Polysulfone Membranes characterization

Amin NB, Padhi ID, Touchette MA, Patel RV, Dunfee TP, Anandan JV. Characterization of gentamicin pharmacokinetics in patients hemodialyzed with high-flux polysulfone membranes. Am J Kidney Dis 1999 34 222-7. 

Bowen et al. [40] used sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) as an additive in the polysulfone (PSf)/SPEEK/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) system. Membrane characterization was carried out using filtration studies and AEM. Membranes prepared from solutions in the region of polyelectrolyte behavior [41] showed more pronounced and systematic improvement of membrane permeability and salt rejection. A small decrease in pore size and surface roughness was also followed by an increase in SPEEK content. Compared with a - 28.5 mN m adhesion force of a 4 pm silica particle for a SPEEK free PSf membrane, a SPEEK modified membrane showed greatly reduced adhesion of - 0.75 mNm h This, together with the surface smoothening effect, leads to the reduction of membrane fouling when the surface is modified by the addition of SPEEK. 

Lufrano F, Baglio V, Staiti P, Arico AS, Antonucci V (2006) Development and characterization of sulfonated polysulfone membranes for direct methanol fuel cells. Desalination 199 283-285... 

Benavente, J., Zhang, X. and Garcta-Vails, R. 2005. Modification of polysulfone membranes with polyethylene glycol and lignosulfate Electrical characterization by impedance spectroscopy measurements. J. Colloids Interface Sci. 285 273-280. 

A.C. Nechifor, V. Panait, L. Naftanaila, D. Batalu, and S.I. Voicu, Symmetrically polysulfone membranes obtained by solvent evaporation using carbon nanotubes as additives Synthesis, characterization and applications. Digest Journal of Nanomaterials and Biostructures, 8 (2), 875-884, 2013. 

There are several kinds of membrane characterization, depending on the information and knowledge required (morphological structure, chemical properties, permeability, selectivity, etc.). In this case, we focused on the morphological characterization of polysulfone membranes by using the SEM technique. 

Chakrabarty, B Ghoshal, A.K., and Purkait, M.K. (2008) Preparation, characterization and performance studies of polysulfone membranes using PVP as an additive. Journal of Membrane Science, 315 (1-2), 36-47. 

Siracusano, S., Bagbo, V., Lufrano, F., Staiti, R, Aric6, A.S., Electrochemical characterization of a PEM water electrolyzer based on a sulfonated polysulfone membrane, J. Membr. ScL, 2013, 448, 209-214. 

Manea, C. and Mulder, M. 2002. Characterization of polymer blends of poly-ethersulfone/sulfonated polysulfone and polyethersulfone/sulfonated poly-etheretherketone for direct methanol fuel cell applications. Journal of Membrane Science 206 443-453. 

He, T. (2008) Towards stabilization of supported liquid membranes preparation and characterization of polysulfone support and sulfonated poly (ether ether ketone) coated composite hollow-fiber membranes. Desalination, 225, 82. 

The oligomer molecular weights were characterized by both UV-visible spectra (20, 21) and/or potentiometric titrations (22, 23). Details of the measurements are provided in these papers. The block copolymers also were characterized by intrinsic viscosity and in some cases by membrane osmometry and gel permeation chromatography. Additional characterization studies are continuing and will be reported later. A typical synthesis of a 5000-5000 polysulfone-S-polycarbonate-A copolymer via interfaciar polymerization is described below. 

Rodemann K and Staude E. Synthesis and characterization of affinity membranes made from polysulfone. J. Membr. Sci. 1994 88 271-278. 

Most UF membranes are made from polymeric materials, such as, polysulfone, polypropylene, nylon 6, PTFE, polyvinyl chloride, and acryhc copolymer. Inorganic materials such as ceramics, carbon-based membranes, and zirconia, have been commercialized by several vendors. The important characteristics for membrane materials are porosity, morphology, surface properties, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance. The membrane is tested with dilute solutions of well-characterized macromolecules, such as proteins, polysaccharides, and surfactants of known molecular weight and size, to determine the MWCO. 

Polysulfone. Polysulfone homo- (19) and copolymers have been formed into hollow fiber membranes for hemofiltration by solution extrusion, followed by coagulation and washing. Equilibrium water absorption by these membranes varies between 0.85 and 2.1 percent. The water-equilibrated polymers are glassy at room temperature. Sieving properties of copolymer hemofilters prepared with a 2-phenyl-2-phenoxy propane segment have been characterized (2). The hydrophobicity of this polymer is reflected in a significantly altered rejection spectrum in the presence of protein when compared to saline solutions. 

The use of interfacially formed thin films for membrane separations was, therefore, obvious. Reference to such membranes in Morgan s book characterizes them as retentive to dyes but permeable to salts. Early attempts to use interfacially formed membranes at the North Star Research Laboratories in the late 1960 s tended to confirm the low salt retention described by Morgan. In these early attempts to prepare composite membranes polysulfone support films were saturated in solutions of various diamines, acid acceptors and surfactants. After draining, the films were contacted with hexane solutions of various diacyl chlorides. In this initial work, salt rejections of these membranes were generally too low for practical use in seawater or brackish water applications. Similarly poor results were described in a patent by Scala and co-workers, dating to that era, wherein interfacial condensation membranes were produced (34). 

Kumar, R., Isloor, A. M., Ismail, A. E, Rashid, S. A., and Matsuura, T. 2013. Polysulfone-Chitosan blend ultrafiltration membranes Preparation, characterization, permeation and antifouling properties. RSCAdv. 3 7855-7861. 

Miao, J., Chen, G., Gao, C., and Dong, S. 2008. Preparation and characterization of Al, O-carboxymethyl chitosan/ Polysulfone composite nanofiltration membrane cross-linked with epichlorohydrin. Desalination 233 147-156. 

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