• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.5 no.2
• /
• pp.109-122
• /
• 2014

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane is widely used for water treatment. However, the weak mechanical strength of PVDF limits its application. To enhance its tensile strength, a double-layer composite hollow fiber membrane, with PVDF and polyetherimide as the external and inner layers, respectively, was successfully prepared through phase inversion technique. The effects of additive content, air gap distance, N,N-dimethyl-acetamide content in the inner core liquid, and the temperature of external coagulation bath on the membrane structure, permeation flux, rejection, tensile strength, and porosity were determined. Experimental results showed that the optimum preparation conditions for the double-layer composite hollow fiber membrane were as follows: PEG-400 and PEG-600, 5 wt%; air gap distance, 10 cm; inner core liquid and the external coagulation bath should be water; and temperature of the external coagulation bath, 40 C. A single layer PVDF hollow fiber membrane (without PEI layer) was also prepared under optimum conditions. The double-layer composite membrane remarkably improved the tensile strength compared with the single-layer PVDF hollow fiber membrane. The permeation flux, rejection, and porosity were also slightly enhanced. High-tensile strength hollow fiber PVDF ultrafiltration membrane can be fabricated using the proposed technique.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.54 no.1
• /
• pp.57-63
• /
• 2016

Thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) and nonsolvent induced phase separation (NIPS) were simultaneously induced for the preparation of flat PVDF membranes. N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) was used as a solvent and dibutyl-phthlate (DBP) was used as a diluent for PVDF. When PVDF was melt blended with NMP and DBP, crystallization temperature was lowered for TIPS and unstable region was expanded for NIPS. Ratio of solvent to diluent changed the phase separation mechanism to obtain the various membrane structures. Contact mode of dope solution with nonsolvent determined the dominant phase separation behavior. Since heat transfer rate was greater than mass transfer rate, surface structure was formed by NIPS and inner structure was by TIPS. Quenching temperature of dope solution also affected the phase separation mechanism and phase separation rate to result in the variation of structure.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.13 no.6
• /
• pp.291-301
• /
• 2022

In this study, cement/PVDF hollow-fiber hybrid membranes were prepared via a mixed process of diffusion-induced phase separation and hydration. The presence of X-ray diffraction peaks of Ca(OH)₂, an AFt phase, an AFm phase, and C-S-H phase confirmed the hydration reaction. Good hydrophilicity was obtained. The cross-sectional and surface morphologies of the hybrid membranes showed that an asymmetric pore structure was formed. Hydration products comprising parallel plates of Ca(OH)₂, fibrous ettringite AFt, and granulated particles AFm were obtained gradually. For the hybrid membranes cured for different time, the pore-size distribution was similar but the porosity decreased because of blocking of the hydration products. In addition, the water flux decreased with hydration time, and carbon retention was 90% after 5 h of rejection treatment. Almost all the Zn²⁺ ions were adsorbed by the hybrid membrane. The above results proved that the obtained membrane could be alternative as basement membrane for separation application.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.118-123
• /
• 2007

Performances of fluoropolymers related to membranes manufacturing for different purposes are reviewed in the present article. In particular the main physical, mechanical and chemical properties of PVDF, ECTFE and PFSA ionomers are described in their specific applications. The excellent chemical resistance and suitable electrochemical properties make fluoropolymers an especially good choice in membranes manufacturing.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.149-160
• /
• 2017

This study investigated effects of NaOH cleaning on the intrinsic permeability of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membranes and flux recoveries and membrane resistances under various conditions encountered during ultrafiltration in water treatment plants. The NaOH cleaning using 10,000 mg/L NaOH led to discoloration of PVDF membranes and had little effect on water flux. The NaOH cleaning was efficient in removing the fouling layer caused by humic water. However, long filtration induced a fouling layer that was not removed easily by NaOH cleaning. The lower temperature during filtration yielded rapid increases in transmembrane pressure and decreases in NaOH cleaning efficiency. The alkaline cleaning of PVDF changed the membrane properties such as the hydrophobicity and morphology. Foulant properties, operational conditions such as temperature, and chemical agents should be considered for cleaning strategies for PVDF applied in water treatment.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.158-166
• /
• 2014

In this research, microporous and bicontinuous poly vinylidene fluoride(PVDF) hollow fiber membranes were prepared via hybrid process of the thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) and stretching method. The mechanism of the membrane preparation is based on liquid-liquid phase separation. The final membranes have characteristic structures which have both bicontinuous and fibrillar morphology by applying the stretching method. They showed quite different structure when compared with the spherulitic or nodular structure from S/L TIPS and bicontinuous structure from L/L TIPS. At first, PVDF hollow fiber precursors were prepared via TIPS method using various kind of diluent mixtures. We used gamma-butyrolacton, dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diethyl phthalate (DEP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as diluents. We could make hollow fiber membranes which had porous outer surface or dense outer surface by controling the parameters such as cooling conditions, PVDF concentration and the ratio of diluent mixtures. Finally, these hollow fiber were stretched at room temperature and diluents were extracted by ethanol. Effects of the stretching ratio on the membrane morphology were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), and its effects on water flux, porosity, pore size, roughness and tensile strength were examined.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.7 no.5
• /
• pp.377-401
• /
• 2016

To study the effect of titanium dioxide ($TiO_2$) nanoparticles on membrane performance and structure and to explore possible improvement of using mixed solvents in the casting solution, composite polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) ultrafiltration membranes were prepared via immersion precipitation method using a mixture of two solvents triethyl phosphate (TEP) and dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and addition of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles. Properties of the neat and composite membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle and membrane porosity measurements. The neat and composite membranes were further investigated in terms of BSA rejection and flux decline in cross flow filtration experiments. Following hydrophilicity improvement of the PVDF membrane by addition of 0.25 wt.% $TiO_2$, (from $70.53^{\circ}$ to $60.5^{\circ}$) degree of flux decline due to irreversible fouling resistance of the composite membrane reduced significantly and the flux recovery ratio (FRR) of 96.85% was obtained. The results showed that using mixed solvents (DMAc/TEP) with lower content of $TiO_2$ nanoparticles (0.25 wt.%) affected the sedimentation rate of nanoparticles and consequently the distribution of nanoparticles in the casting solution and membrane formation which influenced the properties of the ultimate composite membranes.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
• /
• 2008.11a
• /
• pp.426-426
• /
• 2008

Blend membranes were prepared by solvent casting method from sulfonated fluorinated poly(arylene ether)s (SDFF) and chemically modified polyvinylidene fluoride (mPVdF) in isopropanol and were evaluated as proton exchange membrane electrolytes in PEMFC. $^1H$-NMR, differential scanning calorimeter and thermogravimetric analysis was utilized to characterize the structure of the blend membranes (SDFF/mPVDF) and effects of mPVDF content on the properties of the membrane such as water uptake and proton conductivity were also investigated.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.7 no.6
• /
• pp.539-553
• /
• 2016

As a novel hydrophobic monomer, polytetrahydrofuran diacrylate (PTMGDA) was synthesized by the esterification reaction between polyethylene tetrahydrofuran (PTMG) and acryloyl chloride (AC). In situ free radical polymerization reaction method was utilized to fabricate poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)-PTMGDA-poly(ethylene oxide) dimethacrylate (PEGMA) ulrafiltration (UF) membranes. The performances of PVDF-PTMGDA-PEGMA UF membranes in terms of morphologies, mechanical properties, separation properties and hydrophilicities were investigated. The introduction of the PTMGDA-PEGMA dopants not only increased the membranes' pure water flux, but also improved their mechanical properties and the dynamic contact angles. The addition of the PTMGDA/PEGMA dopants led to the formation of the finger-like structure in the membrane bulk. With the increase concentration of PTMGDA/PEGMA dopants, the porosity and the mean effective pore size increased. Those performances were coincide with the physicochemical properties of the casting solutions.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.108-116
• /
• 2004

In this study, the pore-filled ion-exchange membranes were prepared by using the asymmetric PVDF membrane as a nascent membrane. First, the solution of PVBCI having the chlorornethylate aryl ring of 80 percents and DABCO was made with the mixed solvent of THF and DU (8:2). These mixed solution was then, filled in the pores of PVDF membrane, and left for a day to complete the gelation. Finally the pore-filled anion-exchange membrane is obtained fallowed by the amination of the remaining chloromethyl groups with trimethylamine (TMA, 40 wt% in water) forming the positive ammonium ion sites. This 2 step procedure enabled us to produce the pore-filled membranes without change of size, and to control the properties of final membrane with various degree of cross-linking. The results of SEM and AFM showed the polyelectrolyte existed in the pores of nascent membrane as a certain configuration. From the investigation of the solvent affecting much to the permeability and rejection, it was found that the membranes using mixed solvent of THE and DMF (8:2) showed better performances than the membranes produced by THF only. The result of an investigation for the water permeability of the final membrane at low pressure (100 Kpa) showed a typical ultrafiltration membrane's permeability (8 ∼ 10 kg/$m^2$hr) and good values of rejection (55∼60 percent).