Polysulfone filter membranes

Membrane polymeric materials for separation applications are made of polyamide, polypropylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polysulfone, polyethersulfone, cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate, polystyrene resins cross-linked with divinylbenzene, and others (see Section 2.9) [59-61], The use of polyamide membrane filters is suggested for particle-removing filtration of water, aqueous solutions and solvents, as well as for the sterile filtration of liquids. The polysulfone and polyethersulfone membranes are widely applied in the biotechnological and pharmaceutical industries for the purification of enzymes and peptides. Cellulose acetate membrane filters are hydrophilic, and consequently, are suitable as a filtering membrane for aqueous and alcoholic media. 

Because membrane filtration is the only currently acceptable method of sterilizing protein pharmaceuticals, the adsorption and inactivation of proteins on membranes is of particular concern during formulation development. Pitt [56] examined nonspecific protein binding of polymeric microporous membranes typically used in sterilization by membrane filtration. Nitrocellulose and nylon membranes had extremely high protein adsorption, followed by polysulfone, cellulose diacetate, and hydrophilic polyvinylidene fluoride membranes. In a subsequent study by Truskey et al. [46], protein conformational changes after filtration were observed by CD spectroscopy, particularly with nylon and polysulfone membrane filters. The conformational changes were related to the tendency of the membrane to adsorb the protein, although the precise mechanism was unclear. 

The first major application of microfiltration membranes was for biological testing of water. This remains an important laboratory application in microbiology and biotechnology. For these applications the early cellulose acetate/cellulose nitrate phase separation membranes made by vapor-phase precipitation with water are still widely used. In the early 1960s and 1970s, a number of other membrane materials with improved mechanical properties and chemical stability were developed. These include polyacrylonitrile-poly(vinyl chloride) copolymers, poly(vinylidene fluoride), polysulfone, cellulose triacetate, and various nylons. Most cartridge filters use these membranes. More recently poly(tetrafluo-roethylene) membranes have come into use. 

In micro- and ultrafiltrations, the mode of separation is by sieving through line pores, where microfiltration membranes filter colloidal particles and bacteria from 0.1 to 10 mm, and ultrafiltration membranes filter dissolved macromolecules. Usually, a polymer membrane, for example, cellulose nitrate, polyacrilonytrile, polysulfone, polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene, poly-tretrafhioroethylene, polyamide, and polyvinylchloride, permits the passage of specific constituents of a feed stream as a permeate flow through its pores, while other, usually larger components of the feed stream are rejected by the membrane from the permeate flow and incorporated in the retentate flow [10,148,149],... 

ASSI Frovifors Bruk, Board mill, Frovifors, Sweden In 1991, two CR filters were installed at ASSl Frovifors Bruk board mUl in Frovifors (Sweden) to concentrate and recover the waste latex coating from an air-knife coater. The 50 kg/mol cutoff polysulfone membrane produces a flux of 200 L/(m h). The mUl uses Ti02 pigment, which makes the recovery process extremely economical. The UF operates at a constant concentrate sohds concentration of 20% continuously for 10 days between cleanings [1,130]. When concentrating a standard coating color effluent steady flux of 120 L/(m h) at a coating color concentration of 10%-15% (50 L/(m h) at 40%) is achieved [36]. 

Several issues require investigations. Membrane filters shed particles or fibers released during filtration. This is an area where potential extractables may occur. The potential toxicity of the filters and the product s compatibility with the membrane must be determined. Of all the filters tested (unpublished data), polyvinylidene difluoride, polycarbonate, and polysulfone were found to be most compatible with several proteins, with minimal amounts of protein binding and deactivation. 

Membrane filtration application to biopharmaceutical product development is extremely important since sterile protein-peptide products can only be prepared via sterile filtration and gamma radiation steam cannot be used under pressure. There are several excellent works in the field of sterile membrane filtration.34-36 The filter media most often tested for protein formulations with minimum adsorption and maximum compatibility are mixed esters of cellulose acetate, cellulose nitrate, polysulfone, and nylon 66. Membrane filters must be tested for compatibility with the active drug substance and selected for formulations if they have the lowest adsorption and maximum compatibility with the product. 

The initial microporous support films used in the work were made from cellulose acetate by a modification of the Loeb-Sourirajan procedure. Later work showed that several types of the membrane filters manufactured by Millipore Corporation and Gelman Sciences, Inc., performed as well and allowed higher flux. A continued search for a more compression-resistant support film led to the development of polycarbonate, polyphenylene oxide and polysulfone microporous films in 1966 to 1967 (8). Of these, microporous polysulfone film proved to have the best properties. The polysulfone support was made by casting a liquid layer of a 12.5 to 15 percent solution of Union Carbide Udel P35OO polysulfone in dimethylformamide onto a glass plate at 4 to 7 mils (100-175 pm) thickness, then coagulating the film in water. 

In addition to the usual vinyl monomers, most organic compounds having adequate vapor pressure could be used to deposit a barrier layer on porous supports. Additional copolymers could be formed by inclusion of nitrogen in the reactant gases. The supports used included Millipore filters, porous polysulfone films and porous glass tubes. Examples were presented of plasma formed membranes with 99 percent salt rejection, 38 gfd flux (63.3 L/sq m/hr) and low flux decline in seawater tests. A recent report by Heffernan et al describes gas phase deposition of membranes on hollow fibers (30). 

Polymeric membranes are prepared from a variety of materials using several different production techniques. Table 5 summarizes a partial list of the various polymer materials used in the manufacture of cross-flow filters for both MF and UF applications. For microfiltration applications, typically symmetric membranes are used. Examples include polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane. These can be produced by stretching, molding and sintering finegrained and partially crystalline polymers. Polyester and polycarbonate membranes are made using irradiation and etching processes and polymers such as polypropylene, polyamide, cellulose acetate and polysulfone membranes are produced by the phase inversion process.f Jf f ... 

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