Abstract
A new asymmetric pervaporation membrane, composed of the fluoropolymer poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), has been fabricated and preliminary tests have been carried out to assess membrane performance for the removal of non-polar organics from water. Formation of an asymmetric microstructure proceeds via an unusual phase inversion process where a dense polymer layer forms at the membrane/casting surface interface. Asymmetric membranes are made by either a dry cast method involving complete air-drying of a PVDF film or a wet cast method of partial air-drying followed by film immersion in a series of aqueous precipitation baths. For aromatic/water and chloroform/water separations, the PVDF films performed remarkably well. For example, a benzene separation factor of 1,530 and a benzene flux of 150 g/m2-hr has been obtained for an 890 ppm benzene in water feed solution at 25°C and 0.05 atm downstream pressure. When the feed solution contained 625 ppm chloroform in water, the performance of asymmetric PVDF films at 25°C is characterized by a high organic flux (25.3–58.7 g/m2-hr) and a high separation factor (302–823).
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