Hydrophilic polymer membranes containing carboxylic groups—I. Acrylic acid—methyl methacrylate—glycidyl methacrylate copolymers

Abstract

Copolymers of acrylic acid, methyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate have been synthesized and converted into cross-linked hydrophilic membranes by successive treatments with heat, alkali solution and acidic solution. The copolymerization was carried out in solution using tetrahydrofuran and p-dioxane as solvents. The polymer was obtained as a clear viscous solution at yields of approximately 95%. The polymerization was stopped before gelation took place. This gelation resulted from the reaction of epoxy and carboxylic groups of the polymeric chain. The polymerization time ranged from 3.5 to 7 hr depending on the content of the glycidyl methacrylate in the feed. The monomer mixture consisted of 25–45 mol% of acrylic acid, 40–70 mol% of methyl methacrylate and 2.5–15 mol% of glycīdyl methacrylate. With increasing content of acrylic acid, the membranes became soft and elastic; with decreasing content, they became brittle and hydrophobic. The swelling of the cured polymeric film increased with increase in the acrylic acid content of the monomer mixture and decreased with increasing glycidyl methacrylate content. Dialysis runs were conducted with sodium chloride, urea and a series of ethylene glycols with molecular weights up to 600. The permeability coefficients through the membranes for the ethylene glycols were similar to those through a commercial cellulose membrane (Cuprophane). The permeability proportional to (permeant molecular wt) − 1 2 . The membranes showed very low permeabilities to sodium chloride compared with those of commercial nonionic membranes. This appears to be due to the ionic exclusion mechanisms expected for ion exchange membranes.