• Membrane Journal
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.212-219
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• 2016

The alumina hollow fiber membranes were prepared by spinning and sintering a polymer solution containing suspended alumina powders. For determine pore structure of hollow fiber membranes formed by different solvent-nonsolvent interaction rate, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), dimethylacetamide (DMAc), triethylphosphite (TEP) were prepared in dope solution by solvent, polyethersulfone (PESf) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were used as a polymer binder and additive. The pore structure of hollow fiber membranes was characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The alumina hollow fiber membranes prepared by DMSO, DMAc were had the asymmetric structure mixed sponge-like and finger-like morphology, while TEP solvent were had single sponge-like structure. The prepared hollow fiber membranes were analyzed gas permeation and mechanical strength experiment also. The hollow fiber membrane having single sponge-like structure was had high gas permeation performance. On the contrary to this, more finger-like morphology was less gas permeation performance.

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2003.07a
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• pp.107-114
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• 2003

This study investigated the effect of 2-methoxy ethanol (2-Me) non-solvent as additive included in casting solution. Macroporous polymer membranes were prepared by using polyethersufone (PES)/N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP)/2-Me casting solution and water coagulant. The phase separation co-process of the vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS) and liquid-induced phase separation (LIPS) were used by means of membrane preparation method. The pore size and pore size distribution were controlled with additive (non-solvent), and measured with Automated Perm Porometer. By increasing additive (non-solvent) in the casting solution, the membranes produced changed from finger structure to sponge structure. That is due to the different diffusion rates. At slow diffusion process, sponge-like structure was formed and at fast diffusion process, finger-like structure was formed. Also relative humidity, evaporation time, temperature of casting solution and coagulation bath etc. had effects on the pore size distribution and the porosity of the membrane.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.210-219
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• 1998

Sulfonated poly(ether sulfone)(SPES) of various ion exchange capacity (IEC) was prepared by heterogeneous sulfonation with chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) to make hydrophilic ultrafiltration membrane for reducing fouling. The effects of CSA concentration, reaction temperature and reaction time has been investigated. The reaction was effective when the temperature is above 10$\circ$C and the CSA concentration is over 0.05 mol, although polymer chain has been significantly degraded. The substitution of sulfonic acid groups was characterized by FTIR and $^1$H-NMR. Transport properties and fouling test have been conducted to the modified SPES ultrafiltration rnembranrs by heterogeneors method. Membranes were obtained using DCM and PVP as a non-solvent and pore forming agent, respectively. Flux reduced and rejection increased with ion exchange capacity. Finger-like structure was disappeared and the thickness of top layer was increased. Dense membrane by non-solvent DCM and porous membrane by pore forming agent PVP was prepared. Fouling was reduced with increasing ion exchange capacity because of hydrophilicity.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.85-104
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• 2005

Recently, membrane can be prepared by two methods, phase inversion and electrospinning techniques. Phase inversion technique is a conventional but commercially preparation membrane. The most versatile of preparation in this technique is immersion of the cast film into nonsolvent bath, causing dense top layer with a finger-like pattern in the sub layer membrane. The membrane pore size getting from phase inversion is in the range of micro or submicrometer. As a result, it can be used as microfiltration and ultrafiltration applications. A new technique, electrospinning, is introduced for membrane preparation. Nonwoven nanofibrous mat or nanofibrous membrane is obtained. In this technique, electrostatic charge is introduced to the solution jet, causing a thin fiber with high surface area; hence it can be used in the applications where high surface area-to-volume or length-to-diameter ratios are required. Moreover, the pore size can be controlled by controlling the time of electrospinning. Hence, it can be used as a filter for filtering microparticles as well as nanoparticles.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.339-344
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• 2014

Different types of polyethersulfone (PES) support layer for a thin film composite (TFC) membrane were synthesized under various synthesis conditions using the phase inversion method to study the combined effects of substrate, adhesive, and pore former. The permeability, selectivity, pore structure, and morphology of the prepared membranes were analyzed to evaluate the membrane performance. The combined use of substrate, adhesive, and pore former produced a thinner dense top layer, with more straight finger-like pores. The pure water permeation (PWP) of the optimized PES membrane was $27.42L/m^2hr$ (LMH), whereas that of bare PES membrane was 3.24 LMH. Moreover, membrane selectivity, represented as divalent ion ($CaSO_4$) rejection, was not sacrificed under the synthesis conditions, which produced the dramatically enhanced PWP. The high permeability and selectivity of the PES membrane produced under the optimized synthesis conditions suggest that it can be utilized as a potential support layer for TFC membranes.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.272-280
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• 2005

In this study, asymmetric polysulfone membranes were prepared by the phase inversion method and the casting solutions were containing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent. Deionized water and various alcohols(methanol, ethanol, and propanol) were used as a coagulation medium in preparing asymmetric polysulfone membranes. This study investigates the effect of alcohol coagulants having different solubility parameters as a pore-former on the construction of porous structures and their pure water permeation properties. Asymmetric polysulfone membranes immersed in the pure alcohol coagulation bath solution showed the typical sponge-like structures and the reduced water permeability as compared with those of polysulfone membranes precipitated in the pure water coagulation bath solution. In the water/alcohol mixtures, asymmetric polysulfone membranes showed the finger-like structures with the sponge-like structures. Therefore, the sponge-like structure of polysulfone membrane was formed under the delayed demixing systems while the porosity of membrane was decreased significantly. The water permeability of polysulfone membrane precipitated in the pure water coagulant showed 164 [$L/m^2hr$] at 14.7 psi. In case of polysulfone membranes prepared in the pure methanol and ethanol coagulant, they showed the water permeability of 56 and 30 [$L/m^2hr$], respectively.

• Korean Membrane Journal
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2007

To prepare chemically stable asymmetric microporous membranes with a hydrophilic surface, which would be expected to have better antifouling properties, poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) blend membranes were prepared by the phase inversion process. PVDF mixture solutions in N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) blended with several polar potential ionic polymers such as polyacrylonitrile (PAN), poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (NIPAM) were used for the formation of the PVDF blend membranes. They were then characterized with several analytical methods such as FESEM, FTIR, contact angle measurement, pore size distribution and permeability measurement. Regardless of different polar polymers blended, they all showed a finger-like structure with more hydrophilic surface than the pristine PVDF membrane. For all the PVDF blend membrane, due to the polar potential ionic polymers used, the flux of those was improved. Especially the PVDF blend membrane with NIPAM showed the highest flux among the membranes prepared. Also antifouling property of the PVDF membrane was improved by the use of the polar polymers.

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

• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.11-15
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• 1995

Polysulfone (PS) membranes were prepared by the phase inversion process using water or isopropanol as nonsolvent. The Flory-Huggins theory for a ternary system nonsolvent/solvent/polymer is applied to describe the thermodynamic equilibria of the components. The calculated ternary phase equilibria show that demixing of a PS binary solution with n-methylpyrrolidone (NMP) will be fast in a water coagulation bath and will be delayed in an isopropanol bath. The prepared membranes were characterized by SEM, gas adsorption-desorption measurement, and permeability test. The membrane, which is precipitated by fast demixing in a water bath, has nodular structures in the skin region and includes finger-like cavities in the sublayer. The membrane coagulated by isopropanol has a very dense and thick skin structure, which is formed by delayed demixing. The membrane coagulated by isopropanol showed considerably lower pore volume and surface area compared to that observed with water coagulation method. With dimethylformamide (DMF) as solvent and 2-3 wt% of water, the solution can show the liquid-liquid phase separation due to agglomation of the polymer-lean phase from the homogeneous solution. The membranes, which were coagulated near an equilibrium state, show the large (micron size) round pores in the whole membranes. The pores do not contribute the permeation characteristics.

• Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering
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• v.35 no.11
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• pp.2241-2255
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• 2018

RSM methodology was applied to present mathematical models for the fabrication of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) dual-layer hollow fibers in membrane distillation process. The design of experiments was used to investigate three main parameters in terms of polymer concentration in both outer and inner layers and the flow rate of dope solutions by the Box-Behnken method. According to obtained results, the optimization was done to present the proper membrane with desirable properties. The characteristics of the optimized membrane (named HF-O) suggested by the Box-Behnken (at the predicted point) showed that the proposed models are strongly valid. Then, a morphology study was done to modify the fiber by a combination of three types of a structure such as macro-void, sponge-like and sharp finger-like. It also improved the hydrophobicity of outer surface from 87 to $113^{\circ}$ and the mean pore size of the inner surface from 108.12 to 560.14 nm. The DCMD flux of modified fiber (named HF-M) enhanced 62% more than HF-O when it was fabricated by considering both of RSM and morphology study results. Finally, HF-M was conducted for long-term desalination process up to 100 hr and showed stable flux and wetting resistance during the test. These stepwise approaches are proposed to easily predict the main properties of PVDF dual-layer hollow fibers by valid models and to effectively modify its structure.