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Asymmetric and bi-continuously structured polyethersulfone (PES) membranes with superior water flux for ultrafiltration application

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Abstract

This work reports a fabrication of asymmetric polyethersulfone (PES) membranes from the water/γ-butyllactone (GBL)/polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/PES system using non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) process. Different amounts of PVP and PES are added into the environmentally friendly solvent, GBL, to form the dope solutions and their effects on the morphological, physical, permeation, and filtration properties of formed membranes are systematically studied. The results demonstrate that the pore size on the top surface and the size of macrovoids in the bulk increase with increasing PVP content and decreasing PES amount in the dope. In the optimal conditions (PVP/PES ratio approaches 1, in particular), the macrovoids disappears and the pores evolve into three-dimensional pore networks in PES matrix. This unique bi-continuous membrane exhibits a remarkable water permeation flux of nearly 1000 L•m−2 h−1 and a BSA rejection of 91%.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the financial support by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (109-2221-E-032 -040 -MY2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, 25137

    Chao-Ching Chang, Szu-Ting Yu, Jenn Fang Su & Liao-Ping Cheng

  2. Energy and Opto-Electronic Materials Research Center, Tamkang University, New Taipei City, Taiwan, 25137

    Chao-Ching Chang, Jenn Fang Su & Liao-Ping Cheng

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  1. Chao-Ching Chang
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Correspondence to Jenn Fang Su.

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Chang, CC., Yu, ST., Su, J.F. et al. Asymmetric and bi-continuously structured polyethersulfone (PES) membranes with superior water flux for ultrafiltration application. J Polym Res 29, 23 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-021-02867-6

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