Identification of optimum synthesis conditions for a novel anion exchange membrane by response surface methodology

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed for the optimization of the synthesis conditions of an anion exchange membrane. A novel chlorinated‐polypropylene heterogeneous anion exchange membrane was made via phase inversion. A nonionic surfactant was incorporated into the composition as an additive to enhance the membrane properties. The membrane performance was measured in terms of ion exchange capacity (IEC) and permselectivity. An experimental design was used to quantify the effects of variables including the ratio of resin/polymer, the ratio of additive/total solid, and the ratio of solvent/polymer, on IEC and permselectivity. For each function, a quadratic model was developed to correlate the relationship between variables and the response. The results demonstrated the accuracy of the two models. The anion exchange membrane with the best combination of a high IEC and high permselectivity was synthesized with a solvent/polymer ratio of 18.63 (v/w), resin/polymer ratio of 1 (w/w), and additive/total solid ratio of 0.02 (w/w). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 39888.