• Proceedings of the Membrane Society of Korea Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.166-169
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• 2004

Microfiltration membranes were prepared from aromatic polyethersulfone (PES) polymer, using aprotic solvent (N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, NMP) and non-solvent additive (2-methoxy ethanol, 2-ME) by the phase inversion co-process of the vapor-induced phase inversion (VIPI) and the nonsolvent-induced phase inversion (NIPI). According to the change of the additive amount, the solvent amount and the relative humidity, membrane characterization was studied. The non-solvent additive in casting solution played an important role in membrane morphology. During the vapor-induced phase inversion, the relative humidity led to water sorption on the surface of casting dope at which pore formation was generated. The prepared membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscope observations, measurements of capillary flow porometer and pure water flux (PWP). Also the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of membrane-forming system were studied through coagulation value, light transmittance and viscosity.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.633-639
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• 2008

Polysulfone membranes were prepared via the phase inversion process. Toluene was added as a nonsolvent additive in the casting solution containing a mixture of polysulfone and n-methylpyrrolidone. When prepared via the diffusion-induced process using isopropanol as a precipitation nonsolvent, the solidified membranes revealed a similar asymmetric structure irrespective of the addition of toluene, presenting both a dense skin layer and a sponge-like support layer. The added toluene played a role of enhancing liquid-liquid phase separation of the casting solution, and skin layer thickness of a prepared membrane increased with toluene content in the casting solution. On membrane performance, the solute rejection showed a uniform behavior irrespective of the addition of toluene. However, in spite of the significant increase in dense skin layer thickness, the water permeation through the membrane prepared with 60 wt% toluene revealed five times as much flux, compared with that of the membrane prepared without toluene additive.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.80-91
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• 2013

Metal-templated condensation of cyclohexanedione dioxime and phenylboronic acid in the presence of Fe(II) sulfate heptahydrate proceeds cleanly in methanol to furnish the Fe(II) clathrochelate. An organic/inorganic hybrid membranes composed of Fe(II) clathrochelate and polyethersulfone was prepared by using phase inversion method. For membrane preparation, the Fe(II) clathrochelate was highly soluble (3~5 g/L) in DMF, NMP, and DMAc, which meets the requirements for the solubility of metal complexes in polar aprotic solvent used in membrane preparation. It was stable even in the presence of strong acids, such as trifluorosactic acid (pKa = 0.3). It was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, and their stability in solution phase studied in the presence of (i) strong acids or (ii) competing chelates. Organic/inorganic hybrid membranes were prepared with polyethersulfone, polyvinylpyrrolidone, p-toluenesulfonic acid, Fe(II) clathrochelate and DMF by using nonsolvent induced phase inversion method. The addition of Fe(II) clathrochelate leads increase of surface pore density, mean pore size and flux. We can obtain highly asymmetric membranes by addition of Fe(II) clathrochelate.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.32-41
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• 2015

High performance polysulfone microfiltration membranes with a high were successfully prepared by vapor induced phase separation (VIPS) coupled with non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. Asymmetric Membranes were prepared with PSF/DMF/PVP/PEG/DMSO/water mixed solutions and water/IPA coagulant. PSF, DMF, PVP, PEG, DMSO, water was used as a membrane polymer, a solvent, a hydrophilic polymer additive, a polar protic liquid polymer, a polar aprotic nonsolvent, and a polar protic nonsolvent in the casting solution, respectively. The addition of polar aprotic nonsolvents, and polar protic nonsolvents is a convenient and effective method to control membrane structure. In order to control the morphology of polymeric membranes, the spontaneous emulsification induced by drawing water vapor into the exposed casting solution surface has been used. Control of the internal morphology of polymeric membranes by using mixed coagulation solution such as water and IPA is discussed in the present work. The pure water permeability, pore size distribution, surface hydrophilicity and membrane morphology were investigated. Due to the addition of DMSO to casting solution, the mean pore size increased almost $0.2{\mu}m$ and the water flux increased about 1000-1800 LMH.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.76-86
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• 2010

This study investigated the effect of 2-butoxyethanol (BE) as a nonsolvent additive, relative humidity and air contact time on the structure formation of microfiltration membranes, permeation and morphology properties in phase inversion process. The membranes were prepared by using polyethersulfone (PES)/Dimethyl formamide (DMF)/p-toluenesulfonic acid (TSA)/Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/BE casting solution and water coagulant. Casting solutions containing various concentration of BE were exposed to a water vapor, under 60 and 80% of relative humidity for 40 and 90 sec, which would be absorbed on. The correlations between the membrane permeation properties and surface/inner structures of membrane were investigated. The characterization of membranes was carried out by a capillary flow porometer, a FE-SEM and a water permeation test apparatus. The surface structure of PES membranes was affected by the exposure time as well as the relative humidity strongly. Furthermore, the addition of BE helped control surface and inner structure at certain humidity and exposure time.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2022

In this work, the effect of nonwoven support during fabrication of flat sheet membranes via nonsolvent-induced phase separation, was investigated in detail. It was found that dope solutions with low viscosity tend to penetrate through the nonwoven support during phase inversion, resulting in nonhomogeneous membranes. A simple soaking treatment of nonwoven support prevented such unwanted dope penetration, and resulted in membranes with higher water and solvent permeance performance. The dope penetration through nonwoven was more prominent in solutions with low viscosity, and the nonwoven soaking treatment not effective in solutions with high viscosity.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.178-190
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• 2012

Flat sheet membranes were prepared with polysulfone (PSF) by an immersion precipitation phase inversion method. Membranes were prepared with PSF/N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/phosphoric acid casting solution and water coagulant. By using the successive process of the vapor-induced phase inversion (VIPS) followed by the nonsolvent-induced phase inversion (NIPS), the effect of phosphoric acid addition to casting solution on morphology and permeability of membrane was studied. The mean pore size, the porosity, and the water flux of membranes were increased by the addition of small amount of phosphoric acid. Furthermore, the morphology of the prepared membranes were changed from a dense sponge-like structure to highly enhanced asymmetric structure. PSF/NMP/PVP/phosphoric acid/2-butoxyethanol (BE) casting solution were prepared and cast the successive VIPS-NIPS process with same experimental condition. Due to the addition of BE to casting solution, the mean pore size and almost 0.1 ${\mu}m$ and the water flux increased about 10 to 12 $L/cm^2{\cdot}min{\cdot}bar$.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2018

In this work, the morphology of polyvinylidene-co-hexafluoropropylene (PVDF-co-HFP) membranes were systemically investigated using phase inversion technique, to target membrane contactor applications. As the presence of macrovoids degrade the mechanical integrity of the membranes and jeopardize the long-term stability of membrane contactor processes (e.g. wetting), a wide range of dope compositions and casting conditions was studied to eliminate the undesired macrovoids. The type of solvent had significant effect on the membrane morphology, and the observed morphology were correlated to the physical properties of the solvent and solvent-polymer interactions. In addition, to fabricate macrovoid-free structure, the effects of different coagulation temperatures, inclusion of additives, and addition of nonsolvents were investigated. Due to the slow crystallization rate of P(VDF-co-HFP) polymer, it was found that obtaining porous membrane without macrovoids is difficult using only nonsolvent-induced phase separation method (NIPS). However, combined other phase inversion methods such as evaporation-induced phase separation (EIPS) and vapor-induced phase separation (VIPS), the desired membrane morphology can be obtained without any macrovoids.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.472-483
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• 2014

This study is preparation of microporous membranes by using macrocyclic metal ion complexes and extended cage complexes. It is a more favorable way to existing methods because polymer and metal ion-ligand complex system provides a fine control over the phase transition behavior. Chemical functionalization of the polar surface can be obtained. Metal-templated condensation of cyclohexanedione dioxime, hydroxyphenylboronic acid in the presence of metal salts proceeds cleanly in methanol to furnish the metal clathrochelate complexes. Organic/inorganic hybrid membranes were prepared with polyethersulfone (PES), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), ethyleneglycol butyl ether (BE), metal clathrochelate s and DMF by using nonsolvent induced phase inversion method. The structure of membranes was characterized with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and microflow permporometer. The addition of Fe(II) clathrochelate complex with p-hydroxyphenyl group leads to changes of membrane morphology such as narrow mean pore size distribution, increase of surface pore density and decrease of the largest pore size.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.277-285
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• 2011

Polysulfone (PSf) membranes were prepared via the phase inversion process. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was added as a nonsolvent additive in the casting solution containing a mixture of PSf and n-methylpyrrolidone. The added PVP played a role of enhancing liquid-liquid phase separation of the casting solution, and significantly reduced the solution fluidity. When prepared via the diffusion-induced process using water as a precipitation nonsolvent, the solidified membranes revealed a typical asymmetric structure irrespective of the addition of PVP. With 5 wt% PVP content, the finger-like cavities were more developed in the membrane sublayer compared to that of the membranes prepared without PVP. In contrast, with more than 10 wt% of PVP, the formation of finger-like cavities was suppressed, and the thickness of polymer nodule layer was increased. The surface porosity was also increased with the PSf content in the casting solution. The water permeability curve as a function of PVP addition revealed the inflection point. The maximum water permeability for 12 wt% PSf membrane was obtained with 5 wt% PVP content, and that for 18 wt% PSf membrane with 15 wt% PVP.