Abstract
Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) nanofibers were fabricated by combined electrospinning and selective removal of poly(ethylene oxide) PEO from a PVDF/(PEO)/water (H2O) composite. The method involved varying the concentration of PEO and H2O with respect to PVDF and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) respectively. The morphology and other properties of the nanofibers were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, UTM, CFP and AFM and showed improved properties that can be effectively utilized as a pre-filter for pretreatment of oil-in-water emulsion filtration. The as-electrospun PVDF nanofiber films exhibited high flux rate, higher porosity, high Young’s modulus and tensile strength, and high surface roughness. Results showed that the nanofiber films can achieve a flux rate of 1172 Lm−2 h−1 with 96% filtration efficiency at a pressure as low as 0.2 bar in an oil-in-water emulsion system. The results indicate that these electrospun PVDF nanofiber films with high intra-pores can be used as a pre-filter in membrane filtration to reduce fouling on membranes. This will aid in cutting down cost since frequent cleaning of membranes shortens the membrane life span.
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