Home Fabrication, characterization, and performance of poly (aryl ether nitrile) flat sheet ultrafiltration membranes with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as additives
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Fabrication, characterization, and performance of poly (aryl ether nitrile) flat sheet ultrafiltration membranes with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as additives

  • Zhaohui Lu EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: May 31, 2022
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Submit Manuscript Author Information
Journal of Polymer Engineering
From the journal Journal of Polymer Engineering Volume 42 Issue 8

Abstract

Poly(aryl ether nitrile) (PEN) was used to fabricate ultrafiltration membrane via immersion precipitation phase inversion method. The effects of polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) of different molecular weights and concentrations on the structure and performance of PEN membranes were investigated. The membranes were observed by scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, equilibrium water content (EWC), porosity (ε), and so on. The membranes were subjected to ultrafiltration characterizations such as pure water flux (PWF), compaction factor (CF), hydraulic permeability (Pm), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) rejection rate. The hydrophilicity was characterized by infrared spectroscopy and contact angle tests. Results showed that molecular weight of PVP had significant effect on PEN membrane formation, which the membrane prepared by PVP-k30 exhibited excellent comprehensive performance. Meanwhile, the concentration of PVP-k30 could effectively control the select-permeability of PEN membrane. With PVP-k30 concentration increased from 7 to 13 wt%, the prepared PEN membranes got higher EWC, ε, CF, and Pm. The PWF increased from 146.5 to 249.1 L m−2 h−1 bar−1, while the overall rejection of BSA remained above 90%. Further increasing the addition amount to 16 wt%, the membrane performance began to decline. Finally, the addition of PVP-k30 could effectively improve the hydrophilicity of prepared PEN membrane surface.

Keywords: liquid separation; phase inversion method; poly (aryl ether nitrile) ultrafiltration membranes; polyvinyl pyrrolidone
Corresponding author: Zhaohui Lu, China Nuclear Power Technology Research Institute Co. Ltd., Shenzhen, China, E-mail:

Funding source: Research Startup program of Donghua University

Award Identifier / Grant number: 285-07-005702

Funding source: Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province

Award Identifier / Grant number: 2020B010182002

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Lei Liu and Dr. Li Wei for their help in membrane characterization.

  1. Author contributions: The author has accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  2. Research funding: This work was supported by Research Startup program of Donghua University (285-07-005702) and the Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province (2020B010182002).

  3. Conflict of interest statement: The author declares no conflicts of interest regarding this article.

References

1. Miller, D. J., Dreyer, D. R., Bielawski, C. W., Paul, D. R., Freeman, B. D. Surface modification of water purification membranes. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2006, 129, 4662; https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201601509.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

2. Pan, Y., Yu, Z. X., Shi, H., Chen, Q., Zeng, G. Y., Di, H. H., Ren, X. Q., He, Y. A novel antifouling and antibacterial surface-functionalized PVDF ultrafiltration membrane via binding Ag/SiO2 nanocomposites. J. Chem. Technol. Biotechnol. 2017, 92, 552–562; https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.5034.Search in Google Scholar

3. Song, D., Xu, J., Fu, Y. P., Xu, L., Shan, B. T. Polysulfone/sulfonated polysulfone alloy membranes with an improved performance in processing mariculture wastewater. Chem. Eng. J. 2016, 304, 882–889; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2016.07.009.Search in Google Scholar

4. Yu, C., Gao, B., Wang, W., Xu, X., Yue, Q. Alleviating membrane fouling of modified polysulfone membrane via coagulation pretreatment/ultrafiltration hybrid process. Chemosphere 2019, 235, 58–69; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.06.146.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

5. Zhang, L., Guan, H., Zhang, N., Jiang, B., Sun, Y., Yang, N. A loose NF membrane by grafting TiO2-HMDI nanoparticles on PES/beta-CD substrate for dye/salt separation. Separ. Purif. Technol. 2019, 218, 8–19; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2019.02.018.Search in Google Scholar

6. Ibrahim, G. P. S., Isloor, A. M., Inamuddin, A. M., Asiri, A. M., Ismail, A. F., Kumar, R., Ahamed, M. I. Performance intensification of the polysulfone ultrafiltration membrane by blending with copolymer encompassing novel derivative of poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) for heavy metal removal from wastewater. Chem. Eng. J. 2018, 353, 425–435; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2018.07.098.Search in Google Scholar

7. Chen, L., Yang, B., Zhou, P., Xu, T., He, C., Xu, Y. T., Zhao, W. F., Zhao, C. S. A polyethersulfone composite ultrafiltration membrane with the in-situ generation of CdS nanoparticles for the effective removal of organic pollutants and photocatalytic self-cleaning. J. Membr. Sci. 2021, 638, 119715; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119715.Search in Google Scholar

8. Liu, D., Wang, T., He, C. Antifouling polyethersulfone membrane blended with a dual-mode amphiphilic copolymer. J. Mater. Sci. 2016, 51, 7383–7394; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-016-9904-9.Search in Google Scholar

9. Wen, X., He, C., Hai, Y. Y., Ma, Rr., Sun, J. Y., Yang, X., Qi, Y. L., Wei, H., Chen, J. Y. Fabrication of an antifouling PES ultrafiltration membrane via blending SPSF. RSC Adv. 2022, 12, 1460–1470; https://doi.org/10.1039/d1ra06354e.Search in Google Scholar PubMed PubMed Central

10. Mavukkandy, M. O., Bilad, M. R., Giwa, A., Hasan, S. W., Arafat, H. A. Leaching of PVP from PVDF/PVP blend membranes: impacts on membrane structure and fouling in membrane bioreactors. J. Mater. Sci. 2016, 51, 4328–4341.10.1007/s10853-016-9744-7Search in Google Scholar

11. Gan, X. Y., Lin, T., Jiang, F. C., Zhang, X. Impacts on characteristics and effluent safety of PVDF ultrafiltration membranes aged by different chemical cleaning types. J. Membr. Sci. 2021, 640, 119770; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2021.119770.Search in Google Scholar

12. Li, C., Li, S., Lv, L., Su, B., Hu, M. Z. High solvent-resistant and integrally crosslinked polyimide-based composite membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration. J. Membr. Sci. 2018, 564, 10–21; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2018.06.048.Search in Google Scholar

13. Mahdavi, H., Bagherifar, R. Cellulose acetate/SiO2-poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid) hybrid nanofiltration membrane: application in removal of ceftriaxone sodium. J. Iran. Chem. Soc. 2018, 15, 2839–2849; https://doi.org/10.1007/s13738-018-1470-4.Search in Google Scholar

14. Vetrivel, S., Saraswathi, M. S. A., Rana, D., Divya, K., Nagendran, A. Cellulose acetate ultrafiltration membranes customized with copper oxide nanoparticles for efficient separation with antifouling behavior. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 138, 49867; https://doi.org/10.1002/app.49867.Search in Google Scholar

15. Lu, D., Zhang, T., Ma, J. Ceramic membrane fouling during ultrafiltration of oil/water emulsions: roles played by stabilization surfactants of oil droplets. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2015, 49, 4235–4244; https://doi.org/10.1021/es505572y.Search in Google Scholar PubMed

16. Lee, J., Ha, J. H., Song, I. H., Park, J. W. Facile surface modification of ceramic membranes using binary TiO2/SiO2 for achieving fouling resistance and photocatalytic degradation. J. Sol. Gel Sci. Technol. 2019, 91, 198–207; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-019-04972-x.Search in Google Scholar

17. Liu, Z., Tang, Y., Zhao, K., Chen, W. Self-assembly of positively charged SiO2/Y2O3 composite nanofiber membranes with plum-flower-like structures for the removal of water contaminants. Appl. Surf. Sci. 2019, 489, 717–724; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2019.06.013.Search in Google Scholar

18. Bhattacharya, P., Mukherjee, D., Dey, S., Ghosh, S., Banerjee, S. Development and performance evaluation of a novel CuO/TiO2 ceramic ultrafiltration membrane for ciprofloxacin removal. Mater. Chem. Phys. 2019, 229, 106–116; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matchemphys.2019.02.094.Search in Google Scholar

19. Deng, W., Xu, J., Zhao, H. An improved ant colony optimization algorithm based on hybrid strategies for scheduling problem. IEEE Access 2019, 7, 20281–20292; https://doi.org/10.1109/access.2019.2897580.Search in Google Scholar

20. Wang, X., Zhao, Y., Tian, E., Li, J., Ren, Y. Graphene oxide-based polymeric membranes for water treatment. Adv. Mater. Interfac. 2018, 5, 1701427; https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.201701427.Search in Google Scholar

21. Idris, A., Zain, N. M., Noordin, M. Y. Synthesis, characterization and performance of asymmetric polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membranes with polyethylene glycol of different molecular weights as additives. Desalination 2007, 207, 324–339; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2006.08.008.Search in Google Scholar

22. Bruggen, B. Chemical modification of polyethersulfone nanofiltration membranes: a review. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2009, 114, 630–642; https://doi.org/10.1002/app.30578.Search in Google Scholar

23. Behroozi, A. H., Ataabadi, M. R. Improvement in microfiltration process of oily wastewater: a comprehensive review over two decades. J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 2021, 1, 104981; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2020.104981.Search in Google Scholar

24. Park, J. Y., Acar, M. H., Akthakul, A., Kuhlman, W., Mayes, A. M. Polysulfone-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) graft copolymers for surface modification of polysulfone membranes. Biomaterials 2006, 27, 856–865; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2005.07.010.Search in Google Scholar

25. Wardani, A. K., Ariono, D., Wenten, I. G. Hydrophilic modification of polypropylene ultrafiltration membrane by air-assisted polydopamine coating. Polym. Adv. Technol. 2019, 30, 1148–1155; https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.4549.Search in Google Scholar

26. Pu, Z., Chen, L., Long, Y., Tong, L., Huang, X., Liu, X. Influence of composition on the proton conductivity and mechanical properties of sulfonated poly(aryl ether nitrile) copolymers for proton exchange membranes. J. Polym. Res. 2013, 20, 281–291; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-013-0281-7.Search in Google Scholar

27. Zheng, P., Liu, Q., Li, Z., Wang, D., Liu, X. Effect of crosslinking degree on sulfonated poly(aryl ether nitrile)s as candidates for proton exchange membranes. Polymers 2019, 11, 964–976; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym11060964.Search in Google Scholar

28. Gutmann, B., Obermayer, D., Reichart, B., Prekodravac, B., Irfan, M., Kremsner, J. M., Kappe, C. O. Sintered silicon carbide: a new ceramic vessel material for microwave chemistry in single-mode reactors. Chem. Eur J. 2010, 16, 12182–12194; https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.201001703.Search in Google Scholar

29. Sidney, L., Srinivasa, S. Sea Water Demineralization by Means of an Osmotic Membrane[M]. Saline Water Conversion II, 1963.Search in Google Scholar

30. Fan, H., Ran, F., Zhang, X., Song, H., Jing, W., Shen, K., Kong, L., Kang, L. A hierarchical porous carbon membrane from polyacrylonitrile/polyvinylpyrrolidone blending membranes: preparation, characterization and electrochemical capacitive performance. J. Energy Chem. 2014, 23, 684–693; https://doi.org/10.1016/s2095-4956(14)60200-x.Search in Google Scholar

31. Chakrabarty, B., Ghoshal, A. K., Purkait, M. K. Effect of molecular weight of PEG on membrane morphology and transport properties. J. Membr. Sci. 2008, 309, 209–221; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2007.10.027.Search in Google Scholar

32. Han, M. J., Nam, S. T. Thermodynamic and rheological variation in polysulfone solution by PVP and its effect in the preparation of phase inversion membrane. J. Membr. Sci. 2002, 202, 55–61; https://doi.org/10.1016/s0376-7388(01)00718-9.Search in Google Scholar

33. Jiang, J., Zhu, L., Zhu, L., Zhang, H., Zhu, B., Xu, Y. Antifouling and antimicrobial polymer membranes based on bioinspired polydopamine and strong hydrogen-bonded poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone). Acs Appl. Mater. Inter. 2013, 5, 12895–12904; https://doi.org/10.1021/am403405c.Search in Google Scholar

34. Ran, F., Nie, S., Zhao, W., Li, J., Su, B., Sun, S., Zhao, C. Biocompatibility of modified polyethersulfone membranes by blending an amphiphilic triblock co-polymer of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-b-poly(methyl methacrylate)-b-poly(vinyl pyrrolidone). Acta Biomater. 2011, 7, 3370–3381; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2011.05.026.Search in Google Scholar

35. Gebru, K. A., Das, C. Effects of solubility parameter differences among PEG, PVP and CA on the preparation of ultrafiltration membranes: impacts of solvents and additives on morphology, permeability and fouling performances. Chin. J. Chem. Eng. 2017, 25, 911–923; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjche.2016.11.017.Search in Google Scholar

36. Zhu, L., Song, H., Wang, J., Xue, L. Polysulfone hemodiafiltration membranes with enhanced antifouling and hemocompatibility modified by poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) via in situ cross-linked polymerization. Mat. Sci. Eng. C-Mater. 2017, 74, 159–166; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2017.02.019.Search in Google Scholar

37. Xie, P., Lannoy, C. F., Ma, J., Wang, Z., Wang, S., Li, J., Wiesner, M. R. Improved chlorine tolerance of a polyvinyl pyrrolidone-polysulfone membrane enabled by carboxylated carbon nanotubes. Water Res. 2016, 104, 497–506; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.08.029.Search in Google Scholar

38. Sharma, N., Purkait, M. K. Preparation of hydrophilic polysulfone membrane using polyacrylic acid with polyvinyl pyrrolidone. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41964; https://doi.org/10.1002/app.41964.Search in Google Scholar

39. Ochoa, N. A., Pradanos, P., Palacio, L., Pagliero, C., Marchese, J., Hernandez, A. Pore size distributions based on AFM imaging and retention of multidisperse polymer solutes - characterisation of polyethersulfone UF membranes with dopes containing different PVP. J. Membr. Sci. 2001, 187, 227–237; https://doi.org/10.1016/s0376-7388(01)00348-9.Search in Google Scholar

40. Simone, S., Figoli, A., Criscuoli, A., Carnevale, M. C., Rosselli, A., Drioli, E. Preparation of hollow fibre membranes from PVDF/PVP blends and their application in VMD. J. Membr. Sci. 2011, 369. 569; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2010.12.007.Search in Google Scholar

41. Malek, S. A., Seman, M. N., Johnson, D. Formation and characterization of polyethersulfone membranes using different concentrations of polyvinylpyrrolidone. Desalination 2012, 288, 31–39; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2011.12.006.Search in Google Scholar

42. Maryam, A. T., Toraj, M., Mohammad, H. S. High-flux PVDF/PVP nanocomposite ultrafiltration membrane incorporated with graphene oxide nanoribbones with improved antifouling properties. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 138, 49718; https://doi.org/10.1002/app.49718.Search in Google Scholar

Supplementary Material

The online version of this article offers supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/polyeng-2021-0359).

Received: 2021-12-27
Accepted: 2022-04-12
Published Online: 2022-05-31
Published in Print: 2022-09-27

© 2022 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Material properties
  3. Research progress of low dielectric constant polymer materials
  4. Natural rubber reinforced with super-hydrophobic multiwalled carbon nanotubes: obvious improved abrasive resistance and enhanced thermal conductivity
  5. Epoxy resin/graphene nanoplatelets composites applied to galvanized steel with outstanding microwave absorber performance
  6. Enhancement of thermal conductivity in polymer composites by maximizing surface-contact area of polymer-filler interface
  7. Dynamic characterization of the magnetomechanical properties of off axis anisotropic magnetorheological elastomer
  8. Investigation of optical and biocompatible properties of polyethylene glycol-aspirin loaded commercial pure titanium for cardiovascular device applications
  9. Polylactic acid effectively reinforced with reduced graphitic oxide
  10. Preparation and assembly
  11. Assembled hybrid films based on sepiolite, phytic acid, polyaspartic acid and Fe3+ for flame-retardant cotton fabric
  12. Fabrication, characterization, and performance of poly (aryl ether nitrile) flat sheet ultrafiltration membranes with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as additives
  13. Synthesis of composite membranes from polyacrylonitrile/carbon resorcinol/formaldehyde xerogels: gamma effect study, characterization and ultrafiltration of salted oily wastewater
  14. Chitosan nanoparticles encapsulated into PLA/gelatin fibers for bFGF delivery
  15. Engineering and Processing
  16. Stable photoluminescent electrospun CdSe/CdS quantum dots-doped polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers
https://doi.org/10.1515/polyeng-2021-0359
Keywords for this article
liquid separation; phase inversion method; poly (aryl ether nitrile) ultrafiltration membranes; polyvinyl pyrrolidone

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Material properties
  3. Research progress of low dielectric constant polymer materials
  4. Natural rubber reinforced with super-hydrophobic multiwalled carbon nanotubes: obvious improved abrasive resistance and enhanced thermal conductivity
  5. Epoxy resin/graphene nanoplatelets composites applied to galvanized steel with outstanding microwave absorber performance
  6. Enhancement of thermal conductivity in polymer composites by maximizing surface-contact area of polymer-filler interface
  7. Dynamic characterization of the magnetomechanical properties of off axis anisotropic magnetorheological elastomer
  8. Investigation of optical and biocompatible properties of polyethylene glycol-aspirin loaded commercial pure titanium for cardiovascular device applications
  9. Polylactic acid effectively reinforced with reduced graphitic oxide
  10. Preparation and assembly
  11. Assembled hybrid films based on sepiolite, phytic acid, polyaspartic acid and Fe3+ for flame-retardant cotton fabric
  12. Fabrication, characterization, and performance of poly (aryl ether nitrile) flat sheet ultrafiltration membranes with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as additives
  13. Synthesis of composite membranes from polyacrylonitrile/carbon resorcinol/formaldehyde xerogels: gamma effect study, characterization and ultrafiltration of salted oily wastewater
  14. Chitosan nanoparticles encapsulated into PLA/gelatin fibers for bFGF delivery
  15. Engineering and Processing
  16. Stable photoluminescent electrospun CdSe/CdS quantum dots-doped polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 29.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/polyeng-2021-0359/html
Scroll to top button