Abstract
In this work, a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nonwoven support was prepared by wet-laid and hot-press technology and used as support for separation membranes. The properties of the PET nonwoven support were studied to determine the effect of hot-pressing parameters and PET fiber ratio, and were optimized by response surface methodology. Result showed that the PET nonwoven support with 62% low melting point PET (LPET-180) fibers obtained satisfactory properties and structure after hot pressing at 220 °C under the pressure of 9 MPa for 20 s. The response surface analysis indicated that the temperature and time of hot pressing and the fiber ratio were the most important factors affecting the strength and air permeability of the PET nonwoven support. After hot pressing, the PET nonwoven support exhibited interconnected structure, small pore size, low porosity, and high strength. Then phase inversion technique was applied to prepare a polysulfone (PSF) layer on the PET nonwoven support and an ultra-thin polyamide (PA) active layer was prepared by interfacial polymerization on the PSF layer. The practicality of PET nonwoven support was verified by testing the pure water flux and retention of the PA composite membrane and the structural change of the PA composite membrane before and after use. The results proved the feasibility and remarkable application prospects of hot-pressed wet-laid PET nonwoven support as support for separation membranes.
Highlights
Water is the backbone of the global economy; a high-quality and sustainable supply is essential for production and livelihood [1]
Membrane the PET nonwoven support (PNS) with a minimum Air permeability (AP) and a maximum tensile index (TI) were obtained by setting optimized experimental In this experiment, according to the regression model suggested by response surface analysis, the PNS with a minimum AP and a maximum TI were obtained by setting optimized experimental parameters (PET-260 fiber ratio, hot-pressing temperature, hot-pressing pressure, and hot-pressing time were 0.38, 220 °C, 9 MPa, and 20 s, respectively) to prove the predicted results, and the optimized parameters (PET-260 fiber ratio, hot-pressing temperature, hot-pressing pressure, and hot-pressing time were 0.38, 220 ◦ C, 9 MPa, and 20 s, respectively) to prove the predicted results, and the optimized
The PNS which was used as a support layer for a separation membrane was successfully developed
Summary
Water is the backbone of the global economy; a high-quality and sustainable supply is essential for production and livelihood [1]. Hot pressing, which typically uses one or two pairs of heated steel rollers or other molds to heat and pressurize the fiber web, is a suitable approach for strengthening wet-laid nonwoven fabrics. It allows the melting, flowing, and diffusion of low-melting-point fibers in the web. The fibers are bonded, and the web is strengthened to form hot-pressed nonwoven supports In this process, melted fibers act as a binder to bond and protect other fibers, and decrease the pore size of the nonwoven fabric. The flux and retention of the composite membrane are discussed, and the structures of composite membrane before and after use were investigated
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