Abstract
Method for the formation of polymer coatings on the poly(ethylene terephthalate) track-etched membrane surface by magnetron sputter deposition of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene in a vacuum is considered. The surface morphology and chemical structure of nanoscale coatings have been investigated. It is shown that the application of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene-like coatings leads to hydrophobization of the membrane surface, the degree of which depends on the coating thickness. Besides, the usage of this modification method leads to smoothing of structural inhomogeneity of the membrane surface, a decrease in pore diameter, and alteration of pore shape. The investigation of the chemical structure of deposited coatings by XPS method showed that they contain a significant concentration of oxygen-containing functional groups. The composite membranes of the developed sample can be used in the process of desalination of seawater by the method of membrane distillation.
Highlights
It is of great interest to develop methods for creating bilayer composite membranes (BCM), in which one of the layers has a highly porous hydrophilic base, and the second thin microporous layer has hydrophobic properties
It is shown that the application of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene-like coatings leads to hydrophobization of the membrane surface, the degree of which depends on the coating thickness
The deposition of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)-like layer on the surface of poly(ethylene terephthalate) track-etched membrane (PET TM) by magnetron sputter deposition (MSD) method leads to the formation of composite membranes having an asymmetric shape of pore: the pore diameter on the untreated side of the membrane does not change, while the diameter of pores on the modified side decreases
Summary
It is of great interest to develop methods for creating bilayer composite membranes (BCM), in which one of the layers has a highly porous hydrophilic base, and the second thin microporous layer has hydrophobic properties. The usage of plasma demonstrates important advantages: it allows controlling the thickness of the deposited polymer layer, providing high adhesion; a minor of conducting the process characterizes it and the possibility to use a wide range of organic and organoelement compounds. The usage of this method for the polymerization of organic compounds containing functional groups allowed obtaining hydrophilic polymer layers on the membrane surface [5]. The formation of coatings from the active gaseous phase by the dispersion of polymers under, for example, laser radiation, RF-discharge plasma, or a beam of accelerated electrons attracts the highest interest among them In order to obtain these membranes a thin coating from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) was applied on the surface of a poly(ethylene terephthalate) track-etched membrane (PET TM) by magnetron sputter deposition method
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