Phase Inversion Polysulfone Membranes
Ho-Taek YeoSang-Taek LeeMyeong-Jin Han
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2000 Volume 33 Issue 1 Pages 180-184

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Abstract

Polymeric membranes were prepared from homogeneous solutions of two different mixtures: polysulfone (PSF)/dimethylformamide (DMF) and PSF/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/DMF. PSF solutions of 15 wt%, after cast on glass plates, were solidified either by direct immersion into distilled water or by 5-hr exposure under an environment of 72.5% relative humidity followed by immersion in a water bath. The prepared membranes are compared to each other on morphological and functional characteristics. In the vapor exposure process, the demixing rate of a cast solution film is enhanced with the addition of a polymer additive, PVP, in a casting solution. However, the enhancement of demixing rate did not result in an increase in water permeability or a significant morphology variation of the prepared membranes. On the contrary, when a cast film is coagulated by direct immersion into a water bath, the PVP in a solution film worked as a significant flux enhancer. It is concluded that at the specific concentration of 15 wt% polymer, PVP addition induces an increase in demixing rate of a casting solution, which results in an increase in permeability of the prepared membranes, only if the coagulation of a cast film is carried out in a nonequilibrium state.

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© 2000 The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan
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