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Structural modification of polysulfone/NMP membranes: effect of chloroform as co-solvent

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Abstract

The effect of chloroform as co-solvent, in polysulfone/NMP/water mixtures, on the morphology of membranes fabricated by the phase inversion method is reported. This was studied by preparing four solutions of 10% w/w polysulfone in NMP with 0, 15, 30, and 45% w/w chloroform as a co-solvent. The presence of chloroform affects the membrane morphology, deterring the formation of finger-like macrovoids. On the other hand, Ruaan’s parameter (Φ), turbidity tests, and the linearized method for the binodal curve were proposed to predict the variation in the membrane morphology, which was verified by direct observation through an optical microscope. Hence, in the presence of chloroform, a reduction of 50% in the homogeneous region on the ternary diagram was perceived, suggesting delayed precipitation of the polymer. Furthermore, the increment in the apparent diffusivity value (from 6.25 × 10−6 to 5.62 × 10−4 cm2/s with 30% w/w of CHCl3) was determined from the measurement of the water penetration distance as a function of time.

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Acknowledgements

This work is part of Luis Eduardo Maldonado López doctoral thesis with the CONACYT scholarship #588854.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Materials Department, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (IPICYT), Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Lomas 4a Sección, 78216, San Luis Potosí, SLP, México

    L. E. Maldonado-Lopez & V. A. Escobar-Barrios

  2. School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2006, Australia

    G. A. Fimbres-Weihs

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  1. L. E. Maldonado-Lopez
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  2. G. A. Fimbres-Weihs
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  3. V. A. Escobar-Barrios
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Correspondence to V. A. Escobar-Barrios.

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Maldonado-Lopez, L.E., Fimbres-Weihs, G.A. & Escobar-Barrios, V.A. Structural modification of polysulfone/NMP membranes: effect of chloroform as co-solvent. Polym. Bull. 79, 6601–6615 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-021-03828-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-021-03828-1

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